Sample Itineraries:
» 07 nights / 08 days Cruise Ex Luxor Embarkation Every Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturday.
» 04 nights / 05 days Cruise Ex. Luxor Embarkation Every Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturday.
» 03 nights / 04 days Cruise Ex Aswan Embarkation Every Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday.
07 nights / 08 days Cruise Ex Luxor Embarkation Every Munday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturday.
Day 01 (Thursday)
- Embarkation.
- Dinner on board and Overnight in Luxor.
Day 02 (Friday) - Breakfast on board
- Visit Karnak & Luxor Temples.
- 12.30 Sail to Esna, Lunch on board.
- Sail to Edfu
- Dinner on board arrival Edfu at 22.00, overnight Edfu
Day 03 (Saturday) - Breakfast on board.
- 07.00 Visit Horus Temple in Edfu.
- 09.30 Sail to Kom-Ombo.
- Lunch on board.
- 15.00 visit Kom-Ombo temple
- 16.30 Sail to Aswan
- Dinner on board.
- 20.30 Arrival Aswan and Overnight.
Day 04 (Sunday) - Breakfast on board.
- Free at Leisure.
- Lunch on board.
- Afternoon optional tour to Nubian Village.
- Dinner on board.
- Overnight at Aswan
Day 05 (Monday) - Breakfast on board.
- Visit the High Dam, Unfinished Obelisk & Philae Temple.
- Afternoon visit Botanical Garden.
- Lunch & dinner on board.
- Overnight at Aswan
Day 06 (Tuesday) - 06.30 Sailing Kom-Ombo.
- 08.30 Visit Kom-Ombo.
- 10.00 Sail to Edfu.
- Lunch on board.
- 14.00 Visit Edfu Temple.
- Sail to Luxor late arrival.
- Dinner on board.
Day 07 (Wednesday) - Breakfast on board.
- Visit the West Bank, the Valley of the Kings.
- Lunch & dinner on board.
- Overnight at Luxor.
Day 08 (Thursday)
- Breakfast on board.
- Disembarkation.
N.B. The itinerary could be altered or changed without prior notice due to Navigational and Safety restrictions such as low levels of water and locks closures. Itinerary may change in sequence but not in visits to the M/Y ALYSSA, or similar is not responsible for these changes.
» 04 nights / 05 days Cruise Ex. Luxor Embarkation Every Munday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturday.
Day 01 (Thursday) - Embarkation before lunch.
- Lunch on board.
- Afternoon visits to the Temple of Luxor on the East Bank
of the Nile.
- Dinner on board.
- Overnight in Luxor.
Day 02 (Friday)
- Breakfast on board.
- Morning visit the West Bank, the Necropolis of Thebes,
Valley of the Kings, the Temple of Queen Hatshepsut,
& the Colossi of Memnon facing the Nile.
- Visit the Temple of Karnak
- Lunch on board.
- Sail to Esna.
- Cross the Lock.
- Sail to Edfu
- Overnight in Edfu.
Day 03 (Saturday)
- Breakfast on board.
- 07.00 Visit Horus Temple in Edfu.
- 09.30 Sail to Kom-Ombo.
- Lunch on board.
- 15.00 visit Kom-Ombo temple
- 16.30 Sail to Aswan
- Dinner on board.
- 20.30 Arrival Aswan and Overnight
Day 04 (Sunday)
- Breakfast on board.
- Aswan visits.
- Lunch on board.
- Afternoon optional tour to Nubian Village.
- Dinner on board.
- Overnight at Aswan
Day 05 (Monday) - Breakfast on board.
- Disembarkation after breakfast.
- Transfer to Aswan Airport.
N.B. The itinerary could be altered or changed without prior notice due to Navigational and Safety restrictions such as low levels of water and locks closures. Itinerary may change in sequence but not in visits to the M/Y ALYSSA, or similar is not responsible for these changes.
» 03 nights / 04 days Cruise Ex Aswan Embarkation Every Munday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Sunday.
Day 01 (Monday) - Embarkation before lunch.
- Visit the High Dam, Unfinished Obelisk & Philae Temple.
- Lunch on board.
- Afternoon visit Botanical Garden.
- Dinner on board.
- Overnight in Aswan.
Day 02 (Tuesday)
- 06.30 Sailing Kom-Ombo.
- 08.30 Visit Kom-Ombo.
- 10.00 Sail to Edfu.
- Lunch on board.
- 14.00 Visit Edfu Temple.
- Sail to Luxor late arrival.
- Dinner on board.
Day 03 (Wednesday)
- Breakfast on board.
- Visit the West Bank, the Valley of the Kings.
- Lunch on board.
- Afternoon visit Karnak and Luxor Temple.
