By Paul Bryers

• Overall Itinerary

I will be providing a daily integrated textual and pictorial post here of this 14 day tour.

This post is just to introduce my overall, awesome and ambitious Morocco route, which is depicted below.

The specific route is as follows (# nights):
Marrakech (2) – Essaouira (2) – Safi – Qualidia – El Jadida (1) – Azzemour – Casablanca (1) – Rabat – Chefchaouen (2) – Volubilis – Meknez – Fès (2) – Ifran – Midelt – Erfoud (1) – Merzouga (1) – Erg Chebbi – Dades (1) – Quarzazatate – Ait Ben Haddou – Marrakech (1)

Transportation will be provided by private SUV with an English language driver, Mr. Said, and expert English language guides will be organized as needed.

A subsequent post later today will report on Day 1.

https://www.theorganizedscot.com
https://luxurytoursmorocco.com/ #luxurytoursmoroccoco

By Paul Bryers

• Day Itinerary: Fly Cairo to Marrakech, Morocco

The Planes:

The:
~ 5.5 hr flight Cairo to Casablanca on a Royal Air Maroc (RAM) 737-8MAX, flight AT273 (covering ~ 3,700 kms/2300 miles) and
~ 1 hr flight Casablanca to Marrakech on a RAM ATR Turboprop, flight AT413 (covering ~ 200 kms/124 miles)
were OK.

The business seat on Cairo flight was comfortable, being wide with a slight decline available.

The “business seat” on the 1 hr hop to Marrakech was, well… not…

The amenity bag on the Cairo flight was filled with nice smelly thinks like face spray, lip balm and moisturizer – smells were of argan, prickly pear (excellent in a cocktail) and verbena essential oils. Its impossible to fly without such luxuries 😃. They also help disguise the smell of my dirty trainers 😔 . They are super dirty after all the Egyptian sand..

Breakfast on the Cairo flight was good – fresh fruit with tasty, spiced omelet and potato, yoghurt and pastries.

Dinner in the Marrakesh flight was ….absent…

There was no onboard wifi or entertainment on either flight – so plenty of time to write this post and remember my AMA Egyptian Blueberries….

The Journey:

As we as ascended into the dust layer hanging over Cairo, I got my last glimpses of the city and the Nile.

Then as we flew further North into Lower Egypt we met the Mediterranean Sea and the North entry to the Suez Canal. Loads of huge ships were positioned in the sea close to the locks, awaiting entry.

We then headed out over the Med leaving the coast and Egypt behind.

We passed over Sicily and right above Mt Etna which was emitting vapors. I recognized Taormina.

As we flew across there were lovely mountains and beaches – saw Palermo..

With about 1.5 hrs to go we reached the Balearics and flew over Palma de Majorca…..

….and then Ibiza….

….SE Spain…

And finally, after flying across the European Mediterranean, Africa is once again just in front with Casablanca only about 30 mins away.

And finally, finally a glimpse of Casablanca.

After some shenanigans at Casablanca we finally took off for Marrakesh, passing some desert on the way.

And thus the long travel day from Egypt ended and the new Morocco trip commenced.

https://www.the organizedscot.com
https://luxurytoursmorocco.com/

La Abdeen Royal/Presidential Palace, Cairo, Egypt
~ 25°C/75°F (at 7 am)

By Paul Bryers

With this post I wrap up my 15 days adventure with AMA Waterways.

And it has been an excellent adventure, thanks to all the AMA staff involved, and in particular, George, Sahem, Mohammed, Mostafa and Jhon.

So, today, AMA outdid themselves with a tour of the La Abdeen Palace followed by a lunch in the magnificent dining room.

La Abdeen District is the home of Abdeen Palace, a 19th-century Cairo palace built by Khedive Ismail and served as the Egyptian royal household’s primary official residence from 1874 until the July Revolution in 1952. Since then it has been one of the presidential palaces.

The lower floor of the palace today is a museum, located in the Old Cairo district of Abdeen.

However, the upper floors (the former living quarters of the royal family) are normally reserved for visiting foreign dignitaries. But AMA managed to get us a private viewing and lunch.

Built under the rule of Ismail Pasha, to become Egypt’s official government headquarters instead of the Citadel of Cairo (which had been the center of Egyptian government since the Middle Ages), this palace was used as well for official events and ceremonies.

The construction started in 1863 and continued for 10 years and the palace was officially inaugurated in 1874.

The palace was designed by the French architect Léon Rousseau along with a large number of Egyptian, Italian, French and European decorators.

A new wing was added by Joseph Urban in 1891.

The palace’s garden was added in 1921 by Sultan Fuad I; the garden today sports a lovely landscaped pool.

