Egypt Itinerary
Cruise in the Mediterranean
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Egypt
~ sights and culture along the Nile ~
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| Our round trip began with a cruise on the Nile and was a unique
experience. The invaluable cultural-historical treasures,
the oriental style and way of life and not at least the
exotic scenery along the Nile gave
us the feeling of having stepped into a different world. As soon
as we arrived, we checked into our cruise
ship “Semiramis II” and then began a marvellous
journey through the fertile country of the Nile and approximately
5000 years of Egyptian history. |
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Our cruise led us
from Luxor (Temple of Hatshepsut, Tombs in the Valley of
the Kings, Memnon Colossi, temples at Luxor and Karnak)
via Edfu (Horus Temple) and Kom Ombo (Ptolemaic Temple)
to Aswan (Philae Temple, dam, Botanic garden, city tour).
From Aswan we went by bus to the most magnificent Nubian
Temple – Abu Simbel. After that we sailed back
to Luxor. In the second part of our trip we went by
plane to Cairo (Sphinx and Pyramids of Giza and Saqqara,
Alabaster Sphinx at Memphis, Alabaster Mosque and Egyptian
museum Cairo) and then by bus to Hurghada.
 All the monumental testimonies of the thousands
of years of high culture of the Nile are still to be seen
today in lofty beauty. Elaborate reliefs with hieroglyphics
and graphic scenes, which cover the columns and walls of
tombs and  temples, describe
the rich Egyptian mythology and the life in the kingdom
of the pharaohs in a fascinating way, like an historical
book– chiselled out of stone for eternity. A
multitude of these monuments was declared world heritage
by UNESCO and some of them were saved from destruction by
the waters of the Nile (Philae, Abu Simbel) in spectacular
rescue operations.
 The godlike rule of the pharaohs manifests
itself in particular in monumental temples with gigantic
columns, which rise up to 69 ft high/21 m like in Karnak and colossal
statues at a height of 66 ft/20 m (e.g.Abu Simbel), which
welcome the visitor in an awe-inspiring manner! It is beyond
our imagination to appreciate the size, grandeur and beauty
of these architectural masterpieces without seeing them,
to say nothing of the Pyramids of Giza. Even though we were
well prepared, the actual sight of these monumental buildings,
with their mysterious pictorial and hieroglyphic inscriptions
from ancient times, filled us with amazement and deep admiration
for what these people were able to accomplish thousands
of years ago.
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 During the cruise the covered sun deck with sun
beds, swimming pool, and bar offered rest and relaxation between
the sight-seeing excursions. The
scenery along the river, with romantic settlements embedded
in luxuriant palm groves, plantations and lush meadows, is simply
marvellous. Many sailing boats and about 300 cruise ships cruise
the Nile, greeting each other with cheerful sounds.
 The Egyptian people were really hospitable and
welcomed us friendly everywhere, but also could be obtrusive, when
trying to earn some Euro. However - this is just the Orient! The
large part of the population is very poor, although the country
has great resources like oil, the Suez Canal and the tourism. As
our guide Moses said, by the way of contrast the country has 45.000
Dollar millionaires!!!! After all we were happy to hear, that Egypt
has compulsory education for all children and in this way a good
chance, for a better future.
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 UNESCO
World Heritage Sites in Egypt
The Ancient Egypt Site
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