- Dinner on board.
- Overnight in Luxor.
Day 04 (Thursday) - Breakfast on board.
- Disembarkation after breakfast.
Routing of the Cruises
The Nile cruise ship sails to Luxor weekly.
N.B. The itinerary could be altered or changed without prior notice due to Navigational and Safety restrictions such as low levels of water and locks closures. Itinerary may change in sequence but not in visits to the M/Y ALYSSA, or similar is not responsible for these changes.
During your Cruise to Luxor and Aswan, all sights to visit depending on your itinerary.
The Nile is the longest river in the world, stretching north for approximately 4,000 miles from East Africa to the Mediterranean. Studies have shown that the River (Iter, meaning river, as the Egyptians called it) gradually changed its location and size over millions of years. The Nile flows from the mountains in the south to the Mediterranean in the north. Egyptians travelling to other lands would comment on the "wrong" flow of other rivers. For example, a text of Tuthmosis I in Nubia describes the great Euphrates river as the "inverted water that goes downstream in going upstream."
Three rivers flowed into the Nile from the south and thus served as its sources: the Blue Nile, the White Nile, and the Atbara. Within the southern section between Aswan and Khartoum, land called Nubia, the river passes through formations of hard igneous rock, resulting in a series of rapids, or cataracts, which form a natural boundary to the south. Lower Nubia lay between the first and second cataracts, and between the second and sixth cataracts lay upper Nubia.
Along most of its length through Egypt, the Nile has scoured a deep, wide gorge in the desert plateau. At Aswan, North of the first cataract, the Nile is more profound and its surface smoother. Downstream from Aswan, the Nile flows northerly to Armant before taking a sharp bend called the Qena. From Armant to Hu, the river extends about 180 kilometres and divides the narrow southern valley from the wider northern valley.
Southern Egypt, thus being upstream, is called Upper Egypt, and northern Egypt, being downstream and the Delta, is called Lower Egypt. In addition to the Valley and the Delta, the Nile also divided Egypt into the Eastern and Western Deserts.
The Nile Valley is a canyon running 660 miles long, with a floodplain occupying 4,250 square miles. The Delta spans some 8,500 square miles and is fringed by lagoons, wetlands, lakes, and sand dunes in its coastal regions.
The Delta represented 63 percent of the inhabited area of Egypt, extending about 200 kilometres from south to north and roughly 400 kilometres from east to west. While today the Nile flows through the Delta in only two principal branches, the Damietta and the Rosetta, in ancient times, there were three principal channels, known as the water of Pre, the water of Ptah, and the water of Amun. In classical or Graeco-Roman times, the Pelusiac, the Sebennytic, and the Canopic branches were called. There were additional subsidiary branches or artificially cut channels.
The most dominant features of the Delta as the sandy mounds of clay and silt that appear as islands rising 1-12 meters above the surrounding area. Since these mounds would not be submerged by the Inundation, they were ideal sites for Predynastic and Early Dynastic settlements, and indeed evidence of human habitation has been found. Perhaps these mounds rising above the water table inspired the ancient belief of creation as having begun on a mound of earth that emerged from the primordial waters of Nun (Pyramid Text 600).
There were several major oases of the Western desert, which comprised about 2/3 of Egypt: the Fayoum, where during the Middle Kingdom period, the capital of all of Egypt was situated, and which increasingly became one of the most densely populated and agriculturally productive areas in Egypt, the Bahriya, where many sarcophagi of the Graeco-Roman period have been found, the so-called Golden Mummies, Kharga and Dakhla, which were known for their excellent wines, and Siwa, whose Oracle of Amun was consulted by Alexander the Great to demonstrate that he was the true successor to the kingship of Egypt.
The Eastern Desert was exploited in Pharaonic times for its rich minerals.
The river filled all areas of life with symbolism. In religion, for example, the creator sun-god Ra (Re) was believed to be ferried across the sky daily in a boat (compare that to the Greeks and Romans whose non-creator sun-god rode across the sky in a chariot driven by fiery horses, and Hymns to Hapy (Hapi), the deity personifying the Nile, praise his bounty and offerings were left to him, and the creation myths, as mentioned earlier, revolve around the primordial mound rising from the floodwaters surrounding it; in ritual where Nile creatures such as the hippopotamus, whose shape the goddess Tawaret took, or the crocodile, called Sobek, or Heket (Heqet), the frog, deities deemed powerful in the processes of childbirth and fertility, were revered, in writing, where floral signs such as the lotus and papyrus figured prominently, in architecture, where the very structure of temples emulated the mounds of the Nile and its waves, from the bottom to the top of capital columns and the trim on walls, and in travel, where models of boats have been found dating from the fifth millennium BCE. and
The god Happy was earlier mentioned as the personification of the floods and ensuring fertility. Two Hymns to the Nile, one probably composed in the Middle Kingdom, the second written later in the Ramesside period, praise Happy and the river for its renewed life for Egypt.
