Andante Travels

Introduction

Egypt lies in the driest and most barren corner of Africa, occupying 1 million sq km, 96% of which is desert.  The Nile is its life blood, and most of its people and its wealth have always lain along the flooplain.  However, there is another, more isolated Egypt where thriving cities were once sustained by oasis springs.

We travel against the tourism tide, and journey not south from Cairo but north, to the amazing city of Alexandria, Egypt's gateway to the Mediterranean world.  Our splendid hotel on the harbour here provies an excellent base from which to explore on foot, and there are many relics of the great city of antiquity whice are little visited now.

From here we follow Alexander's route along the coast and then south into the desert at Siwa, crossing the desert to explore the oases which have produced rich finds, particularly from the period after his death, when Ptolemaic Greeks and then Romans ruled Egypt.  There is also the opportunity to consider the time long before the desert had formed, with the astonishing sight of fossiled whale skeletons lying on the desert surface at Wadi al Hittan.

This is a unique tour, combining impressive Graeco-Roman archaeology with desert adventures.  We stay in simple hotel in the Bahariya Oasis for one night to authenticate the experience, but are otherwise based in some glorious historic hotels.

Itinerary

Day One
Fly London to Cairo, then take a domestic flight to Alexandria and drive to our splendid hotel on the edge of Alexandria's famous harbour.

Day Two
Alexandria - the city founded by Alexander the Great.  Visit the National Museum, displaying finds which date from the pre-dynastic and ancient Egyptian periods, as well as Graeco-Roman, Islamic and Coptic Egypt(along with a fine collection of jewellry from Egypt's former royal family), all housed within an attractive Italianate building dating fro mthe early 20th century.

The impressive Bibliotheka Alexandria is a worthy successor to the famous ancient library - with its Roman and script museums.  Striking in its architecture, the circular outer wall of the library is made of Aswan granite, and the partly-glazed roof is designed to angle sunlight on to the desks of the seven-tier reading rooms.  Continue to the Catacombs of Mustafa Kamel.

Day Three 
Another day in Alexandra, when we walk to the Roman theatre at Kom Al Dikka.  The ruins of the Roman bathing complex can be seen from a distance, whilst we will be able to walk inside teh lovely Villa of the Birds, with its attractive mosaics. Further exploration leads us to the Catacombs of Shatbi and the Necropolis of Anfushi, a network of subterranean burial chambers, decorated with wall paintings combining features of both Greek and Egyptian art.

Carry on to the 2nd century catacombs of Kom el-Shaqqafa - the largest Graeco-Roman necropolis in Egypt, and then to Pompey's pillar, built of red Aswan granite and inscribed with a tribute to the emperor Diocletian.

End the day by watching the sunset at Fort Qaitbey, situated on the tip of the eastern harbour and built in the 1480s by Sultain Qaitbey on the site of the Pharos lighthouse - once one of the seven wonders of the world.

Day Four
Long drive west from Alexandria, along the North African coast.  Today we are following in the footsteps of Alexander the Great, on his journey to consult the oracle at Siwa.  We stop en route at what was once the largest Byzantine church in Egypt at Al Mina.  It is now a Coptic monastery.  We also see the World War 2 British war graves at El Alamein.  We continue our journey to Mursa Matru, now a popular holiday resport, but once the port where Cleopatra's Egyptian fleet lay at anchor during the conflict with Octavian.  Jut west is Zawiyet Umm el-Rakham, where Steven Snape, one of our Guide Lecturers, has been excavating a fort of Rameses II, part of a chain of fortified settlements thought to be a first line of defence against Egypt's western neighbours.

Day Five
Away from the coast today and into the desert - south to the oasis of Siwa.  This was a route made famous by Alexander the Great who came here in 331BC.  Accounts of his visit have survived in later writings of Strabo and Arrian, from which we learn that he was beset by all sorts of difficulties, received divine guidances en route from ravens and snakes, and eventually received the answer his heart desired.  The distant oasis growing larger as you approach across the desert is still a most welcome and wonderful sight.

