THE
MAJESTY OF
EGYPT
February 13 – March 1, 2009
Herodotus said it 2,500 years ago: "Egypt is the gift
of the Nile" - and what a gift it is - a narrow strip
of cultivatable land teased from barren expanse of desert that
is home of one of the greatest civilizations the world has ever
known. The Nile, from the Sudan to the Mediterranean, was the
life-blood of this remarkable culture that flourished for over
3,000 years.
Egypt,
the oldest tourist destination in the world, attracted visitors
from much of the ancient world to view fabulous monuments built
to last for eternity. Travel with Far Horizons on a 17-day journey
to explore the mysteries of this ancient land with some of the
world's leading Egyptologists. We start at the Giza Plateau,
just outside of Cairo, the site of one of the Seven Wonders
of the Ancient World, the Great Pyramid. When we walk this ancient
site, we investigate the secrets of the pyramids and how they
were built. As we pause to marvel at the Great Sphinx, we learn
of the ancient funerary practices of the Egyptians and the importance
of the Valley Temple.  And
in the important city of Cairo, the monuments of the old Islamic
part of the city are the finest in the world - a maze of medieval
mosques and exotic bazaars. Old Cairo was a city of diversity
in culture and religion that we will experience when visiting
Jewish and Christian sites.
Thebes, the ancient name for Luxor, was the City of a Thousand
Gates, so named for the monumental entrances to its temples.
Karnak Temple and Luxor Temple were connected in ancient times
by an avenue of ram-headed sphinxes and it was between these
two famed holy places that the festivals honoring Egypt's many
gods unfolded. While the temples on the east bank of the Nile
were dedicated to the gods, the west bank was reserved for the
tombs and mortuary temples of the pharaohs. Here is where we
see just how wealthy and powerful the kings of ancient Egypt
were. The mausoleums of the pharaohs, constructed and decorated
over their lifetimes, employed the finest craftsmen then known.
Traveling
further south we reach Aswan, Egypt's ancient southern border
and gateway to Nubia and Egypt's source of gold. As we cruise
picturesque Lake Nasr, created when the High Dam was built,
we step back in time, visiting Nubia's ancient temples set in
the desolate desert landscape. These remote sites are only accessible
by boat. Compared to the more than 500 cruise ships plying the
Lower Nile, the 125-mile water route from Aswan to Abu Simbel
is sparsely traveled with just five vessels, and we cruise onboard
a delightful craft decorated in turn-of-the-century style. The
highlight of our four-day cruise is Ramses the Great's fabled
temple, Abu Simbel, fronted by four colossal statues celebrating
his colossal ego.
ITINERARY:
(B)
breakfast, (L) lunch, (D) dinner |
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Day 1:
Depart the USA for our overnight flight to Cairo.
Day 2:
Upon arrival, transfer to the 5-star Hotel Marriott, built around
a 19th century palace on an island in the Nile River, and our
home for the next three nights.
 Day 3:
This morning we visit the Pyramids at the Giza Plateau. The
Great Pyramid is one of the Seven Wonders of the ancient world.
The pyramid complex was the necropolis for the Old Kingdom royal
families, and is dominated by the three magnificent pyramids.
The Great Pyramid was built for Khufu (Cheops) in 2528 B.C.
His son Khafre (Chephren) created the second pyramid and the
Great Sphinx and the valley temple next to it. The third and
smallest of the pyramids was built for Khafre's son Menkaure
(Mycerinus) and was once covered with costly pink Aswan granite.
We continue to the Solar Boat Museum that houses the 141-foot
cedar boat meant to convey King Khufu to paradise. This magnificent
boat was discovered in 1954 in a rock-cut pit on the South side
of the Great Pyramid. Gather
this evening for our welcome dinner party in one Cairo's fine
restaurants. (B/L/D)
 Day 4:
Today, we drive along the picturesque Nile Canal to Dashur
to see the newly opened Red and Bent pyramids of Sneferu, father
of Khufu. Then on to Sakkara, site of the famous Step Pyramid
of Djoser, forerunner of the great Giza pyramids. We also visit
the brilliantly painted mastaba tombs of Meriruka, Ptah-hetep
and Ti, portraying lively daily life scenes, and then descend
into the pyramid of Unas, whose interior walls record the world's
first religious texts. On our return to the hotel, we visit
the ruins of Memphis, once the capital of all Egypt.