"Hail to you Happy, Sprung from the earth, Come to nourish Egypt Food provider, bounty maker, Who creates all that is good! Conqueror of the Two Lands, He fills the stores, Makes bulge the barns, Gives bounty to the poor." (from the Middle Kingdom hymn as translated by Lichtheim)
From the earliest times, the waters of the Nile, swollen by monsoon rains in Ethiopia, flooded over the surrounding valley every year between June and September of the modern calendar. A nilometer was used to measure the height of the Nile in ancient times. It usually consisted of a series of steps against which the increasing height of the Inundation and the general level of the river could be measured. Records of the maximum height were kept. Surviving nilometers exist connected with the temples at Philae, on the Nubian Egyptian border, Edfu, Esna, Kom Ombo, and Dendera, and the best-known nilometer on the island of Elephantine at Aswan.
The ancient Egyptian calendar, made up of twelve months of 30 days each, was divided into three seasons based upon the cycles of the Nile. The three seasons were: akhet, Inundation, peret, the growing season, and shemu, the drought or harvest season. During the season of the Inundation, layers of fertile soil were annually deposited on the floodplain. Chemical analysis has shown how fertile the Nile mud is. It contains about 0.1 percent of combined nitrogen, 0.2 percent of phosphorus anhydrides, and 0.6 percent of potassium.
Since most Egyptian people worked as farmers when the Nile was at its highest and could not plant, they were drafted by corvee into labour projects such as building Pyramids, repairing temples and other monuments, and working on the King's tomb.
The great Greek philosopher Herodotus wrote of the Nile: "the river rises of itself water the fields, and then sinks back again; thereupon each man sows his field and waits for the harvest." The great historian also called Egypt the gift of the Nile. This description would lead the casual reader to imagine Egypt as being a great paradise where the people simply sat and waited for the sowing and harvesting to be done. But the ancient Egyptians knew better. Too high a flood from their river and villages would be destroyed; too low a flood and the land would turn to dust and bring famine. Indeed, one flood in five was either too low or too high.
The rock inscription called the Famine Stela, dated in its present form from the Ptolemaic period recounts an incident (whether real or fictitious is not currently known for certain) from the period of King Djoser of the 3rd Dynasty. The King writes to a governor in the south, describing himself as disheartened over the country's seven-year famine. The King learns from a priest of Imhotep that if gifts are given to the Temple of Khnum, the creator-god of the region, who it was believed had control over the Nile and its flooding, then the famine would be ended.
"I was in mourning on my throne. Those of the palace were in grief .because Hapy had failed to come in time. In a period of seven years, Grain was scant. Kernels were dried up, and Everyman robbed his twin. Children cried, The hearts of the old were needy, Temples were shut, Shrines covered with dust, Everyone was in distress. I consulted one of the staff of the Ibis, the Chief lector-priest of Imhotep, son of Ptah South-of-the-Wall. He departed. He returned to me quickly; he let me know the flow of Hapy. Learn the names of the gods and goddesses of the Temple of Khnum: Satis, Anukis, Hapy, Shu, Geb, Nut, Osiris, Horus, Isis, Nephthys. The god stood before me as I slept in peace; I propitiated him by adoring him and praying to him. He revealed himself to me with a kindly face and said: I am Khnum, your maker! My arms are around you For I am the maker who makes, I am he who made himself, Exalted Nun, who first came forth, Hapy who hurries at will I shall make Hapy gush for you, No year of lack or want anywhere, Plants w grow weighed by their fruit Gone will be the hunger years Egypt's people will come striding Hearts will be happier than ever before. I made this decree on behalf of my father, Khnum. In return for what you had done for me, all tenants who cultivate the fields their harvests shall be taken to your granary. All fishermen, all hunters, I extract from them one-tenth of the take of all these One shall give the branded animals for all burnt offerings and daily sacrifices, and one shall give one-tenth of gold, ivory, ebony, ochre, carob wood, carnelian, all kinds of timber " (as translated by Lichtheim)
Many modern travellers to Egypt today take a Nile cruise as part of their package. And why not? For to see the land as its people do, one must journey on the river, and a felucca is often the water vehicle of choice.
The Nile flowed from south to north at an average speed of about four knots during inundation season. The water level was, on average, about 25-33 feet deep and navigation was fast. That made a river voyage from Thebes (modern Luxor) north to Memphis (near modern Cairo), lasting approximately two weeks. When the water level was lower and speed slower during the dryer season, the same trip would last about two months. At the great bend near Qena, the Nile would flow from West to East and then from east to West, slowing down travel. No sailing was done at night because of the danger of running aground on one of the many sandbanks and low islands.