Day Six 
Explore Siwa, including the Temple of the Oracle, actually one of two temples here dedicated to Amun, th eother being at Umm Ubayd, where one wall richly decorated with funeral scenes survives.  Gebel el Mawta is a huge limtestone mass containing tombs of the 26th dynasty and the Ptolemaic period.  Most of the tombs were plundered in the Roman period, and some served as air raid shelters during World War 2.  Explore the 13th century mud brick Fortress of Shali.

Day Seven
Drive further south-east into the desert to reach the oasis of Baharia.  In 1996 a donkey stumbled in a hole revelaing a golden mummy face peering out of the sand.  Radar investigations have revealed the presence of 10,000 mummies of the Graeco Roman period in what is known oas the Valley of the Golden Mummies.  A small number are on display in the site museum.  The Temple of Alexander is built of sandstone and mudbrick to a very unusual plan.  It is not certain that he ever actually visited, but it is the only place in Egypt where his image has been found in a cartouche.  We also see the Tomb of Zed-Amun-efank, a wealthy wine merchant of the 26th dynasty, the Tomb of Bannentiu, his son, and the Temple of Ain al-Muftella.

Day Eight
Some time this morning to explore the oasis of Bahariya at leisure, and appreciate the amazing systen of sprngs which maintain life here now, and which once made it famous for wheat and wine.  We then drive to Al Fayoum, a fertile basin c70km long watered by the Nile via hundreds of capillary canals.  It thrived in the Graeco-Roman period when irrigation systems were established and huge cities were built for Gteek soldiers and their families. now ruinous and little-visited.  Today the Fayoum is rich in birdlife.

Day Nine
Optional off-road excursion this morning to Wadi al-Hittan, 55km to the south, where fossilised skeletons of primitive whales lie of the surface of the desert.  Some may prefer to relax in our lovely hotel on the shores of Lake Qaran, the world's most ancient lake.

Karanis, a vast ruined city which once housed Ptolemy II's mercenaries.  The buildings reveal themselves slowly as you pick your way through the desert landscape, past the remains of bathhouses and temples.  The museum is nearby.

Day Ten
Visit the Meidum pyramid en route to Cairo.

Day Eleven
Fly home to London from Cairo.

Included

WHAT’S INCLUDED

• Flights Scheduled flights London/Cairo; internal flight Cairo/Alexandria
• Transfers private coach provided to coincide with group flights
• Local Travel Private a/c coach; 4x4s for days 4 - 9
• Meals All meals included; drinks (except water) are not
• Guide Lecturer (also local guides where these are compulsory) Not to be confused with "guest lecturers"!  The guide lecturer will be with you from breakfast to supper, and probably even a drink in the bar afterwards.  There is the occasional site where they may not be allowed to guide because of local regulations (we normally manage to circumnavigate these) but otherwise the guides are just that.  They will have been chosen because of specialist knowledge and their ability to communicate and interest you.  After 22 years of making tours worldwide, we are highly appreciative of the attributes of a good guide, and intensely critical of people who do not possess them.  If you would like to know more about Tony O’Connor or Lloyds Llewellyn-Jones, please click his name.
• Tour Manager We never know how best to call the very special people whom we choose to accompany you on your tour.  They are usually employed in this capacity only by us, and have been trained to do things in the Andante way - unobtrusive, friendly and quietly efficient.
• Local Guide
• Fieldnotes written for the tour
• Entry & tips Entry to all sites in programme; tips included.

Flights & Visa

Scheduled flights - TBA

Visa and Passport Requirements (for British passport holders only)

Note:  Passports must be valid for 6 months on entry into Egypt. Visas will be arranged for you by Andante Travels and will be administered on arrival at Cairo airport.

Hotels

3 nights in a splendid hotel in Alexandria;
1 night in a beach hotel in Mursa;
2 nights in a lodge hotel in Siwa;
1 night in a simple oasis hotel in Baharia;
2 nights in a historic hotel by the lake in El Fayoum
1 night in Zamalek, a wealthy, leafy suburb to Cairo

Reading List

This list is no more than a guide to some books that you may find useful to read in advance of the tour. Talks given on the tour will attempt to fill in the background to what we are seeing, so no prior knowledge or pre-tour cramming is expected or needed. In many cases, we expect that you will find some of these books even more interesting and useful to read once the tour is over.

