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Voyage dans les Oasis


 

    12-day tour. In the footsteps of Alexander the Great: Alexandria and the Six Egyptian Oasis

From 08 to 19 January 2008

Cultural voyage organized by Luc Watrin, Egyptologist, researcher associated with the CNRS (UMR 7041), president of the GREPAL (Groupe de Recherche European Pour L’Archéologie au Levant).

Day 1:

PARIS / CAIRO

The participants meet at the airport. Assistance with inscription and police formalities. Takeoff to Cairo (regular flight). Reception upon arrival and transfer to a 4-star Giza hotel. Dinner.

Day 2:

CAIRO / WADI NATROUN / ALEXANDRIA

Visit to the GIZA plateau (Kheops, Kephren, Mykerinos, great Sphinx). Discovery of the infrastructures of the great pyramid (3rd chamber “of the king” and portions closed to the public (1st chamber and “queen’s” chamber).

Conference on the site about the latest hypotheses concerning the existence of a 4th chamber in the Kheops pyramid.

Lunch in a Giza restaurant (Felfela or equivalent).

Departure for the WADI-NATROUN oasis (“the Valley of the Natron”). This great 30-km long depression dotted with nitriferous lakes was an important defensive line during the pharaonic periods (Amenemhat I built a fortress there). Starting in the 4th century B.C. some fifty Coptic monasteries were founded there. Visit to the famous monasteries of DEIR ABOU MAQAR (SAINT MACAIRE) and DEIR EL-SURYANI.

Night in Alexandria in a luxurious colonial-period hotel (Hotel Cécil, 4 stars).

Day 3:

ALEXANDRIA

Visit to the city of Alexandria, founded in 332 B.C. by the Macedonian king Alexander the Great. Visit to the ALEXANDRIA MUSEUM and its collections (more than 4000 objects). Continuation to the currently excavated area known as KOM EL-DIKKA where a Roman amphitheater was excavated, unique in its type in Egypt.

Visit to another neighborhood in the city known as the “POMPEI COLUMN”, the last remaining remnant of a temple dedicated to the god Serapis.

Lunch in an Alexandria restaurant (Greek seafaring club at Anfoushi). Exploration of the Roman catacombs of KOM EL-CHOUGAFA, built during the first two centuries A.D. Visit to the Muslim fort of QAIT BAY, said to have been built on the debris of the fallen Alexandria lighthouse.

Conference on the results of private and institutional French excavations in the waters near Alexandria.

Night in Alexandria (Cecil Hotel, 4 stars).

Day 4:

ALEXANDRIA / ABOU MINA / EL-ALAMEIN / MARSA MATROUH
Departure for the oasis. Stop at BORG EL-ARAB, the only Ptolemaic-era lighthouse remaining that was part of the famous network of lighthouses marking the coastline from Pharos to Cyrenaic in Libya. Further to the South, visit to the ABOU-MINA monastery, one of the most important Coptic monasteries in the country, whose treasures are now dispersed in Frankfort, in the Coptic museum in Cairo, and in the Greco-Roman museum in Alexandria.

Stop at the EL-ALAMEIN museum, located in a sandy village, famous location where European armies fought. In 1942, after several military setbacks, the English stopped General Rommel’s troops here and destroyed the greater part of the Afrika Korps based in Libya, whose objective was to conquer Egypt.

Lunch on the road at a beach.

Continuation to MARSA MATROUH, a village located next to the Mediterranean near the entry to Libya. This port city, occupied since prehistory, was later frequented by Cyprus traders during the New-Empire (around 1550-1100 B.C.). Its famous turquoise-blue waters and crystal-white sand were visited by Cleopatra and Marc Anthony.

Swimming possible.

Night at Marsa Matrouh (Rommel House Hotel, 3 stars).

Day 5:

MARSA MATROUH / SIWA

Discovery of the Sahara desert between Marsa Matrouh and Siwa (300 km).

Arrival at the great SIWA oasis. Located 24m below sealevel, like the Qattara depression,this city is cited in papyrus schools as the “Ammonian city”. During an offensive against the Siwa Ammonians, the Perse King Cambyse lost an army in the Great Sand Sea located south of the oasis.

