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The people of Egypt are an intelligent people with a glorious history who left their mark on civilization. -Fidel Castro |
Day : 9
Nubian Paradise and Off the beaten path Temples
Today you head out by private vehicle to Aswan, a Nubian Paradise in South Egypt, but along the way you will have the opportunity to stop and see several infamous temples, fewer tourists ever get to see.
Aswan, a beautiful Southern city filled with Nubain mysteries, and your jumping off point to Abu Simbel. You will drop your luggage off at your hotel and head out for your adventures.
You will go to the ferry docks to take a boat to Philae Island where we will explore The Isis Temple, built in the reign of Nectanebo I during 380-362 BC.
After that you will head to the Nubian Museum, dedicated to Nubian culture and civilization on Elephantine Island, and then wander and explore the Nubian Village to experience their culture.
Later we will come back to the hotel for relaxation
Tonight will be an early night as you head out in the extreme early hours in the morning for our tour to Abu Simbel
Nubian Paradise and Off the beaten path Temples
Today you head out by private vehicle to Aswan, a Nubian Paradise in South Egypt, but along the way you will have the opportunity to stop and see several infamous temples, fewer tourists ever get to see.
Aswan, a beautiful Southern city filled with Nubain mysteries, and your jumping off point to Abu Simbel. You will drop your luggage off at your hotel and head out for your adventures.
You will go to the ferry docks to take a boat to Philae Island where we will explore The Isis Temple, built in the reign of Nectanebo I during 380-362 BC.
After that you will head to the Nubian Museum, dedicated to Nubian culture and civilization on Elephantine Island, and then wander and explore the Nubian Village to experience their culture.
Later we will come back to the hotel for relaxation
Tonight will be an early night as you head out in the extreme early hours in the morning for our tour to Abu Simbel
Day 10:
Travels to Abu Simbel
In the extremely early morning at 3:30 am you will get picked up by a private vehicle to head to the most celebrated Temple of all of Egypt, Abu Simbel. It is around a 3 hour drive to the site with many military checkpoints long the way, which you will have clearance for. You will have several hours to explore this area before returning to Aswan. You will return about 12:30pm in the afternoon and then you can relax or wander the Sharia al-Souq in the center of Aswan's downtown district, it is a souvenir hunter's dream. The stalls brim with spices and perfumes galore, traditional galebeyas (long robes) and scarves in rainbow hues, basketry, and silverware.
That evening you will leave around 8:00 pm to take the train to Luxor arriving 3 hours later, where we will check into our small hotel for a nights rest.
Travels to Abu Simbel
In the extremely early morning at 3:30 am you will get picked up by a private vehicle to head to the most celebrated Temple of all of Egypt, Abu Simbel. It is around a 3 hour drive to the site with many military checkpoints long the way, which you will have clearance for. You will have several hours to explore this area before returning to Aswan. You will return about 12:30pm in the afternoon and then you can relax or wander the Sharia al-Souq in the center of Aswan's downtown district, it is a souvenir hunter's dream. The stalls brim with spices and perfumes galore, traditional galebeyas (long robes) and scarves in rainbow hues, basketry, and silverware.
That evening you will leave around 8:00 pm to take the train to Luxor arriving 3 hours later, where we will check into our small hotel for a nights rest.
Abu Simbel
The Abu Simbel temples are two massive rock temples at Abu Simbel, a village in Nubia, southern Egypt, near the border with Sudan. The complex is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site known as the "Nubian Monuments", which run from Abu Simbel downriver to Philae. The twin temples were originally carved out of the mountainside in the 13th century BC, during the 19th dynasty reign of the Pharaoh Ramesses II. They serve as a lasting monument to the king and his queen Nefertari, and commemorate his victory at the Battle of Kadesh. Their huge external rock relief figures have become iconic.
The Great Temple at Abu Simbel, was completed around year 24 of the reign of Ramesses the Great (1265 BC). It was dedicated to the gods Amun, Ra-Horakhty, and Ptah, as well as to the deified Rameses himself. It is generally considered the grandest and most beautiful of the temples commissioned during the reign of Rameses II, and one of the most beautiful in Egypt.
The temple of Hathor and Nefertari, also known as the Small Temple, was built about one hundred meters northeast of the temple of pharaoh Ramesses II and was dedicated to the goddess Hathor and Ramesses II's chief consort, Nefertari. This was in fact the second time in ancient Egyptian history that a temple was dedicated to a queen. The first time, Akhenaten dedicated a temple to his great royal wife, Nefertiti. The rock-cut facade is decorated with two groups of colossi that are separated by the large gateway. The statues, slightly more than ten meters high, are of the king and his queen. On either side of the portal are two statues of the king, wearing the white crown of Upper Egypt and the double crown, these are flanked by statues of the queen.
As the larger temple dedicated to the king, the hypostyle hall or pronaos is supported by six pillars decorated with scenes with the queen playing the sistrum together with the gods Horus, Khnum, Khonsu, and Thoth, and the goddesses Hathor, Isis, Maat, Mut of Asher, Satis and Taweret.
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Each temple had its own priest that represents the king in daily religious ceremonies. In theory, the Pharaoh would have been the only celebrant in daily religious ceremonies performed in different temples throughout Egypt. In reality, the high priest also played that role. To reach that position, an extensive education in art and science was necessary, like the one pharaoh had.
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This early morning mornin you will fly our to arrive in
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In the afternoon you will all head to both to the amazing Luxor Temple and the wondrous Karnak Temple for more exploration of Egypt's past. Then some relaxation by the pool.
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