Friday, September 23, 2011

Alexandria


Upon arrival to Alexandria you’re going to see it’s wonderful landmarks and to start of with:
 
Pompey's Pillar is the best-known ancient monument still standing up till now. It was originally part of a temple colonnade. Including its pedestal, it is 30 m (99 ft) high; the shaft is of polished red granite. The shaft is made out of a single piece of granite. Pompey's Pillar may have been erected using the same methods that were used to erect the ancient obelisks.


The Catacombs of Kom El Shokafa (meaning 'Mound of shards' or 'Potsherds') is a historical archaeological site located in Alexandria and is considered one of the Seven Wonders of the Middle Ages. The necropolis consists of a series of Alexandrian tombs, statues and archaeological objects of the Pharaonic funeral cult with Hellenistic and early Imperial Roman influences.


 
The Citadel of Qaitbay (or the Fort of Qaitbay) is a 15th century defensive fortress located on the Mediterranean sea coast, built upon/from the ruins of the Lighthouse of Alexandria. The Qaitbay Citadel in Alexandria is considered one of the most important defensive strongholds, not only in Egypt, but also along the Mediterranean Sea coast. Qaitbay was so fond of art and architecture that he created an important post among the administrative system of the state.


 
The Graeco-Roman Museum is housing a lot of pieces from the 3rd century BC, like a nice sculpture of Apis in black granite, the sacred bull of the Egyptians, mummies, sarcophagus, tapestries, and a lot of objects and sculptures that offer us a view of graeco-roman civilization in contact with Egypt.


 
The Library of Alexandria is a major library and cultural center located on the shore of the Mediterranean Sea. It is a commemoration of the ancient Library of Alexandria that was lost in antiquity and an attempt to rekindle something of the brilliance that this earlier center of study and erudition represented. The dimensions of the project are vast as the library has shelf space for eight million books, with the main reading room covering 70,000 m² on eleven cascading levels. The collections at the Library of Alexandria were donated from all over the world. The Spanish donated documents that detailed the ruling of the Moors. The French also donated documents dealing with the building of the Suez Canal.

Religious Sightseeing in Cairo


An Inspiring journey to some Religious Sightseeing in Cairo and to start off with:

The Hanging Church it’s also known as Saint Virgin Mary's Coptic Orthodox Church (El Muallaqa) is one of the oldest churches in Egypt and the history of a church on this site dates to the 3rd century A.D.[1] The Hanging (The Suspended) Church is named for its location above a gatehouse of Babylon Fortress. The Hanging Church is the most famous Coptic Christian church in Cairo, as well as possibly the first built in Basilican style. The Hanging Church has 110 icons, the oldest of which dates back to the 8th Century, but most of them date to the 18th Century. Some novels say that the hanging church had been built on some ruins which in it the virgin Mary and the kid Jesus and the saint Yossif El Nagar had been protected for three years which they have spent in Egypt running away from Herot who was killing every kid afraiding of the prophecy.


The Church and Monastery of Mar Girgis or Deir El Banat locates in Mar Girgis Street in the Coptic Compound in Old Cairo. During the crusades attack and the accident of Cairo fire the church has been totally ruined like many other churches in Cairo at that time. The present structure has been reconstructed in 1909 and since the 15th century the church is regarded as a Greek Orthodox Church. Among the remains of the ancient Church exists the hall that is known as the marriage hall that is admired for its width and height. Worth admiration in this hall, are the windows of ivory and ebony inlays ornamenting the central hall in addition to the ornate paintings over its ceiling. The church encloses a beautiful mosaic icon depicting St. George with two angels descending down from heaven and giving him seven crowns as a reward from god for his patience and strong faith since he has been tortured for seven years before his martyrdom. It is one of the most visited churches in Cairo due to the religious value of St.George since he is believed to have some miraculous powers and blessings.




The Ben Ezra Synagogue, sometimes referred to as the El-Geniza Synagogue, is situated in Coptic Cairo. According to local tradition, it is located on the site of where baby Moses was found. The land for the synagogue was purchased in 882 CE for 20,000 dinars by Abraham Ibn Ezra of Jerusalem. This was the synagogue whose geniza or store room was found in the 19th century to contain a treasure of abandoned Hebrew secular and sacred manuscripts.



From Luxor to Hurghada



After having your breakfast at your hotel, you will be driven to Hurghada, During the ride you will be so excited when you see so many of colored mountains like red, black & yellow amazing mountains. Also if you are lucky you will observe some dolphins while they are jumping behind each others in the rivera besides you. upon arrival to Hurghada, you will check-in at your hotel, having free time for leisure activities, Overnight in Hurghada.


Day 2:

After having your breakfast at your hotel, you will have free time for leisure activities or to catch up on some relaxation period lying on some chezlong in front of the red sea while the water vapor is refreshing the atmosphere around you ,or have a little walk on the glamorous beach, playing some of beach sports such as valley ball or even swimming for a while in the CHARMING water of the red sea or even in one of the wonderful swimming pools, or you could explore all that Hurghada has to offer, Overnight in Hurghada.




Day 3:

After having your breakfast at your hotel, you will have free time for leisure activities. Or even consider this day as a break for clarifying anything is occupying your mind except of enjoying the heavenly environment around you, overnight in Hurghada.



Full day trip snorkeling Plus Giftun Island: We pick you up from your hotel in Hurghada for a fantastic snorkeling trip with desert island relaxation on the beautiful Red Sea, where we will do our snorkeling in different spots which are full of corals and magnificent colorful fish with a chance to swim with dolphins, enjoying the water sports activities on Giftun Island and the national park with open buffet lunch aboard the cruise then return back to the jetty and then transferred to your hotel in Hurghada.