When one cruises on the Nile, one might pass by the ancient and significant sites of Karnak itself. Luxor, on the other side of the River from Karnak, Dendera, with its grand temple to the goddess Hathor, Abydos, with its marvellous temple built by Seti I as well as being the site of Earlier Dynastic tombs, Esna, with its temple to the potter and creator-god Khnum.
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» Aswan
Aswan, Egypt's sunniest southern city and ancient frontier town located about 81 miles south of Luxor, has a distinctively African atmosphere. Its ancient Egyptian name was Syene. Small enough to walk around and graced with the most beautiful setting on the Nile, the pace of life is slow and relaxing. Days can be spent strolling up and down the broad Corniche watching the sailboats etch the sky with their tall masts, or sitting in floating restaurants listening to Nubian music and eating freshly caught fish. In Aswan, the Nile is at its most beautiful, flowing through amber desert and granite rocks, round emerald islands covered in palm groves and tropical plants. Explore the souk, full of the scent and colour of spices, perfumes, scarves, and baskets. View the spectacular sunsets while having tea on the terrace of the Old Cataract Hotel (Named due to the location of the Nile's first cataract located here). Aswan has been a favourite winter resort since the beginning of the nineteenth century, and it's still a perfect place to get away from it all. Aswan is a strategic location that currently houses a garrison of the Egyptian army. Still, it has also seen ancient Egyptian garrisons, as well as that of General Kitchener, Turkish troops of the Ottoman empire, and the Romans. The city proper lies on the east bank of the Nile. Relax here, visit a few mosques, and prepare for an adventure. The bazaar runs along the Corniche, which continues past the Ferial Gardens and the Nubian Museum. It continues to the cemetery, with its forest of cupolas surmounted tombs from the Fatimid period.
Just east of the cemetery in the famous area of quarries is the gigantic Unfinished Obelisk. To the south of this, two Graeco-Roman sarcophagi and an unfinished colossus remain half-buried in the sand. The most obvious is Elephantine Island, which is timeless with artifacts dating from predynastic times. It is the largest island in the area. Just beyond Elephantine is Kitchener's Island (Geziret El-Nabatat). It was named for the British general Horatio Kitchener (185--1916) and was sent to Egypt in 1883 to reorganize the Egyptian army, which he then led against the Sudanese Mahdi. But the island is known for its garden and the exotic plants the Kitchener planted there, which continue to flourish today.
On the opposite shore (west bank), the cliffs are surmounted by the tomb of a marabout, Qubbet el-Hawwa, who was a local saint. Below are tombs of the local (pharaonic) nobles and dignitaries.
Upriver a bit is the tomb of Mohammed Shah Aga Khan, who died in 1957. Known as the Tomb of the Aga Khan, it is beautiful in its simplicity. A road from there leads back to the Coptic Monastery of St Simeon, which was built in the sixth century in honour of Amba Hadra, a local saint.
Just upriver a bit, there is also the old Aswan dam, built by the British, which was enlarged, expanded, but unable to control the Nile for irrigation.
» Luxor
Luxor has often been called the world's greatest open-air museum, as it is and much more. The number and preservation of the monuments in the Luxor area are unparalleled anywhere else in the world that knows of them. What most people think of as Luxor is three different areas, consisting of the City of Luxor on the East side of the Nile, the town of Karnak just north of Luxor, and Thebes, which the ancient Egyptians called Waset, which is on the west side of the Nile across from Luxor. To say that the Luxor area is a major attraction for tourists in Egypt would be an understatement. It has been a tourist destination since the beginning of tourism. Even in ancient times, during the late Dynasties of the Greek and Roman periods, the area drew tourists and has been doing so ever since. Today Luxor is well equipped to accommodate tourists with many hotels and, in general, a tourist industry ready and willing to serve the people from many countries that descend on this area of the Nile Valley every year. Within Luxor, there are only three main streets: Sharia al-Mahatta, Sharia al-Karnak, and the Corniche, next to the Nile. The street in front of the train station is Sharia al-Mahatta and runs away from the Nile, where it meets the gardens of Luxor Temple. Sharia al-Karnak, or Maabad al-Karnak, Karnak Temple Street, runs along the Nile from Luxor Temple to Karnak Temple. However, Sharia al-Karnak is known as Sharia al-Markaz, where it meets Sharia al-Mahatta street, and to the south, around the temple, it is known as Sharia al-Locanda. Along this street, one will find the colourful signs of restaurants and cafes, as well as bazaars where the usual variety of Egyptian souvenirs can be found. Of interest is the alabaster, which is plentiful along the west bank and not far from here. Also, look for the clay pots used by the locals for cooking, which are more unusual. Luxor today is a city of some 150,000 people and is governed by special statutes that allow it more autonomy than other political areas of Egypt. You might notice that various government and other buildings confirm an 