Dinner is on our own this evening. (B/L)
 Day 5: This morning will visit Ben Ezra Synagogue dating from the 10th century, Mohamed Ali Mosque and Abu Serga Church in Old Cairo. We will also spend some time in the stupendous Egyptian Museum, housing the world's greatest collection of Pharaonic antiquities including the amazing treasures from King Tutankhamen's tomb. After lunch at the renowned Khan Khalili restaurant, run by the Oberoi chain and named for the famous Nobel Prize-winning writer who used to dine here almost every day, we will walk through the famous Khan el-Khalili souk, or bazaar, largely unchanged since the 14th century. In the late afternoon, we board our first class train for our dinner and overnight journey to Luxor in private sleeper compartments. (B/L/D)
 Day 6: Upon arrival into Luxor, transfer to our hotel to freshen up and have breakfast. The celebrated Egyptian city of Thebes, modern Luxor, was described by Homer as “the city of a hundred gates” because so many of its temples had the monumental entrances favored by contemporary Greek architecture. Thebes was twice the capital of ancient Egypt. It was from Thebes that Ahmose restored the unity of Egypt and inaugurated the New Kingdom. Today’s afternoon tour includes spectacular Karnak and the Temple of Amon. Arguably the most remarkable religious complex ever built, it contains 250 acres of temples, chapels, obelisks, columns and statues built over a period of 2000 years and incorporating the finest aspects of Egyptian art and architecture. We will see the remarkable artifacts found in nearby excavations housed in the Luxor Museum. Then it’s on to the Chicago House, the permanent field base in Egypt for the University of Chicago's Oriental Institute, where we will be hosted by the Institute director for a private tour and afternoon tea. Overnight at the Nile Palace Hotel in Luxor for the next four nights. (B/L/D) 
Day 7: Begin today on Luxor’s west bank, the royal necropolis of the Kings on the west bank of the Nile. Guarding the approach to the necropolis are two massive statues known as the Colossi of Memnon. The longest, deepest and most complete in the valley, the Tomb of Seti I is by far the most magnificent of the imperial burial places. Normally closed to the public, we have special permission to enter. Seti I's reign is known for high achievements in art and culture, and his majestic mausoleum was one of the hallmarks of his building projects, with highly refined bas-reliefs and colorful paintings. Stunning decorations by the finest craftsmen cover every passage and chamber. The ceiling in the crypt area is vaulted and painted with astronomical decorations depicting constellations in the night sky. Continue to one of the smallest in the necropolis, the Tomb of Tutankhamun, undoubtedly the most famous of the Egyptian tombs because of the extraordinary discoveries made here in the early 20th century. Deir El Medina was the village home of the workmen who were responsible for the construction and embellishment of the royal tombs from the New Kingdom. The master masons, artists and sculptors who worked on the crypts were born, trained, lived, died, and buried here. Within two of their tombs, we gaze upon dazzling paintings that speak of the status of the individuals. At lunch, galabeya makers will come to take measurements and orders for the typical Egyptian robe for those who want to purchase one. Continue to the Ramesseum. Ramesses II built his fabulous mortuary temple on the site of Seti I's ruined temple, where he identified himself with the local form of the God, Amun. The main building, where the funerary cult of the king was celebrated, has pylons decorated with scenes from the Battle of Kadesh. These scenes show Ramesses fighting the Hittites in a heroic counterattack, standing in his chariot firing arrows with deadly precision. And finally, see the Temple of Queen Hatshepsut, the female pharaoh, certainly the most beautiful architecture within the Valley of the Kings. (B/L/D) 
Day 8: Depart this morning to visit two very special sites: Abydos and The Temple of Dendera. Abydos, one of ancient Egypt’s most sacred ancient cities, was the cult center of Egypt’s most beloved hero and the central figure of the Osiris legend, and the lovely wall reliefs in the temples tell of this popular tale. There are many temples to Hathor, the cow-goddess who presided over love, music, dance and enjoyment, but the temple in Denderah is the best preserved. The building is richly decorated with 18 Hathor-headed columns supporting the roof of the hypostyle hall and a series of reliefs linking the traditions of Hathor with her husband, Horus. (B/L/D) 
