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From Essna the cruise on the Oberoi Philae heads south. Navigating the Esna locks takes a couple of hours though local salesmen conduct a brisk bus…moreFrom Essna the cruise on the Oberoi Philae heads south. Navigating the Esna locks takes a couple of hours though local salesmen conduct a brisk business throwing their ware up to the decks…. The ship sails to Edfu. It is the second largest temple in Egypt after Karnak and one of the best preserved. The temple, dedicated to the falcon god Horus, was built in the between 237 and 57 BCE. The temple of Edfu is the largest temple dedicated to Horus and Hathor of Dendera. Kom Ombo stands on a promontory at a bend in the Nile and is one of the most spectacular settings of any of Egypt's river temples. The temple was located in the ancient city of Pa-Sebek, "the Domain of Sobek", who was the crocodile god. The Nile flows among amber deserts and granite mountains to Aswan , a beautiful African city in a great setting. A short ride from Aswan is the beautiful Philae Temple on the island of Agilika, dedicated to the goddess Isis. The Oberoi Philae ranked 3rd in BEST SMALL SHIPS OF THE WORLD awarded by Conde' Nast Traveller, USA in 2009 http://www.oberoihotels.com/oberoi_philae less

A nile cruise is a magical way to experience the 7000 year history of Egypt because the largest concentration of temples lies along the river Nile be…moreA nile cruise is a magical way to experience the 7000 year history of Egypt because the largest concentration of temples lies along the river Nile between Luxor and Aswan. This 7 day cruise starts in Luxor, which has been called the greatest open air museum and is probably the oldest tourist destination in history. The ship is the Oberoi Philae, a vessel built in 1996 with 50 luxurious cabins and all amenities. A true floating luxury Hotel. The ship sails north to Quina . The wonderfully preserved temple of Dendera is a rare sight to behold. The main temple dedicated to the Goddess Hathor, goddess or pleasure and of love, usually represented as a cow, or a woman with a cow’s head. Its hypostyle hall has towering columns inscribed with hieroglyphs. The massive stone roof is rich with painted reliefs. Under the temple are dark chambers and underground passages. The courtyard has a rare statue of the god Bes the patron of childbirth. After Dendera the ship sails back to Luxor. A beautiful sphinx way leads to the entrance of the temple of Luxor. Built by Ramses the Great it was dedicated to the god Amun. A couple of miles north is the spectacular Temple of Karnak. Built over more than a thousand years by generations of Pharaohs Karnak is the largest religious complex in the world. The great “Hypostyle Hall” is an incredible forest of giant pillars, covering an area larger than the whole of Notre Dame Cathedral. The West Bank is a quick boat ride across the Nile, Here a baloon ride gives an overview of the immense funerary valleys below. The Valley of the Kings, is a vast City of the Dead where magnificent tombs were carved into the desert rocks, decorated richly, and filled with treasures for the . In the next valley rising out of the desert plain as if carved out of the limestone cliffs, is the Temple of Queen Hatshepsut ,Ancient Egypt’s only female Pharaoh. On the way back to the river Nile, the road passes by the famed Colossi of Memnon, the only survivors of a once imposing temple. The ship sails south to Essna. The Oberoi Philae ranked 3rd in BEST SMALL SHIPS OF THE WORLD awarded by Conde' Nast Traveller, USA in 2009 http://www.oberoihotels.com/oberoi_philae less

The Sheraton Luxor is located on 8 acres of lush gardens on the East bank of the Nile boasting spectacular sunsets across the river and a 15 minute w…moreThe Sheraton Luxor is located on 8 acres of lush gardens on the East bank of the Nile boasting spectacular sunsets across the river and a 15 minute walk to the historic center of the old Luxor. Right here are the Karnak Temples and across the Nile are the valley of the Kings and Queens. less

Myths, legends, gods, and heroes are great stuff. Such stories make ancient ruins come alive.

