egypt’s Luxor / Aswan Nile Cruises
A Nile cruise is a fantastic and leisurely way to see some of Egypt’s most stunning historical treasures
1922. Karnak, once the most important place of worship in Egypt, is dominated by huge statues of Ramses II with the Temple of Amun as its centrepiece. For the past five years archaeologists have been excavating the latest treasures to reveal the Avenue of the Sphinxes. Hailed as Egypt’s most important find since Tutankhamun’s tomb, for thousands of years the statues lining the 2.7 km (1.67 mile) route between Luxor and Karnak temples were buried beneath the sand and modern-day Luxor.
The Unfinished Obelisk Aswan, Egypt’s southernmost city, is dominated by the massive High Dam, built between 1960 and 1970 and one of the engineering wonders of the world. Typical cruise excursions take in Elephantine Island, home to two Nubian tribes, and the Temple of Isis at Philae on Agilkia Island, which was re-erected after being submerged during the building of the former Aswan Dam in 1902. One of the most fascinating and unusual sights of ancient Egypt is the mighty Unfinished Obelisk, lying in Aswan’s granite quarry. At 42 metres (137 ft) and weighing around 1,200 tons, if it had been erected it would have been the highest in Egypt but a crack in the stone meant the project had to be abandoned. Another popular tourist site is Kitchener’s Island, containing hundreds of species of plants, flowers and birds imported from the Far East and Africa by British military leader Lord Kitchener after the island was given to him for his role in the Sudan campaign. Cruise ships stop at other key points along the Nile including Esna, with the Temple of Khnum and the Great Hypostyle Hall, Edfu, where the Ptolemaic Temple of Horus is one of the best preserved in Egypt, and Kom Ombo which is home to the Greco-Roman
Temple of Sobek and Haroeris. Beyond Aswan’s High Dam is Lake Nasser, which stretches nearly 500 km (310 miles) to the south and is the world’s largest man-made lake. Over a three- or four-day cruise visitors pass by stunning desert landscapes to the temples and statues of Abu Simbel that were hewn from solid rock in the 13th century BC and moved from the rising waters of
the lake to higher ground in the 1960s. If time is limited visitors can explore the Nile for a few hours on board a traditional wooden felucca, sailing boats used on the Nile since antiquity. A sunset cruise is particularly beautiful.
At 42 metres (137 ft) and weighing around 1,200 tons, if it had been erected it would have been the highest in Egypt
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And for a land-based stay the Sofitel Legend Old Cataract has just re-opened after a multi- million pound refit and three- year closure. The illustrious Victorian grande dame, which inspired Agatha Christie’s Death on the Nile, has hosted royalty, heads of state and film stars, and includes the historic Palace wing.
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