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1ST DAY:
FULL DAY PYRAMIDS, SPHINX & EGYPTIAN MUSEUMPyramids & Sphinx
A «must see» for every visitor to Egypt, spend half a day wandering and wondering around the great Pyramids and Sphinx of Giza. Explore the site, enter the tombs and venture out into the desert plateaux for the best views of all three pyramids.
On the outskirts of Cairo stands one of the Seven Wonders of the World: the great Pyramids. Built around 4,500 years ago, the three towering Pyramids are massive in size, constructed from around 2,300,000 blocks, weighing an average of two-and-a-half tons each. Get up close and be dazzled by the external magnificence of these wonders.
Within short walking distance of the Pyramids is the Great Sphinx of Giza, built in 2620 BC in the likeness of the then King of Egypt, Chephran (Khafre). The ancient monument — 187 feet long and 65 feet high — is a human-headed lion wearing a royal headdress, sitting in guard of the Great Pyramids.
Egyptian Museum
With more than 120, 00 exhibits, it is easy to get lost in this impressive museum. Escape the heat and hustle of central Cairo and spend the afternoon wandering round its many maze-like rooms.
The Egyptian museum was built during the reign of Khedive Abbass Helmi II in 1897, and opened its doors on November 15th, 1902. Today, the museum contains the most important collection of Egyptian antiquities in the world. Exhibited are over 120,000 objects from the Pharaonic and Graeco-Roman periods, including the celebrated mummies of ancient Egyptian kings and the treasures of King Tut Ankh Amun. A special 'Hidden Treasures' exhibit in the museum's re-designed basement features more than 150 artifacts on display for the first time.
2ND DAY:
FULL DAY MEMPHIS, SAKKARA & DAHSHURMemphis & Sakkara
Memphis served as the capital of Upper and Lower Egypt some 5,000 years ago during the 1st Dynasty. Menes, the first pharaoh of this dynasty, built a great white-walled palace and the Temple of Ptah here.
Sakkara: One of the most exciting historical and archaeological areas in all of Egypt is Sakkara, situated about 12 miles south west of Cairo. The site is dominated by the famous step pyramid of King Zoser. It was the first pyramid to be built in ancient Egypt, preceding those at Giza by many centuries, and is the work of the famous pharaonic architect, Imhotep.
Dahshur
Dahshur forms the southernmost area of the Memphis Necropolis and contains a number of pyramid complexes and monuments. Dahshur has only recently been opened to the public, having been a military zone until 1996. As a result, the area is not as developed commercially as Giza, and there is a certain peace and tranquility to the site still. It is most noteworthy for being the site that best demonstrates the change from the «step» pyramid to the «true» pyramid that occurred during the Third and Fourth Dynasties.
The Red Pyramid, also called the North Pyramid, is the largest of the three major pyramids located at the Dahshur necropolis. Named for the rusty reddish hue of its stones, it is also the third largest Egyptian pyramid, after those of Khufu and Khafra at Giza. At the time of its completion, it was the tallest man-made constructure in the world. It is also believed to be the world's first successful attempt at constructing a «true» smooth-sided pyramid. Local residents refer to the Red Pyramid as el-haram el-watwat, meaning the Bat Pyramid.
The Red Pyramid was not always red. It used to be cased with white Tura limestone, but only a few of these now remain at the pyramid's base on the corner. During the Middle Ages much of the white Tura limestone was taken for buildings in Cairo, revealing the reddish sandstone beneath.
The Bent Pyramid is an ancient Egyptian pyramid located at the royal necropolis of Dahshur, approximately 40 kilometres south of Cairo, built under the Old Kingdom Pharaoh Sneferu (c. 2600 BC). A unique example of early pyramid development in Egypt, this was the second pyramid built by Sneferu.
The lower part of the pyramid rises from the desert at a 54-degree inclination, but the top section is built at the shallower angle of 43 degrees, lending the pyramid its very obvious «bent» appearance.
3RD DAY:
FULL DAY COPTIC & ISLAMIC CAIROCommunity of Religions
Take an alternative look at Egypt and visit Old Cairo “home to the capital’s Christian centre. This half day tour takes in The Old Churches, Coptic Monasteries, Amr ibn alas Mosque and The Ben Ezra Synagogue, pointing to the diversity that can be found in Egypt’s capital.
Visit the old churches, Coptic monasteries, Amr ibn alas Mosque & the Ben Ezra Synagogue in Old Cairo, the eldest district in the Egyptian capital, which was formerly the City of Phas built by Amr Ibn ElA’as. In later centuries, Romans built the fortress Babylon in the area, remnants of which still exist. Later, Old Cairo became the center of Christianity in Egypt, with as many as 20 churches built within an area of one square mile. Only five of these historic churches remain today, nestled between many other ancient monuments that decorate the quarter.
The Ben Ezra Synagogue, located in Cairo center, was built by the chief rabbi in Jerusalem Abraham Ben Ezra in the late 9th century within the walls of the Fortress of Babylon (as Old Cairo was known in ancient times). The basilica-style temple is home to a Jewish heritage library, which includes a Torah on gazelle skin dating back to the fifth century BC and an «Atlas of Moses» manuscript. The synagogue is known principally for its storeroom, or Geniza, which housed a rich store of political, economic, and social books and manuscripts about the condition of Jews under Arab rule in Egypt in the Middle Ages.
The Mosque of Amr was originally built in 642 AD, as the center of the newly-founded capital of Egypt, Fustat The original structure was the first mosque ever built in Egypt, and by extension, the first mosque on the continent of Africa.
The Hanging 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 AD.
The Hanging (The Suspended) Church is named for its location above a gatehouse of Babylon Fortress, the Roman fortress in Old Cairo; its nave is suspended over a passage. The church is approached by 29 steps; early travelers to Cairo dubbed it «the Staircase Church.» The land surface has risen by some 6 metres since the Roman period so that the Roman tower is mostly buried below ground, reducing the visual impact of the church's elevated position. The entrance from the street is through iron gates under a pointed stone arch. The nineteenth-century facade with twin bell towers is then seen beyond a narrow courtyard decorated with modern art biblical designs. Up the steps and through the entrance is a further small courtyard leading to the eleventh-century outer porch.
Citadel & Mosques
Immerse yourself in Medieval Cairo as you take in the battlements of the Citadel and the monumental majesty of the Mosque of Sultan Hassan.
The Citadel situated on a highly visible spur of the Mokattam Hills of Old Cairo, was the nerve center of Egypt for almost 700 years. Construction of the grand structure began in 1176 and was completed by Muhammad Ali Pasha, ruler of Egypt in the late 19th century. Mamluk sultans and Turkish governors resided in the Citadel, which is among the world's most splendid monuments of medieval warfare.
Facing the Citadel is the Mosque of Sultan Hassan, built between 1356 and 1363 and perhaps the most majestic monument of Arab architecture in Egypt and the Mosque of Al-Rifai was constructed in two phases over the period between 1869 and 1912, when it was finally completed.
