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
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