TOUR ITINERARIES
Hotep/ greetings
Africa / Egypt / Nubia Educational Tour.
August 16th through August 25th. 2010
Starting at $1,810.00 P.P Double Room
Join Us As We Return to the Motherland.
Join us on our annual tour, as we return to the motherland. Lets experience the great works and wonders of our ancestors, who were the builders of the Great Pyramids, Sphinx, and many temples. You will enjoy the historical sites from Nubia to the Giza Plateau. Experience the beginning of world civilization which was influenced by ancient Egypt. Experience Nubia, which is the foundation and beginning of the Nile Valley civilization which is called Ancient Egypt. We will visit the Nubian Museum which boasts the antiquity of Ancient Egypt with artifacts going back 90,000 years. You will witness and see stone pictographs, tools made of metal (copper and bronze) and ancient sites, before there was an Egyptian Dynasty. Learn the history of Egypt and come back to the beginning of knowledge with Bro. Heru Bennu Amen Ra. (aka Dr. George Bennett M.F.A. Dr.F.A.) African Art historian, Archeologist Researcher/Lecturer, From Paleolithic (Kush) to (kemet) Egypt.
Itinerary subject to change
Day 1
Depart from JFK on Egypt Air, the meal service is tops. Three dinner choices offered. Chicken, beef and fish. Vegetarian accommodations upon request as well. FA's serves various courses and removes previous courses with efficiency. Cabin is very clean and comfortable. Staff will be on hand for any additional requests if asked. Cabin ambiance is excellent, spotlessly clean and very spacious. crew is very attentive, extremely well-trained, very warm and efficient. Oh and don't forget breakfast. You're going to really enjoy this flight.
Day 2
Upon arrival to Cairo, you will be met and escorted to your five star accommodations Hotel - overnight
Day 3
After your breakfast, you will begin your full day of sight-seeing in Cairo, which will include
the Egyptian Museum, Bazaar,Pyramids and Sphinx. Camel ride opportunity - Transfer to train station where you will have your own private sleeper car with dinner and breakfast being served to you on overnight trip to Aswan (Nubia).
Day 4
Upon arrival, transfer to your five star Hotel for check in. Afternoon visit to the Nubian Museum and the broken obelisk also great shopping opportunities for Nubian artifacts, cotten goods and Original perfumes. overnight in your luxurious Hotel.
Day 5
After breakfast, transfer to your deluxe Nile cruise (optional Abu Simbel Tour). There you will visit the rock hewn Temples of Rameses II and his wife Queen Nefertari. After orientation,
enjoy your tour to the temple of Philae. Philae Island was a rocky island in the middle of the River Nile, south of Aswan. It was called in Hieroglyphic “Apo” which means Ivory. It was also known by the Greeks as “Elephantine”, most probably because it was an important centre of trade, especially for ivory.
This temple is dedicated to the Mother Goddess Isis. Then sail to Kom Ombo.
Day 6
Visit the temple of Kom Ombo, shared by the two Gods Sobek and Haroeris. The Temple known as Kom Ombo is actually two temples consisting of a Temple to Sobek ( the crocodile god ) and the Temple of Haroeris. In ancient times, sacred crocodiles basked in the sun on the river bank near here. Next sail to Edfu. Upon arrival to Edfu, visit the temple of Horus. There is a tradition that Imhotep, the vizier and architect who designed the Step Pyramid of Djoser at Saqqara, designed the first stone temple at Edfu. It was dedicated to Horus, Hathor of Dendera, and their son, Herumatawy, or Harsomtus in Greek. Sail to Luxor.
Day 7
Cross the Nile to visit the valley of the Kings and Queens.
The Valley of the Kings was the royal cemetery for 62 Pharaohs , and is located on the west bank at Luxor. The only entrance to this place was a long narrow winding path. This was a secret place, where sentries were placed at the entrance of the Valley, as well as along the top of the hills, in the hopes of discouraging tomb robbers, who had in the past plundered all royal tombs, including the treasures of the Pyramids. Some thefts were probably carefully planned, but others were spur of the moment, as when an earlier tomb was accidentally discovered while cutting a new one and workmen took advantage of the opportunity. This may have happened when KV 46 was found during the cutting of KV 4 or KV 3 nearby. The tombs in the Valley range from a simple pit (e.g. KV 54), to a tomb with over 121 chambers and corridors (KV 5).The temple of Hatshepsut at Deir El-Bahri. The Temple of Deir El-Bahri is one of the most characteristic temples in the whole of Egypt, due to its design and decorations. It was built of limestone, not sandstone like most of the other funerary temples of the New Kingdom period.
It is thought that Senimut, the genius architect who built this Temple, was inspired in his design by the plan of the neighboring mortuary Temple of the 12th Dynasty King, Neb-Hept-Re. The Temple was built for the great Queen Hatshepsut (18th Dynasty), to commemorate her achievements and to serve as a funerary Temple for her, as well as a sanctuary of the God, Amon Ra.
The Colossi of Memnon, These statues were misnamed by the Greeks, but actually depict Amenhotep III. The southern of the statues also depicts the two most important women in the king's life, his mother Mutemwiya and his wife, Queen Tiy. However, it should be noted that within the grounds of the temple, more fragments of colossal statuary have been found than in any other known sacred precinct. In the fields behind the statues, also stands a great, repaired stele that was once in the sanctuary of his temple, around which are located fragments of sculptures.
In the afternoon, visit the Temple of Karnack the Temple of Karnak is the largest Temple in the World! The complex contains a group of Temples such as the Great Temple of Amon Ra, The Temple of Khonso, The Ipt Temple, The Temple of Ptah, the Temple of Montho and the Temple of the God Osiris. A 20m high, mud brick enclosure wall, surrounded all of these buildings. This great Temple of Amon Ra was known during the Middle Kingdom period as Ipt-Swt, which means the Most Selected of places. It was also called Pr-Imn, which means the House of Amon. The name Al-Karnak in Arabic was derived from Karnak, which means fortified village, probably because the Arabs found many Temples and buildings in the area when they entered it for first time.
On your way towards the entrance you will find a ram-headed avenue of Sphinxes, which was built to protect the Temple. There are 20 rams on each side, extending from the small harbour to the 1st Pylon, which was built during the time of King Nektanebo I (30th Dynasty). As you cross this pylon, it takes you into an Open court, whose dimensions are100m long by 80m wide, built during the 22nd Dynasty, and containing rows of bud papyrus columns.
the Temple of Luxor with its elegant colonnaded hall built by Amenhotep III and Rameses II. Known in ancient times as "the private sanctuary (Opet) of the south," the temple proper is located south of Karnak. The present temple is built on a rise that has never been excavated and which may conceal the original foundations. The early building may rest on a no longer visible older structure dating back to the 12th Dynasty.
Evening Captain's Dinner party overnight on board
Day 8
Disembark, rest of the day at leisure in Luxor ( optional visit to Luxor museum, and Medinet Habu Temple of Rameses III ), Luxor market place for shopping. 7PM Transfer to train station for a trip to Cairo in your own private sleeper car with dinner and breakfast being served on overnight train.
Day 9
Day free at leisure: ( Optional Tour of memphis and Saqqara, site of the Great step Pyramid, and the Imhotep museum). Last minute shopping
at Khan el Khalili Bazaar – exotic, friendly, overwhelming and chaotic! Try the fateers at the Egyptian Pancake House next to Al Azhar street for an authentic taste of Egypt, and make sure you check out the many local markets that spiral out from the main part of Khan el Khalili bazaar.
Day 10
After your breakast, you will transfer to the Airport for your homebound flight.