This video clip is from St. Catherine's Monastery in Egypt. To get there, we took a taxi from Elat, Israel to the Egyptian border crossing at Taba. …moreThis video clip is from St. Catherine's Monastery in Egypt. To get there, we took a taxi from Elat, Israel to the Egyptian border crossing at Taba. After paying the usual departure taxes and customs screenings, we walked into Egypt. The Egyptian customs officials pulled us into a side office and grilled us for fifteen minutes. They wanted to know about our video camera. Egypt understands that Hollywood can pump millions of dollars into a local economy. Customs officials are on the lookout for film crews and make sure that you are paying for permits. Of course, we have a tiny budget and no permits. When they figured this out, they let us go. Taba is a dusty border town. The most lively thing going is the taxi stand. Tourists make their way across the border en route to Egypt’s classy coastal resorts. They also take passengers to Mt. Sinai. After negotiaiting a rate for the three-hour drive to Mt. Sinai and back, we climbed into a ragged old station wagon with our driver, Suleiman, and two Israeli tourists. The shared taxi system is common in Taba. Soon we were whipping south along the coast road headed for Nuweiba, a resort town, where we dropped off our two Israeli friends. The young men were going on a hiking adventure in the desert. One of them spoke English. Suleiman, our driver did not. So, from that point on, we had limited communication. The Sinai Desert is amazing. The rugged mountains are ablaze with rich color. Every ten or fifteen kilometers you pass a Bedouin village consisting of a few shacks, some camels, an SUV and a satellite dish. You can count the number of towns in the southern Sinai on one hand. It was a desert when Moses came through. It is a desert now. We reached Mt. Sinai just before noon - not a good time to be out in the desert sun. Fortunately, the weather was fairly cool, around 85 degrees. Located at the base of Mt. Sinai is St. Katherine’s Monastery. Christian Emperor Justinian built the monastery here in the 6th Century to honor an early Christian martyr, St. Katharine. Christians believed then, as they do today, that this is the place where Moses received the Ten Commandments from God. St. Katharine’s is a big tourist trap in the middle of a huge desert. You can’t walk five feet without someone trying to give you the hustle. Still, the old walled monetary is impressive. It looks like some place out of an adventure story. Our plan had been to spend the night at St. Katharine’s, then climb the mountain early the next morning. Unfortunately, Suleiman and the local hotels would only take cash. I didn’t have enough to cover both, so we just took some video footage of the mountain and St. Katharine’s, then headed back to Eilat. www.frakesproductions.com less

Amr Diab (Egypt) - Nour El Ain - North African Groove Buy this song at http://www.putumayo.com/

5000 years ago, long before the pyramids were built, Pharaoh Menes founded Memphis on the Nile Delta,the first capital of Egypt. Over the next cent…more5000 years ago, long before the pyramids were built, Pharaoh Menes founded Memphis on the Nile Delta,the first capital of Egypt. Over the next centuries the town became the most important center in the known world and with the building of the 3 pyramids in Giza it sealed its image on the minds of generations to come. The city of Cairo was founded in 641 A.D. uniting various adjoining towns: Memphis, ancient Heliopolis and Giza. This is a very old city. Journeying though Cairo, one of the most populated cities in the world, one can see the various cultures and dinasties , from the Romans to the Ottomans and Europeans overlapping with amazing monuments, mosques, churches and public works. Cairo is diversity itself. less

A luxury Hotel situated in the exclusive residential area of Heliopolis close to the Presidential Palace. At the turn of the 19th Century a Belgian …moreA luxury Hotel situated in the exclusive residential area of Heliopolis close to the Presidential Palace. At the turn of the 19th Century a Belgian Industrialist created Heliopolis as a"city of luxury and leasure" with impressive recreational amenities and innovative architecture, 10 Kilometers from Cairo. With the expansion of Cairo Heliopolis is now well inside the city. It is home to the wealthiest class of egyptian society, with neighbouring churches, mosques and synagogues reflecting Cairo's multiculturalism and religious tolerance . less

Located on 40 acres of gardens right under the Pyramids the Mena House began as a hunting lodge for Vice King Kedive Ismail. In 1869 he expanded th…moreLocated on 40 acres of gardens right under the Pyramids the Mena House began as a hunting lodge for Vice King Kedive Ismail. In 1869 he expanded the lodge on the occasion of the opening of the Suez Canal in order to impress visiting Empress Eugenie with the best views of the Pyramids. the Mena House Oberoi has played host to kings and Emperors,Heads of State and celebrities and not only boasts the best views of the Pyramids but also the only golf course right under them. less

Modern Alexandria is a bustling metropolis on the Mediterranean.It has been bustling for over 2 millennia. Built by Alexander the Great in 331 BC it …moreModern Alexandria is a bustling metropolis on the Mediterranean.It has been bustling for over 2 millennia. Built by Alexander the Great in 331 BC it was second to Rome in size and influence. Its ancient Lighthouse was one of the Seven Wonders of the World and the Alexandrian Library built in the 3rd Century BC was the largest repository of knowledge of its time. Clepatra ruled and trysted with Marc Anthony here. Her palace is still visible in the Bay under 20 feet of water (together with the Lighthouse stones). The worn but beautiful Art Deco buildings lining the Corniche show Alexandria has been trying to live it up in modern times. less

The Hotel faces its own private beach on the Mediterranean Sea right next to King Farouk's Palace and Gardens. Right on the Corniche and very accessi…moreThe Hotel faces its own private beach on the Mediterranean Sea right next to King Farouk's Palace and Gardens. Right on the Corniche and very accessible to the City Center.Alexandria, founded by Alexander the Great is an important industrial port with the Suez pipeline ending here. It is also a major tourist resort with Cleopatra's palace buried and still visible in its harbour, major Roman ruins and is home to the Bibliotheca Alexandrina, the modern library of Alexandria, and a modern architectural wonder. less