Day 9:
Begin today on Luxor’s west bank in the Valley
of Queens, the burial place of the royal wives, concubines and
daughters of the pharaohs, and the princes who died at an early
age. The most renowned of these tombs was that of Nefertari,
favorite wife of Ramses II. Normally closed to the public, we
have special permission to enter to see the interior of the
burial chamber, covered with scenes of exceptional quality and
beauty.  Ramesses
III chose the sacred site of Medinet Habu to build his funeral
temple. Surrounded by a fortified enclosure wall and covering
more than twenty acres, the complex contains funerary chapels,
shops, and the gigantic Great Temple with it intact pylon decorated
with scenes of the king’s victories. The afternoon is
at leisure. (B/L/D)
Day
10: This morning we begin our drive to Aswan, stopping along
the way to explore two remarkable Ptolemaic sites. The Temple
of Horus, the falcon-headed god, at Edfu and the Temple of Kom
Ombo, dedicated to the crocodile-god Sobek. The Temple of Horus
is the best-preserved ancient temple in Egypt and the second
largest after Karnak. Built from sandstone blocks, the huge
Ptolemaic temple has a massive entrance pylon covered with traditional
scenes of the king smiting his enemies before Horus. Kom Ombo
is notable for its two sanctuaries. One is dedicated to the
crocodile-god, Sobek, and the other to the falcon-god, Horus
the Elder. There are clear depictions of ancient medical instruments
on one wall. In ancient times, sacred crocodiles basked in the
sun on the riverbank near here, and hundreds of mummified crocodiles
were found in the vicinity.  Upon
arrival into Aswan, walk to the nearby Nubian Museum, opened
in 1997. The recipient of the Aga Khan award for its stunning
architecture, this new museum highlights Nubia, historically
Egypt's gateway to the rest of Africa. Today, Nubia’s
lands lie under Lake Nasser, submerged in 1971 when the Aswan
High Dam was opened. Check into the Old Cataract Hotel, majestically
positioned on an outcrop of pink granite overlooking the Nile.
Built in 1899, the hotel once was a rendezvous for royalty and
is where Agatha Christie wrote DEATH ON THE NILE in the suite
still named after her. Built like an opulent Moorish palace,
it is beautifully furnished with dark wood paneling, rich red
velvet furniture, wonderful Oriental and Victorian antiques,
and an air of discreet luxury. A legendary name in hospitality and one of Egypt’s most elegant hotels, this is our home for the next three nights. (B/L/D)
 Day 11: Begin by driving to the 342-foot high Aswan High Dam, a great rock-fill construction designed to control irrigation and increase Egypt’s agricultural land. The granite quarries of ancient Aswan lay beside the Nile, thus providing easy access to boats for transporting this prized building stone to sites downstream. A crack in the granite stopped the cutting of what would have been an enormous obelisk, estimated at more than 120 feet high, now known as the Unfinished Obelisk. The island of Philae was the center of the cult of the goddess Isis and her connection with Osiris, Horus, and the Kingship during the Ptolemaic period of Egyptian History. For over 50 years the island and its monuments lay half-submerged in water built up by the Aswan Dam, until the UNESCO rescue operations completely dismantled and rebuilt the temples and moved them to the nearby island of Agilika. This afternoon, embark by motorboat to see the temples, courts and other ancient constructions, again standing proudly overlooking the Nile. On the nearby island of Soheil, where Anukis the daughter of Khnum was worshipped, are found more than 250 inscriptions engraved on rocks by pilgrims, dating from the fourth dynasty down to Ptolemaic times. Dinner is on our own. (B/L)
 Day 12: Opposite Aswan, the ancient stronghold of Elephantine Island separates the Nile into two channels. Board a private felucca and sail to this, the largest of the Aswan area islands, and one of the most ancient sites in Egypt with artifacts dating to pre-dynastic periods. The island is a beautiful place to visit, with wonderful gardens and some truly noteworthy artifacts. It was considered to be home of the important Egyptian god, Khnum, and while the still visible structure dates back to the Queen Hatshepsut of the 18th Dynasty, there are references to an earlier temple to this god on the island as early as the 3rd Dynasty. Walk through Nubian villages to the two small museums, set in shady gardens, and the ruins of Abu. View the Temple of Khnum, originally erected during the Old Kingdom, a Greco-Roman Necropolis and the Temple of Satet, built by Queen Hatshepsut. The Nile at Aswan is dominated by the sand-covered hills of the West Bank, strewn with rock-cut tombs of high-status officials of the Old and Middle Kingdom. Our destination this afternoon is The Tombs of Nobles, decorated with colorful scenes of the owners' biographies and scenes of everyday life. The afternoon is free to wander in the Aswan marketplace, or souk. Dinner is on our own. (B/L)