'ancient' building code. The National bank of Egypt (located near the winter palace), the spa south of the police station, and the railway station are all designed to appear as pharaonic constructs. All of this occurred after the Egyptianization of the modern town resulting mostly from the mania that resulted from Howard Carter's discovery of the Tomb of Tutankhamun. As one might think, the city has all the amenities tourists might expect, including various hotels, bars, nightclubs, and restaurants. In Luxor proper on the East Bank, one of the first stops must be the Temple of Luxor built by Amenophis III. Head south on Sharia al-Karnak to reach the temple connected to the Karnak Temple via a long stone processional street called a dromos. The dromos (Picture at right) was built by Nectanebo I and originally was lined on either side by sphinxes. In front of the Luxor temple, the dromos is well preserved, and on the way to the entrance, one passes by a Roman chapel of burnt brick dedicated to the god Serapis, which was built during the rule of Hadrian. There is a path that leads to the Nile side of the temple, where one enters the complex. After leaving Luxor, head back to Sharia al-Karnak and go north towards Karnak. Down the road, near the police station, which is near the tomb, is the oldest mosque in Luxor, the El-Mekashkesh Mosque. It contains the remains of a 10th-century Islamic saint who rumour has it that he was a monk before converting to Islam. The mosque is a popular pilgrimage destination. Here is the Franciscan Church and its schools, one for boys and the other for girls. Beyond this lies a great Coptic basilica. At the Police station, head towards the Nile Corniche. Here, opposite the Mina Palace Hotel, you will find the Mummification Museum, which has almost anything you want to know about mummifications. From here, head north towards Karnak. About halfway to Karnak, you will discover the Luxor Museum. (The image at left is a Block Statue of Isamu Negh from the Luxor Museum). It should certainly be visited if you plan a well-rounded and educated experience. While this is a small museum, most of the relics are from the surrounding area and provide considerable insight into the monuments you will visit. Head back to Sharia al-Karnak from the museum and continue north towards Karnak. After crossing a small bridge, one will begin to see the excavated dromos off the road and running through a small village. A little further on, you will pass the ruins of the Temple of Mut, where another dromos leads to the gateway of the tenth pylon. The road finally arrives at the domed tombs of two saints, Sidi Ahmed and Sidi Ali, where a road leads past the Department of Antiquities leads to the main Temple of Karnak entrance. This road was built along a canal that once connected the Nile to the temple. There was a dock in ancient times, but now all left is the quay and the raised dais. Just past that is a red brick Roman dock, and past that, two paved ramps led to the river bank. They are bordered by stone parapets and were built during the rule of Taharqa. Past these is the Chapel of Achoris, which received the sacred boat of Amun when it was used in ceremonies. To arrive at the entrance, one follows the dromos with its criosphinxes. They have the head of a Ram and the body of a lion and are symbolic of the God Amun. Arriving at the temple, there is a statue of Ramesses II with his son between his feet. To the right is a structure with red steps, a red front colonnade, and red brick walls. Inside there are pedestals. inscribed with the names of Roman emperors that once held their statues. This was a Roman chapel dedicated to imperial worship. After leaving the Temple complex, on the left is the Franco-Egyptian Center which has managed the temple complex since 1967. Down on the shore of the Nile is the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, or CNRS, which houses the French and the Chicago House, a nearby project of the University of Chicago. After this, you will wish to take a boat trip to the West Bank. This trip had a special meaning to the Egyptians, for they were more crossing the way to the West and life than to a necropolis. The Valley of the Kings is as good as any to try first, with tombs from the 18th and 19th Dynasties. Outside the Valley of the Kings, the road leads past Antef, named for the 11th Dynasty prices, which were buried here. Some tombs can still be seen as one head toward the Temple of Seti I. Most of what is left of Seti's Temple is the view. The court is entered by the ruined gate of a pylon. The court has what is left of a palace on the south side. The road continues south, passing Dra-Abu el-Naga necropolis. The road eventually winds itself westward until reaching the Valley of Asasif. These are the 25th and 26th Dynasty tombs. At the end of the Valley of Asasif, at the foot of a cliff named Deir el-Bahri, is a spectacular complex of temples. The Temple of Mentuhetep I, Hatshepsut, and Thutmose II here must be seen. Much of the architecture here seems very powerful against the towering cliffs in the background. From here, the road continues past the remains of the temples of Ramesses IV and Thutmose III, eventually reaching the Necropolis of Sheikh Abd el-Qurna. This 18th Dynasty necropolis sits amidst houses where there are hundreds of holes. And below here, one comes to the famous Ramesseum, built by Ramesses II, a huge complex that took twenty years to complete.
