Day 01
Abydos and Dendera Temple Exploration
- A representative will pick you up from your hotel or cruise in Luxor in a modern air-conditioned vehicle to meet your Egyptologist tour guide and discover these ancient sites.
- First, visit Temple Abydos. The Temple of Seti I at Abydos was begun during the reign of Pharaoh Seti I (1318-1304 BC) and completed by his son Ramses II (1304-1237 BC) during the XIX Dynasty of the New Kingdom. The temple represented an artistic revival of Old Kingdom forms and was part of Seti's attempt to consolidate the Ramessid dynasty after the losses under Akhenaten. By identifying himself with the great gods and previous rulers of Egypt, Seti added legitimacy to a ruling family that had been mere warriors just a few generations earlier. Pharaoh Merneptah added a great Hypogeum of Osiris to the temple of Seti. The final building to be added was the Temple of Nectanebo I in the XXX Dynasty, while various additions to the site were made through the Ptolemaic and Roman periods.
- Then move to the Temple of Hathor at Dendera, on the Nile north of Luxor, one of the latest Egyptian temples. Dedicated to the wife of the god Horus, it was built in Roman times, and its decorations include Roman emperors alongside Egyptian gods. Along with Abydos farther north, it is among the most remarkable temple sites in Upper Egypt. The Temple of Hathor is boxy in shape and surrounded by a portico with thick columns and walls about half as tall as the roof. There are many reliefs of figures and rituals on the temple's exterior, including pharaohs, Egyptian deities, and Roman emperors. Inside, the fascinating sight is the roof chapel dedicated to Osiris, which contains a sundial and circular zodiac.
- After the tour, return to your hotel.
