 The
Desert Frontiers of Egypt
Including
a 4-Day M. S. Kasr Ibrim Aswan to Abu Simbel Cruise
October
12 – 30, 2008
Led
by Professor Lanny Bell
The
Desert Frontiers of Egypt tour will tap into untold wonders
of Egypt’s geographic frontiers. Lying astride one
of the most easily negotiated transit corridors in the world,
the Nile, Egypt is the threshold between the two largest
continents on earth. We will explore her frontiers from
the standpoint of the peoples, goods and ideas that from
time immemorial have crossed them: African exotica coming
north to the Middle East and Europe, conquerors from Asia
and Greece expanding their empires, prospectors and explorers
searching for minerals, slaves driven to far-off markets,
philosophical and religious ideas spreading irrevocably.
We will explore Egypt’s border fortifications along
the Suez, its turquoise mines at Sarabit el-Khadim, its
Coptic desert monasteries along the Red Sea, its famed monastery
of St. Catherine, and examine its attempts at colonization
and “Egyptianization” of local populations.
Our four-day cruise on Lake Nasser enables us to visit sites
not easily accessible to travelers in Egypt, while our stay
in Luxor will give us time to visit many newly reopened
tombs and temples. The spectacular desert landscapes of
the Sinai and serene, unspoiled countryside around Lake
Nasser will add to the magic of this special tour.
Sunday,
October 12:
Depart New York in the evening on Air France.
Monday,
October 13: CAIRO:
Our arrival into Cairo will be midafternoon. Transfer to
the Mena House Oberoi Hotel, situated on the Giza plateau.
This evening we will meet with Dr. Bell for dinner.
Meals:
Dinner
Tuesday,
October 14: CAIRO:
After a breakfast lecture, our touring begins at Dahshur,
where we will view the Middle Kingdom pyramids of Senusret
III and Amenemhet III and visit the southern and northern
pyramids of Snefru, the “Bent Pyramid” (so called because
the angle of the inclination changes halfway up its sides),
and the “Red Pyramid,” perhaps the most perfect of all pyramids.
This exciting day ends with the Fifth Dynasty pyramid complexes
at Abusir.
Meals:
Breakfast & lunch
Wednesday,
October 15: CAIRO:
After a morning of leisure, our touring continues at the
Egyptian Museum, where we examine the objects that pertain
to this special tour.
Meals:
Breakfast
Thursday,
October 16: ISMAILIYA:
Today we will have the opportunity to observe the Delta
landscape as we travel to Tanta to visit its museum, and
on to Behbeit el-Hagar, known to the Greeks as Isiopolis,
“The City of Isis.” Here we will climb over the jumbled
remains of the collapsed temple of Isis, built and decorated
primarily by Nectanebo II and Ptolemy II Philadelphos. We
continue to Ismailiya to visit the Ismailiya Museum and
view some of the monuments from Ramses II's dynasty in the
nearby Garden of Stele. Our hotel, Mercure Forsan Island,
overlooks Lake Timsah on the Suez Canal.
Meals:
Breakfast, lunch & dinner
Friday,
October 17: RAS SUDR:
We turn south along the Red Sea to the Monastery of St.
Anthony, the first and largest Coptic desert monastery.
Like a miniature village of twisting lanes, the monastery
is comprised of small churches, chapels and housing areas
for the monks, dating from as early as the 3rd century.
We will visit the oldest church in the complex in order
to see its renowned frescoes, as well as some of the small
chapels. Following a picnic lunch, we will proceed to the
nearby Monastery of St. Paul, site of the cave of the first
Egyptian hermit. We return north and through the tunnel
under the Suez Canal into the Sinai, arriving at the Helnan
Ras Sudr Hotel for dinner.
Meals:
Breakfast, lunch & dinner
Saturday,
October 18: RAS SUDR:
We transfer to 4-wheel-drive vehicles for a rough ride along
desert track and through small oasis villages to Sarabit
el-Khadim, the most important Pharaonic site in the Sinai
and a meeting place between Egyptian expeditions and Canaanite
tribesmen. A natural fortified plateau surrounded by deep
gorges, Sarabit el-Khadim was the camp of the ancient Egyptian
turquoise mining operations. Following a steep trail, we
will find numerous commemorative steles set up at a temple
dedicated to the goddess Hathor as the “Mistress of Turquoise.”
The climb to Sarabit el-Khadim is quite difficult. For those
of us who would find this too difficult, a day at the beach
might be a good alternative.
Meals:
Breakfast, lunch & dinner
Sunday,
October 19: WADI EL-DEIR:
Today we drive into the interior of the Sinai through vast
landscapes of strange rock formations and rugged massifs
of pink granite banded with veins of green diorite and red
porphyry, contrasting sharply with the dark hills of basalt.
After stopping at the churches in the oasis of Wadi Feiran,
an ancient pilgrimage site, we overnight at the foot of
a mountain traditionally called “Mt. Moses.” Wadi el-Raha
Hotel.