As the road runs along past the remains of Thutmose IV, Merneptah, Ay, and Horemheb's Temples, it finally comes to the huge complex known as Medinet Habu, which is another of Thebe's major attractions and a must-see sight. The gate has square towers and appears almost oriental. Behind the complex is the workers' village called Deir el-Medina. Out in the fields near here is the Colossi of Memnon, one of the major tourist attractions throughout time. Southwest of Deir el-Medina is the Valley of the Queens, where queens of the 18th and 19th Dynasties were buried.
The road continues past the mudbrick remains of Amenhotep III's palace called Malkatta. There is a lake to the east, and at the other end of that, a small Roman temple called Deir Shelwit and built at the end of the 1st century.
» Abu Simbel
Not only are the two temples at Abu Simbel among the most magnificent monuments in the world, but their removal and reconstruction was a historical event in themselves. When the temples (280 km from Aswan) were threatened by submersion in Lake Nasser due to the construction of the High Dam, the Egyptian government secured the support of UNESCO and launched a worldwide appeal.
During the salvage operation, which began in 1964 and continued until 1968, the two temples were dismantled and raised over 60 meters from the sandstone cliff where they had been built more than 3,000 years before. Here they were reassembled, in the same relationship to each other and the sun, and covered with an artificial mountain. Most of the joins in the stone have now been filled by antiquity experts, but inside the temples, it is still possible to see where the blocks were cut. You can also go inside the man-made dome and see an exhibition of photographs showing the different stages of the massive removal project.
Abu Simbel was first reported by J. L. Burckhardt in 1813 when he came over the mountain and only saw the facade of the great temple as he was preparing to leave that area via the Nile. The two temples, that of Ramesses II, primarily dedicated to Re-Harakhte, and that of his wife, Nefertari, dedicated to Hathor, became a must-see for Victorians visiting Egypt; even though it required a trip up the Nile, and often they were covered deeply in the sand, as they were when Burckhardt found them.
» Edfu
Edfu was the Greek city of Apollinopolis Magna and is a religious and commercial center.
Located about 33 miles south of Isna and 65 miles north of Aswan, this friendly town produces sugar and pottery.
It is also a hub of a road network. It was the capital of the second nome (Horus) of Upper Egypt. The main attraction here is the Temple of Horus, which is considered by most to be the best-preserved cult temple in Egypt, but there is a mound of rubble to the West of the Temple, which is probably the original old city of Djerba.
The town was known as Tbot by the early Egyptians, by the Greeks as Apollinopolis Magna, and by Atbo during Coptic times.
It was the capital of the second nome (Horus) of Upper Egypt. French and Polish teams have excavated some of the ancient city, finding Old Kingdom mastabas and Byzantine houses.
» The Temple of Kom-Ombo
Located in the town of Kom-Ombo, about 28 miles north of Aswan, the temple, dating to the Ptolemies, is built on a high dune overlooking the Nile. The actual temple was started by Ptolemy VI Philometor in the early second century B.CC. Ptolemy XIII built the outer and inner hypostyle halls. The outer enclosure wall and part of the court were built by Augustus sometime after 30B.C..C. and are mostly gone. There are also tombs from the Old Kingdom in the vicinity of Kom-Ombo village.
The temple known as Kom Ombo is actually two temples consisting of a Temple to Sobek and a Temple of Haroeris. In ancient times, sacred crocodiles basked in the sun on the riverbank. The temple has scant remains, due first to the changing Nile, then the Copts who once used it as a church, and finally by builders who used the stones for new buildings.
Everything is duplicated along the main axis. There are two entrances, two courts, two colonnades, two hypostyle halls, and two sanctuaries. There were probably even two sets of priests. The left or northern side is dedicated to Haroeris (sometimes called Harer, Horus, the Elder), who was the falcon-headed sky god, and the right to Sobek (the crocodile-headed god). The two gods are accompanied by their families. They include Haroeris' wife, Tesentnefert, the good sister, and his son, Panebtawy. Sobeck likewise is accompanied by his consort, Hathor, and son, Khonsu.
Foundations are all that are left of the original pylon. Beyond the pylon, there was once a staircase in the court that led to a roof terrace. The court has a columned portico and central altar. There is a scene of the King leaving his palace escorted by standards. Near the sanctuary is a purification scene. On either side of the door to the pronaos are columns inscribed with icons of the lotus (south) and papyrus (north), symbolizing the 'two lands' of Egypt.
