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group, twelve of us in all, got together in Cairo early in January.
Our hotel was nicely situated on the east bank of the Nile,
about a ten-minute walk from the Egyptian Museum. The weather
was a bit on the cool side but nice and sunny—ideal for
walking and exploring the archaeological sites. We decided to
get the big one out of the way right at the start and spent
our first day at Giza exploring the major pyramids of the Fourth
Dynasty along with the Sphinx and some of the lesser tombs of
the officials responsible for their construction. |
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Merril
at Khufu's Pyramid |
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The
Oil Merchant |
Gayle
surveying a rock-cut tomb |
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Enjoying
the Pyramids |
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next day we flew south to Aswan, a charming and picturesque
town located at what was once the First Cataract. To the ancient
Egyptians, these rapids marked the southern border of their
land and the city, known as Swenet was the gateway
to the riches of the interior of the continent— especially
gold and ivory. |
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View
of Aswan from the terrace bar at the Basma Hotel |
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The
Hotel |
Refreshments
in the Lobby |
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order to control traffic up and down the river, the Egyptians
occupied several of the islands. The most important of these
was Elephantine (ancient Yebu), which had been occupied from
the very beginning of Egyptian civilization. The ancients believed
that it was the home of the ram-headed god Khnum, who protected
the source of the Nile and regulated its flow from caves beneath
the island and whose temple occupied its southern tip. |
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Elephantine.
4000 years of archaeological deposit |
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Aswan.
Feluccas on the Nile |
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Decorated
blocks from the Temple on Elephantine |
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Heather |
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