 Day 13: After checking out of our hotel, transfer to the airport for our flight to Abu Simbel. Here we board an elegant 5-star cruise boat. Lake Nasser, the world’s largest man-made lake, lies south of Aswan. Dotted with hundreds of islands and abundant wildlife, the area features natural beauty with incredible history. The temples here - Ramses III’s large temples in Abu Simbel are the most well known - were saved in the late sixties through a worldwide effort when UNESCO move them to higher ground. Unlike the lower Nile where hundreds of vessels fight for space along the shore, only five vessels are allowed on Lake Nasser, and our ship is the most luxurious. Dinner and overnight onboard for the next three nights. We anchor opposite the imposing, colossal statues of the two rock-cut temples of Ramses II and his cherished wife Nefertari. The statues were the first to be saved by the UNESCO campaign. In the afternoon, visit the Abu Simbel temples and enjoy the optional evening sound and light show. The ancient rulers look down on us as we enjoy an open-air cocktail party and candlelight dinner facing the temples on the night of our arrival in Upper Egypt. (B/L/D)
 Day 14: Early this morning, watch the spectacular sunrise over the Eastern desert at dawn, and walk again to the Abu Simbel Temples. After visiting the site, sail on to Kasr Ibrim to see the Citadel of Kasr Ibrim, sole vestige of the distant past of Nubia in its original location. Explanation is done from the sun deck of the ship, as entrance to the site is not permitted due to its fragile condition. In the afternoon, visit The Temple of Amada, built during the 18th Dynasty and the oldest temple in Nubia, displaying a vivid collection of brightly painted reliefs of the kings and gods. The interior contains important historical texts, including one describing a military campaign into Asia. The hemi-speos of Derr was built by Ramses II and was dedicated to the sun god Ra and the divine aspect of the pharaoh. The magnificent wall paintings inside include representations of ceremonies and divinities. The Tomb of Penout is the only still existing example of a tomb of an Egyptian viceroy in Nubia. This evening we sail to Wadi Al Seboua. (B/L/D)
 Day 15: Rise in the early dawn to see a most impressive trio of antiquities. In the morning, we climb to the heights of Wadi Al Seboua where we will visit the well-preserved Temple of Meharakka, a Roman period edifice dedicated to Serapis. Then walk through an avenue of sphinxes to Wadi El Seboua Temple, the rock-cut shrine built by Ramses II dedicated to the god Amon and later transformed into a church. In the court past the first pylon are six human-headed sphinxes wearing the double crown of Upper and Lower Egypt. In the afternoon, we pass through the Tropic of Cancer. After lunch, continue to the Temple of Dakka, dedicated to Thoth, the God of Divine Wisdom, time, science and literature. It is the only temple in Nubia that is oriented north/south to parallel the course of the Nile. (B/L/D)
 Day 16: Early this morning, visit Kalabsha, a Greco-Roman Period temple dedicated to Mandoulis, a Nubian solar deity. Then it’s on to see a rock-cut temple of Beit el Wali, built by Ramses II in his youth and with lively battle scenes, and a young Rameses riding in his chariot. We then leave our wonderful vessel and transfer to airport to board the flight to Cairo. Elegantly landscaped on what was a 500-year-old garbage heap outside the main wall of the medieval quarter, Al Azhar Park is congested Cairo’s first large green space in more than a century. An immediate hit with the Egyptian elite, who vie for the outdoor tables, the park’s Mamluk-style Citadel Restaurant is one of the world’s most atmospheric alfresco dining experiences – terraces of honey –colored limestone catch distant Nile breezes and offer spectacular views. Our final lunch will be held here. The afternoon and dinner are on our own. Overnight at the JW Marriott hotel, located near the airport. (B/L)
Day
17: Transfer to airport to board our flight back to the USA.