In the southwest corner of the pronaos is the one column that does not echo the duality of the temples. Here, there are scenes depicting the purification of the King, his coronation, and his consecration of the temple. The ceiling has astronomical images.
The hypostyle hall has papyrus capitals on the columns. Here, there is an inventory of the sacred places of Egypt, the gods of the main towns, and the local and national festivals.
In the anti-chamber, there are scenes depicting the goddess Seshat launching the building of the temple, followed by a scene of the completed temple with the King throwing natron in a purification ceremony. The staircase leading to the roof is all that remains of the offering hall.
Statues to the gods and the temple builders once occupied the net room just before the sanctuaries. The ceiling of the pure place to the north still remains with an image of Nut. There is little left of the sanctuaries.
» Nubia
Nubia is located in today's southern Egypt and northern Sudan. The modern inhabitants of southern Egypt and Sudan still refer to themselves as Nubians. They speak the Nubian language as well as Arabic. Thousands of Nubians from the north were forced to relocate from their endangered homelands to be resettled in Egypt and Sudan. This land has one of the harshest climates in the world. The temperatures are high throughout most of the year, and rainfall is infrequent. The banks of the Nile are narrow in much of Nubia, making farming difficult. Yet, in antiquity, Nubia was a land of great natural wealth, of gold mines, ebony, ivory, and incense, which was always prized by her neighbours.
Nubia is the homeland of Africa's earliest black culture, with a history that can be traced from 3100 BC onward through Nubian monuments and artifacts, as well as written records from Egypt and Rome.
The land of Nubia is a desert divided by the River Nile. For want of water and rich soil, most of Nubia has never been able to support a large population for long periods. However, some of Africa's greatest civilizations emerged here, centres of achievement whose existence was based on industry and trade. Because they did not write their own languages until very late in ancient times, we know these centres and their people largely through their archaeology and what the Egyptians and Greeks said about them.
To the ancient Mediterranean world, the land south of Egypt was a territory of mystery and legend. Wealth and exotic products came from there. It was the home of the Ethiopians, whom Homer called blamelessly, and stories about its great achievements endured to tantalize the modern world. This land is one of the enormous distances, and its exploration was long impeded by problems of transport and political unrest. In the last hundred years, Nubia has slowly yielded its secrets, its vanished peoples, abandoned cities, and lost kingdoms brought to light by the excavator and analysis of inscriptions. This exhibit is a selection of objects recovered over twenty years ago by the Oriental Institute Nubian Expedition in the effort to rescue archaeology from the rising water behind the Aswan Dam.
In the 1960s, a dam was constructed at Aswan, Egypt, and it created a 500-mile long lake that permanently flooded ancient temples and tombs as well as hundreds of modern villages in Nubia. While the dam was under construction, hundreds of archaeologists worked in Egypt and Sudan to excavate as many ancient sites as possible. The Oriental Institute worked in Nubia from 1960 until 68. Today, the 5000 Nubian objects in the collection of The Oriental Institute Museum and thousands of objects in other museums are our sole resource for recovering the rich civilization of northern Nubia, for the sites themselves now lie beneath the waters of Lake Nasser. In contrast, expeditions from many countries are working in southern Nubia.
Valley of the Kings
The Egyptian belief that "To speak the name of the dead is to make him live again" is certainly carried out in the building of the tombs. The King's formal names and titles are inscribed in his tomb and his images and statues. Beginning with the 18th Dynasty and ending with the 20th, the kings abandoned the Memphis area and built their tombs in Thebes. Also abandoned were the pyramid-style tombs. Most of the tombs were cut into the limestone following a similar pattern: three corridors, an antechamber, and a sunken sarcophagus chamber. These catacombs were harder to rob and were more easily concealed. Construction usually lasted six years, beginning with the new reign. The text in the tombs is from the Book of the Dead, the Book of the Gates, and the Book of the Underworld. See also a history and overview of the Valley of the Kings.
Ramesses IV
Three white corridors descend to the sarcophagus chamber in this tomb. The chamber's ceilings depict the goddess Nut. The lid of the pink granite sarcophagus is decorated with Isis and Nephthys, which were meant to serve as guardians over the body. However, their duties fell short as the tomb was robbed in ancient times. Originally the priests placed the sarcophagus in Amenhotep II's tomb to hide the body, which was a common practice.
Ramesses IX
Two sets of steps lead down to the tomb door that is decorated with the Pharaoh worshipping the solar disc, and Isis and Nephthys stand behind him on either side. Three corridors lead into an antechamber that opens into a pillared hall. The passage beyond that leads to the sarcophagus chamber.