From Abu Simbel to Aswan


An Inexpressible adventure from Abu Simbel to Aswan and to start off with:



Abu Simbel is also called the temple of Ramesses II is an archaeological site comprising two massive rock temples in southern Egypt on the western bank of Lake Nasser. It is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site known as the "Nubian Monuments", which run from Abu Simbel downriver to Philae (near Aswan). The twin temples were originally carved out of the mountainside during the reign of Pharaoh Ramesses II in the 13th century BC, as a lasting monument to himself and his queen Nefertari, to commemorate his alleged victory at the Battle of Kadesh, and to intimidate his Nubian neighbors. However, the complex was relocated in its entirety in the 1960s, on an artificial hill made from a domed structure, high above the Aswan High Dam reservoir. The relocation of the temples was necessary to avoid their being submerged during the creation of Lake Nasser, the massive artificial water reservoir formed after the building of the Aswan High Dam on the Nile River. Even though Abu Simbel remains one of Egypt's top tourist attractions.



Then you will have your dinner on board, while your Nile Cruise is anchored in Abu Simbel, Overnight on board.

Day 2:

After having your breakfast on board, while the Nile Cruise is sailing to Kasr Ibrim, you will visit kasr Ibrim is an archeological site in Lower Nubia. It was originally a major city perched on a cliff above the Nile, but the flooding of Lake Nasser after the construction of the Aswan High Dam transformed it into an island and flooded its outskirts. Qasr Ibrim is the only major archaeological site in Lower Nubia to have survived the Nile floods. Both prior to and after the Nile floods, it has remained a major site for archaeological investigations.



Then your Nile Cruise will sail to Amada where you’re going to visit The Temple of Amada, the oldest Egyptian temple in Nubia, was first constructed by pharaoh Thutmose III of the 18th dynasty and dedicated to Amun and Re-Horakhty. His son and successor, Amenhotep II continued the decoration program for this structure. Amenhotep II's successor, Thutmose IV decided to place a roof over its forecourt and transform it into a pillared or hypostyle hall.



After that you will be returned back to your Nile Cruise to have your lunch on board, While your Nile Cruise is sailing towards Wadi El Soboua, Dinner, overnight on board.



Day 3 :

After having your breakfast on board, you will visit Wadi es-Sebua, or Valley of the lions, is the site of two New Kingdom Egyptian temples in Lower Nubia at the edge of Nasser lake, including one impressively large temple spéos of Ramesses II. The first temple was built by Amenhotep III and subsequently restored by Ramesses II.  In its first stage, this temple "consisted of a rock-cut sanctuary (about 3 m by 2 m) fronted by a brick-built pylon, a court and a hall, partly painted with wall paintings.” The temple was perhaps dedicated to one of the local Nubian forms of Horus, but his representations were altered to Amun at a later point in time. During the Amarna period, images of Amun were attacked and the decorations deteriorated but Ramesses II would later restored it and proceed to extend Amenhotep III's temple by building structures in front of the pylon.


Islamic Cairo


Having a spiritual tour in the Islamic Cairo and to start off with:

The Egyptian Citadel is Sometimes referred to as Mohamed Ali Citadel, because it contains the mosque of Mohamed Ali , The Citadel of Cairo was built by the order of a lieutenant of the Ayyubid ruler Salah al-Din between 1166-1207 as a royal residence and military bastion. It is one of the world’s greatest mediaeval monuments and offers a fantastic panoramic view of Cairo in a fort setting rich in history. the castle is also the slaughter of the Mamlouk leaders by the guards of Mohamed Ali.



El Sultan Hassan Mosque is located near the Citadel of Salah Al Din in Cairo's, Al Qala'a area. It shares the same yard with Al Rifae'y Mosque which was built later but is not in as good shape as As-Sultan Hassan ,There are many interesting stories about this mosque, which is considered to be Cairo's finest example of early Mamluk architecture. In fact, many guide books refer to it as the finest ancient mosque in Cairo, and has been praised as one of the major monuments of the Islamic world. This monument is best seen in the morning, when the sun lights up the mausoleum and the western iiwan , The mosque was built on a large area, where it contains As-Sahn with a large water fountain inside for wudu. The praying area, the burial chamber where As-Sultan was buried and some paths inside the mosque show beautiful details in the ceiling and on the walls. President Obama visits this mosque in June 2009.



The Ibn Tulun Mosque is the third largest mosque in the world and it is the oldest mosque in Egypt that has survived in a fairly original form. The mosque is Located in an area of Cairo where so many tourists venture, this mosque is one of the oldest in the Arab world. Sandwiched in the heart of Islamic Cairo under the imposing Mohamed Ali mosque this really is a place where history comes alive and you can catch a true glimpse of life here centuries ago in the Arab golden age, then climb the ancient minaret and be overwhelmed by the view of hundreds of mosques and medieval dwellings.



Then you will visit the most antique place in  the old town, EL-Khan Al Khalili which is a major market in the Islamic district of Cairo. which is one of Cairo's main attractions for tourists and Egyptians alike. So El Khan is a site specializing in Gifts and souvenirs from Egypt where you request for all kinds of goods, such as handmade Egyptian Papyrus paintings, and statues of Egyptian hieroglyphic Egyptian silver and other silver jewelry, Egyptian cotton T-shirts, Governor genuine leather and other gifts from the land of the Pharaohs. In addition to shops, there are several coffeehouses, restaurants, and street food vendors distributed throughout the market. The coffee shops are generally small and quite traditional, serving Arabic coffee and usually offering shisha (The Hookah). So El Khan is a perfect place for you if you would like to buy all what you want of souvenirs and spend a while in an Egyptian café.