(B)
(B)
breakfast, (L) lunch, (D) dinner
NOTE ABOUT ITINERARY CHANGES: Changes in our itinerary, accommodations, and transportation schedules may occur. A good book to read as well as a flexible attitude and a sense of humor are essential.
STUDY
LEADERS: To Be Announced
TRIP DATES:
February 13 – March 1, 2009
TRIP COST:
$9,995.00
(per person, double occupancy)
Includes round trip airfare from New York’s JFK to Cairo,
Egypt and the Egyptian internal flight; all hotels; most meals
(as listed in the itinerary); the overnight train in sleeper
compartments from Cairo to Luxor; three nights onboard a 5-star
cruise ship; ground transportation; and entry fees.
 COST
DOES NOT INCLUDE:
A separate donation
check for $150.00 to "The Epigraphic Survey"; passport
or visa fees; airport taxes; beverages or food not included
on regular menus; laundry; excess baggage charges; personal
tips; alcoholic drinks; telephone and fax charges; or other
items of a personal nature.
SINGLE SUPPLEMENT: $1,395.00
Should a roommate be requested and one not be available, the single supplement must be charged.
NOTE
ABOUT MEALS: As we will be visiting several
out-of-the-way sites, some of our lunches will be picnics.
PRIVATE
TOURS OF ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITES: The private tours of archaeological
sites and talks by specialists are scheduled in advance and
include a donation to each. Specialists working at these sites
are excited about showing their work to interested enthusiasts.
However, please be aware that there may be times when the director
or a member of the staff may not be onsite when our groups arrive
due to other commitments.
DONATIONS CHECKS: Cost of the trip does not include the separate donation check for $150.00 to "The Epigraphic Survey". As a tour company that benefits from the historical, cultural and natural riches of our destinations, we have a policy of donating to scholars, archaeological and cultural projects, and museums in each of our destinations.  This has created a bond with the academic community that allows you to gain an 'insider's view' of the work being done in each country. Please see information on the University of Chicago's Epigraphic Survey website.
 REGISTRATION: A deposit of $500.00 along with a separate check for $150.00 to “The Epigraphic Survey”, is required along with your registration form. Final payment is due 75 days before departure. Upon receipt of your deposit and completed registration form, you will be sent a reading list and a clothing and equipment list. An information book designed for this trip, including maps of archaeological sites and articles of pertinent interest, will be sent upon receipt of final payment.
CANCELLATION
AND REFUNDS: Cancellations received in writing at least 75 days before departure will result in an administrative fee of $250.00. Cancellations received less than 75 days before departure will not receive a refund. If for any reason you are unable to complete the tour, we will not reimburse any fees. If for any reason you are unable to complete the trip, FAR HORIZONS will not reimburse any fees. It is strongly advised that you purchase travel protection that includes trip cancellation upon registering for the trip.
NOTE ABOUT ITINERARY CHANGES: Changes in our itinerary, accommodations, and transportation schedules may occur. A good book to read as well as a flexible attitude and a sense of humor are essential.
LIMITED TO A MAXIMUM OF 24 PARTICIPANTS
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