Visit to the ancient fortified village of the Siwa fortress (SHALI FORTRESS).

Lunch in a Siwa Berber restaurant.

This oasis is a Berber island whose inhabitants have kept their language (the Siwi) and their cuisine (couscous).

Visit to the pharonic cemetery of DJEBEL EL-MAWTA, whose earliest graves (Niperpathot, the “Crocodile” grave, richly decorated, date to the XXVIth dynasty. The most recent date to the Ptolemaic era (tomb of Si-Amon with strong Hellenic influences).

Night at Shali, capital of the Siwa oasis (Siwa Paradise Hotel 3 stars).

Day 6:

OASIS OF SIWA / BAHARIYA

Visit to the pharaonic temples of Siwa in the morning.

Visit to the temple of the “horned Ammon” at AGHOURMI, which is none other than Amon-Râ, king of the Gods.

In this famous holy place, Alexander the Great was confirmed as king by the Siwa Oracle in 331 B.C.

Visit to a second temple dedicated to Amon at OUMM ‘OUBAYDA. These two temples were linked by a dromos and formed the “Temple of the Oracle”.

Lunch in a Siwa Berber restaurant.

In the afternoon, departure for the BAHARIYA oasis.

Crossing of a desert road between Siwa and Bahariya (380 km).

Night at the Bahariya oasis (Hot Springs Hotel 3 stars).

Day 7:

BAHARIYA

Day in the Sahara in comfortable 4x4 vehicles.

This oasis with more than 200,000 palm trees has been an important trade center since antiquity. Early in the morning, we will discover the earliest traces of life in the oasis of DJEBEL EL-DIST, a great Cretaceous dinosaur site (between 145 to 65 million years) located in the western desert. It is in this place that was discovered the fossilized bones of a Paralititan Stromeri, one of the greatest known sauropods (if given permission by the Ministry of the Environment). Traditional Bedouin lunch in the Bahariya oasis.

Discovery in the afternoon of the famous pharaonic graves built in the EL-BAWITI region, including the most powerful dignitaries of the oasis (the earliest date from the New-Kingdom). At El-QASR, visit to the TEMPLE OF ALEXANDER THE GREAT, the only building constructed in the oasis by the Macedonian king.

Nearby is the VALLEY OF THE MUMMIES, a giant cemetery discovered recently by the Egyptian Council of Antiquities (if given authorization by the SCA). Conference on the Sahara Neolithic.

Night at the Bahariya oasis (Hot Springs Hotel 3 stars).

Day 8:

BAHARIYA / WHITE DESERT / FARAFRA

Day in the Sahara in comfortable 4x4 vehicles.

Discovery of the BLACK DESERT (SAHARA SUDA) located south of the Bahariya oasis. Lunch (picnic) in the desert.

Continuation to the FARAFRA oasis.

This oasis, occupied since the Neolithic, features few pharonic traces (existence of a decrepit Roman fortress). It is described in the texts of Edfou as “Cow country” (Ta-Ihout), in memory of the green Neolithic period where vast pastures now long gone made this a rich region of the Western Sahara. It is now famous for its natural countryside, as we will discover in crossing the WHITE DESERT (SAHARA BEIDA) located to the north of the FARAFRA oasis. Formed in the Cretaceous, some 70 million years ago, by slow sea deposits of chalk later eroding in the Teriaire (Pliocenous) era, the White Desert is a geological formation unique in its type, with the appearance of an ice-shelf. Romantic countryside and surprising geological discoveries (BLACK MOUNTAINS AND CRYSTAL MOUNTAIN).

Night at the Farafra oasis (El-QBADAWIYA HOTEL OR Aqua Sun Resort).

Day 9:

FARAFRA / DAKHLA

Departure by bus early in the morning for the DAKHLA oasis (located 290 km to the south).

This oasis is the largest and most populated of the Egyptian Sahara oasis.