Merneptah
The steep descent into the tombs is typical of the designs of the XIX Dynasty. The entrance is decorated with Isis and Nephthys worshipping the solar disc. Text from the Book of the Gates lines the corridors. The outer granite lid of the sarcophagus is located in the antechamber, while the lid of the inner sarcophagus is located down more steps in the pillared hall. Carved on the pink granite lid is the figure of Merneptah as Osiris.
Ramesses VI
Originally built for Ramesses V, this tomb has three chambers, and a 4th pillared chamber was added by Ramesses VI. Complete texts of the Book of the Gates, the Book of Caverns, and the Book of Day and Nightline the chambers. Portions of the Book of the Dead are located in the pillared chamber, along with scenes of the sky goddess, Nut.
Ramesses III
The tomb is sometimes referred to as the "Harpers Tomb" due to the two harpers playing to the gods in four of the chambers. Ten small chambers branch off of the main corridors, which were for the placement of tomb furniture.
Seti I
The longest tomb in the valley, 100m, contains well-preserved reliefs in its eleven chambers and side rooms. One of the back chambers is decorated with the Ritual of the Mouth Opening, which states that the mummy's eating and drinking organs were properly functioning. Believing in the need for these functions in the afterlife was a very important ritual. The sarcophagus is now in the Sir John Soane Museum, London.
Tuthmosis III
The approach to this unusual tomb is an ascent up wooden steps, crossing over a pit, and then a steep descent down into the tomb. The pit was probably dug as a deterrent to tomb robbers. Two small chambers decorated with stars and a larger vestibule are in front of the sarcophagus chamber, which is uniquely rounded and decorated with only red and black.
Amenhotep II
A steep flight of stairs and a long unadorned corridor lead to the sarcophagus chamber in this tomb. Three mummies, Tuthmosis IV, Amenhotep II III, and Seti II, were found in one side room, and nine mummies were found in another.
Horemheb
This tomb's construction is identical to that of Seti I's, with the exception of some of the inner decorations.
Tutankhamun
Though small and unimpressive, Tutankhamun's Tomb is probably the most famous due to its late discovery. Howard Carter's description upon opening the tomb in 1922 was, "At first I could see nothing, the hot air escaping from the chamber causing the candle flames to flicker, but presently, as my eyes grew accustomed to the light, details of the room within emerged slowly from the mist, strange animals, statues, and gold - everywhere the glint of gold". For the moment - an eternity it must have seemed to the others standing by - I was dumb with amazement, and when Lord Carnarvon, unable to stand the suspense any longer, inquired anxiously, 'Can you see anything?' it was all I could do to get out the words, "Yes, wonderful things."' The royal seal on the door was found intact. The first three chambers were unadorned, with evidence of early entrance through one of the outside walls. The next chamber contained most of the funerary objects. The sarcophagus was four gilded wooden shrines, one inside the other, within which lay the stone sarcophagus, three mummiform coffins, the inner one being solid gold, and then the mummy. Haste can be seen in the reliefs and the sarcophagus because Tutankhamun died at only 19 years of age following a brief reign. Though extremely impressive to the modern world, the treasures of Tutankhamun must have paled when compared to the tombs of the great Pharaohs that ruled for many years during Egypt's golden age.
» Denderah Temple
- One of the best-preserved of all the temples in Egypt, dedicated to Hathor and built by Ptolemy VIII Physcon, and later elements were added by the Romans.
- The complex included two birth houses, a sacred lake, two chapels dedicated to Osiris and Isis.
- The complex was surrounded by high mudbrick walls that were built in alternating concave and convex sections. This produced a wavy structure that is assumed to signify the primordial sea surrounding the symbolic mound of birth and regeneration on which the temple was built.
Architectural Layout:
1- The facade consists of six Hathor-headed columns and a low screen wall. The facade top features a huge curved cornice.
2- The first hypostyle hall contains 18 Hathor columns. The ceiling is divided into seven bands of astronomical figures featuring the goddess Nut, vultures, winged sun-discs, and the zodiac. The walls are decorated with scenes of Pharaohs making offerings to Hathor.
3- Smaller hypostyle hall - six smaller Hathor columns support the roof, the walls depict scenes of the Pharaoh involved in ritual foundation ceremonies.
4- Six Store chambers
5- Hall of offerings - the priests and priestesses of Hathor carried out here daily rituals
6- Hall of the ennead - here, the statues of gods were assembled on festival days
7- The Sanctuary - contained the statue of Hathor. On either side of the door, the Pharaoh is depicted offering a copper mirror to the goddess.
8- A passageway around the sanctuary contains eleven chapels dedicated to various divinities and religious symbols.
The sights featured on this site are just a glimpse of the endless numbers of tombs, temples, and monuments you can visit during your Nile cruise.