Pyramids, Middle Egypt (seeing how the locals lived in the countryside). The exceptional ‘big picture' overview by the lecturer with all the details fitting into place, which made every temple and tomb as interesting as the last. Luxor- Valley of the Kings -despite the crowds, Andante did very well here.

Guide Lecturer's Choice:  (if you only want to read one or two books)

Shaw, I. (ed.) (2000) The Oxford History of Ancient Egypt.   Oxford University Press.

Maxwell, V. et al (2006) Egypt (Lonely Planet Country Guide). Lonely Planet Publications.

General Books

Baines, J. and Malek, J. (1980) Atlas of Ancient Egypt. Oxford: Andromeda.

(Or revised as (2000) Cultural Atlas of Ancient Egypt. New York: Facts on File Inc.).

Brewer, D.J. and Teeter, E. (1999) Egypt and the Egyptians. Cambridge: C.U.P.

Manley, B. (1996) The Penguin Historical Atlas of Ancient Egypt. Harmondsworth: Penguin.

Shaw, I.M.E. and Nicholson, P.T.  (1995) The British Museum Dictionary of Ancient Egypt.

London: British Museum

Guide Books

Morkot, R. (2005) Egypt: Land of the Pharaohs. Hong Kong: Odyssey Books

Murnane, W.J. (1983) The Penguin Guide To Ancient Egypt. Harmondsworth: Penguin.

Seton-Williams, V. and Stocks, P. (1993) The Blue Guide To Egypt. London: Black.

Pharaonic History

Bowman, A.K. (1986) Egypt After the Pharaohs. London: British Museum.

Clayton, P. A. (1994) Chronicle of the Pharaohs. London: Thames and Hudson/Rubicon

Kitchen, K.A. (1982) Pharaoh Triumphant:  The Life and Times of Ramesses II. Warminster: Aris & Phillips Ltd.

Malek, J. (1986) In the Shadow of the Pyramids:  Egypt during the Old Kingdom. London: Orbis Books.

Reeves, N. (2001) Egypt's False Prophet: Akhenaten. London: Thames and Hudson.

Spencer, A.J. (1993) Early Egypt. London: British Museum.

Wilkinson, T.A.H. (1999) Early Dynastic Egypt. London: Routledge.

Art and Architecture

Lehner, M. (1997) The Complete Pyramids. London: Thames and Hudson.

Robins, G. (1986) Egyptian Painting and Relief. Aylesbury: Shire Egyptology.

Robins, G. (1997) Art of Ancient Egypt. London: British Museum.

Robins, G. (2001) Egyptian Statues. Aylesbury: Shire Egyptology.

Snape, S. (1996) Egyptian Temples. Aylesbury: Shire Egyptology.

Wilkinson, R.H. (2000) The Complete Temples of Ancient Egypt. London: Thames and Hudson.

Religion And Magic

Gahlin, L. (2001) Egypt: Gods, Myth and Religion Lorenz Books

Pinch, G. (1994) Magic In Ancient Egypt. London: British Museum.

Quirke, S. (1992) Ancient Egyptian Religion. London: British Museum.

Quirke, S. (2001) The Cult of Ra. London: Thames and Hudson.

Schafer, B.E. (ed.) (1991) Religion in Ancient Egypt. London: Routledge.

Funerary Practices

Andrews, C. (1984) Egyptian Mummies. London: British Museum.

Ikram, S. and Dodson, A. (1998) The Mummy In Ancient Egypt. London: Thames and Hudson.

Reeves, C.N. (1990) The Complete Tutankhamun. London: Thames and Hudson.

Reeves, C.N. and Wilkinson, R.H. (1996) The Complete Valley of the Kings. London: Thames and Hudson.

Taylor, J.H. (2001) Death and the Afterlife in Ancient Egypt. London: British Museum.

Travel books

We recommend to you a publishing company with a mission to keep the classic works of travel literature in print. Eland and Sickle Moon Books produce an excellent catalogue of travellers' literature, old and new.

0207 833 0762 - www.travelbooks.co.uk - This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Archaeology books

Oxbow Books, based in Oxford, are suppliers of probably the biggest range of archaeology and history books. They produce a quarterly catalogue, and can be contacted on

01865 241 249 - www.oxbowbooks.com - This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Booking