Discovery in the morning of the mediaeval ghost town of QASR, capital of the oasis in the Middle-Ages. The remains are in such good condition that one could believe that the inhabitants had only recently abandoned the city.

Lunch (picnic) in the Qasr village.

Visit to the Roman MOUZZAWAKA cemetary. Well conserved graves perfectly illustrating the mixture of pharonic and Roman styles.

Night at the Dakhla oasis (Desert Lodge Hotel).

Day 10:

DAKHLA / KHARGA

Visit to the remains of the Dakhla oasis.

Discovery of the Roman temple of DEIR EL-HAGAR dedicated to Amon and Amonet.

Crossing of the BALAT region occupied from the end of the pre-dynastic period then during the Old Kingdom until the 1st Intermediary Period. Discovery at QILA’ EL DABBA of great mastabas in dried brick strengthened by stone blocks at the angles, the last habitation of the governors of the oasis under the VIth dynasty (French excavations). Some mastabas cover a trench infrastructure at the bottom of which were constructed subterranean chambers (mastaba of Ima-Pépi).

Lunch in the Dakhla oasis.

Dakhla/Kharga road (190 km).

In the evening, arrival at Kharga (Pioneer hotel, 4 stars).

Day 11:

KHARGA / LUXOR

This oasis located at the crossroads of thousand-year old caravan trails was a major exchange center in antiquity. Discovery of the Christian cemetery of BAGAWAT (263 graves) built during the Nestorius “the heretic” era. Visit to several great brick tombs crowned with domes decorated with mural paintings with original scenes. For example, we will discover an incredible scene of the Exodus made according to the precepts of Byzantine art.

Continuation to the HIBIS temple, one of the largest and best-conserved pharonic sanctuaries in the oasis (currently being restored by an Italian team). Built by King Darius to honor Amenebis (Amon of Hibis) and Osiris, it is the greatest conserved monument from the Persian period of Egypt. Its decoration reports surprising theological episodes such as the fusion of Amonian and Osirian triades.

Visit to a second, fortified temple from the Roman period. The NADOURA temple was built under the reign of Antonin the Pius.

Lunch in a Kharga restaurant.

Continuation toward the Nile Valley and Luxor located 280 km East of Kharga.

Arrival in the evening at LUXOR.

Night at Luxor (4-star hotel).

Day 12:

LUXOR / PARIS

Departure from LUXOR to Paris.

This tour includes:

- A regular round-trip flight Paris-Cairo / Luxor-Paris.

- The airport/hotel/airport transfers in a private bus.

- Repatriation insurance and assistance for the group and the guide.

- Transport by luxury bus with air conditioning during the entire tour.

- Lodging and meals in the hotels indicated in the itinerary (or equivalents).

- Military escorts where necessary.

- Accompaniment by Luc Watrin, specialist to the destination.

- Programmed visits, fees to the sites and museums.

- Two conferences organized in the evening at the hotel and on the sites by M. Luc Watrin.

- An Egyptian guide of higher-education (SCA inspector).

- Maps, cultural information on the main sites visited.

- Administrative authorizations delivered by the SCA for non-tourist sites included in the program.

- Visa fees.

The cost of the trip does not include:

- Drinks.

- Personal expenses.

- Baggage and cancellation insurance.

- Tips to the local guides and to the driver.

- The usual tips in Egypt on the sites and in restaurants (expect 25 euros per person to give to your guide on the first day).

Travel organizer: Local providers.

Travel base: 10 to 20 persons (maximum).

Dates: From 08 to 19 January 2008

Prix : Nous contacter

Sponsorship: GREPAL

Technical and cultural design of the trip: Mr Luc Watrin (Egyptologist/Researcher associated with the CNRS – UMR 7041, Director of the GREPAL). Tel. 01 47 50 46 88.

10 rue de la Côte d’Argent 92410 Ville d’Avray.

Email : lucwatrin@grepal.com

Siamon Grave

 
Tomb of Siamon

 

 

White desert, Farafra oasis

 

El-Qara oasis, near Siwa

 

 

Tomb of Bannentiou

 

© 2007 Grepal. All rights reserved (unless otherwise stipulated).