Meals:
Breakfast, lunch & dinner
Monday,
October 20: SHARM EL-SHEIKH:
The full morning will be spent visiting the fortified Monastery
of St. Catherine. Erected by Emperor Justinian in 527, and
spared from destruction by the Muslims, this monastery became
the seat of the Greek Orthodox archbishopric in Egypt. The
interior is a picturesque jumble of terraces, flower-filled
courtyards and vaulted galleries. Our tour will include
all of the areas accessible to the public on this day. After
lunch, we continue across the Sinai to the Gulf of Aqaba,
turning south to Sharm el-Sheikh and the Marriott Sharm
Hotel.
Meals:
Breakfast & lunch
Tuesday,
October 21: HURGHADA: A morning ferry across
the Red Sea brings us to the resort town of Hurghada. This
afternoon we will take a bumpy desert ride in 4-wheel-drive
vehicles to Mons Claudianus, the source of the gigantic
monolithic gray granite (quartz diorite) columns also exported
for use in many state buildings in Rome. Marriott Hurghada
Hotel.
Meals:
Breakfast, lunch & dinner
Wednesday,
October 22: HURGHADA:
Another desert excursion to visit Mons Porphyrites, the
quarries where imperial porphyry was extracted for transport
to Rome and Constantinople. Returning to Hurghada, there
should be time for a swim in the Red Sea before dinner.
Meals:
Breakfast & lunch
Thursday,
October 23: LUXOR:
Turning south to Port Safaga, we drive this morning through
the Wadi Qena, reentering the Nile Valley and proceeding
to Luxor. This afternoon we will visit the Thutmoside and
Ptolemaic-Roman temples dedicated to the god Thoth at el-Tod
and the Tomb of Mollalla. Le Meridien Hotel.
Meals:
Breakfast, lunch & dinner
Friday,
October 24: LUXOR:
Today we will spend an extended morning exploring some of
the rarely visited private tombs of the Theban necropolis
on the West Bank of the Nile, including some that have been
opened to the public only recently. We will also tour the
newly restored Seti I Temple at Old Qurna. This afternoon
will be free to visit Karnak or Luxor Temple, the Luxor
Museum or the new Mummification Museum, or the local suq.
Meals:
Breakfast, lunch & dinner
Saturday,
October 25: ASWAN/KASR IBRIM:
We fly to Aswan for a full day of sightseeing at the southern
border of ancient Egypt. This morning we will visit the
new Museum of Nubian Civilization. We board the M. S. Kasr
Ibrim for lunch. Our Nubian adventure begins at New Kalabsha,
the present home of the Roman Temple of Kalabsha (ancient
Talmis), founded by Amenhotep II and dedicated to the Nubian
god Mandulis. In the same antiquities park stand the relocated
Graeco-Roman Kiosk of Qertassi and the Rock Shrine of Beit
el-Wali, dedicated to the divine Ramesses II and the Elephantine
Triad (Khnum, Satis and Anukis).
Meals:
Breakfast, lunch & dinner
Sunday,
October 26: CRUISE/KASR IBRIM:
We will have a relaxing day to enjoy the sundeck and pool
as we sail to New Wadi Sebua, where we moor for the night.
Meals:
Breakfast, lunch & dinner
Monday,
October 27: CRUISE/KASR IBRIM: We begin
our touring at the Temple of Sebua, known in antiquity as
“The House of Amun.” Ramesses II both built the temple and
was also worshipped here. We next visit the Thoth Temple
of Dakka, the most ancient parts of which date to the Meroitic
ruler Ergamenes (Arqamani) and his contemporary, Ptolemy
IV Philopator. Here in 23 BC the Roman Prefect Petronius
defeated the forces of the Meroitic queen ("Candace"),
halted their northward advance, and pursued them as far
south as Napata (just north of the 4th Cataract in the Sudan),
leaving a garrison at the fortress of Qasr Ibrim. Two years
later a treaty established the southern frontier of the
Roman Empire at nearby Maharraqa. We conclude the morning's
visits at the Graeco-Roman Temple of Maharraqa and sail
on to New Amada. Thutmose III and Amenhotep II founded the
Temple of Amada in honor of Amun-Re. Here is also the small
rock-cut temple of Derr built by Ramesses II and the much-damaged
Tomb of Penne, deputy in charge of Lower Nubia under Ramesses
VI. This decorated rock-cut tomb was moved here from the
extensive New Kingdom Egyptian cemetery at Aniba. We sail
on to Qasr Ibrim for the night.
Meals:
Breakfast, lunch & dinner
Tuesday,
October 28: CRUISE/ABU SIMBEL:
This morning we stop at the remains of the Meroitic town
and Roman fort at Qasr Ibrim, which must be viewed from
the deck of the Kasr Ibrim, as it is not possible to enter
the site safely. We sail on to Abu Simbel and dock near
the temples. The remainder of the day will be spent leisurely
visiting the spectacular rock-cut temples of Ramesses II
and his favorite queen, Nefertari. This memorable tour ends
with a Sound and Light performance and a candlelight dinner
on deck. We will recount our adventures and toast our next
visit to Egypt.
Meals:
Breakfast, lunch & dinner
Wednesday,
October 29: CAIRO:
The intrepid among us will rise early to watch the sun light
the temples as it rises over Lake Nasser. After breakfast
we disembark and fly back to Cairo. The remainder of the
day will be at leisure for individual pursuits. Meridien
Heliopolis.
Meals:
Breakfast
Thursday,
October 30:
Transfer to the airport for our Air France flight to New
York.
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