The palace has 500 rooms.

Particularly notable are the royal red and gold carpeted main stairway and hallways….

…..and the gorgeous chandeliers and ceiling moldings…

The theater is wonderful….

The main reception area is magnificent….

The fountain/relax room was extraordinary…

The dining room and surrounds were impressive…

So that’s it! Back to the St Regis on the bus.

Thanks AMA for an excellent time – go cruising with them if you can.

I’m up early tomorrow to catch my flight to Marrakech, Morocco.

Final Sunset and Sunrise, Luxor, Egypt
~ 25°C/75°F (at 7 am)

By Paul Bryers

Last night we enjoyed our final sunset on the Nile near Luxor. The setting sun hid behind palm trees as it descended.

And then early this morning, the new sun greeted us on our way to the airport bound for Cairo. The rising sun appeared to hop one from suspended telegraph wire to the next….

Morning Itinerary: Dendra Temple Complex, Dendra, Egypt
~ 35°C/97°F (at 12 pm)

By Paul Bryers

There was an Anglo-Saxon tourist close by me today who was a real laurel spaffer…bless….

Anyway….

The Dendera Temple complex, situated approximately 2.5 kilometres southeast of Dendera, is one of the best-preserved temple complexes in ancient Egypt.

The entire complex is surrounded by a substantial mudbrick wall, which is best viewed from the roof, accessible via a hot and humid climb within the walls.

The structures throughout the complex were constructed over multiple eras, including the Middle Kingdom, the Ptolemaic Era, and the Roman provincial rule period.

Key features of the complex include:

Roman Mammisi:
The Roman mammisi, a subsidiary building located before the Temple of Hathor, dates back to the reigns of Trajan and Marcus Aurelius. Numerous reliefs depicting Trajan making offerings to Egyptian deities are visible.

Hathor Temple:
The Temple of Hathor dominates the complex, with its structure commanding attention. The original temple underwent continuous modifications throughout the Middle Kingdom and up until the beginning of Trajan’s reign.

The existing temple’s structure began construction in 54 B.C.E, during the late Ptolemaic period under Ptolemy Auletes.

• Great Vestibule of Pronaos:
  Upon entering the temple, one is immediately confronted with enormous rows of columns and a roof above, covered in carvings/paintings with some still bearing vibrant colors – this is in the Great Vestibule of Pronaos.

• Hypostyle Hall:
  Following this is the Hypostyle Hall with its many columns. The hypostyle hall was built during the Roman period under Tiberius.

– Antichambers
Then, there are two antechambers before reaching the sanctuary.

• Subrooms, including Roman Kiosk
  There are numerous storerooms, labs, and wardrobes adjacent to these main rooms, including a lovely Roman Kiosk.

• Roof
  A processional stairway leads to the roof of the temple, where reliefs on the walls depict scenes from rituals performed at the temple. The staircase shows wear from millennia of use and an apparent accretion of material, earning it the informal name of “the melted stairs.”

The roof offers great views as to the size of the complex and to the surrounding mud brick walls and entry gates.

You can also see the Kiosk of Hathor.

The stairwell down is a straight shot.

• Catacombs/Crypts
  You have to be pretty bendy to get down here and it’s very claustrophobic. An opening in the Flame Room floor leads to a very narrow chamber with representations on the walls of the objects which were kept in them. In the second chamber, a relief depicts Pepi I offering a statuette of the God Ihy to four images of Hathor.

Sacred Lake and Sanatorium:
This would have functioned similarly to a Roman bathhouse, but strictly for bathing and an overnight stay to manifest healing dreams. The waters at Dendera were sacred and were often used to bless the inscriptions on statues so that they could cure diseases.

@amawaterways

#amawaterways

Late Afternoon Itinerary: Luxor Temple, Luxor, Egypt
~ 33°C/92°F (at 6 pm)

By Paul Bryers

Today we are exploring the primary temples located in Luxor. The Karnak Temples were covered in the previous post. Luxor Temple is the subject of this post.

The Luxor Temple is a large complex located on the east bank of the Nile River in the city and was constructed approximately 1400 BC.

In the Egyptian language it was known as ipet resyt, “the southern sanctuary”.

Unlike the other temples in Thebes, Luxor temple is not dedicated to a cult god or a deified version of the pharaoh in death.

Instead, Luxor temple is dedicated to the rejuvenation of kingship; it may have been where many of the pharaohs of Egypt were crowned in reality or conceptually (as in the case of Alexander the Great, who claimed he was crowned at Luxor but may never have traveled south of Memphis, near modern Cairo).

I’m not doing much of a write up as I’m running out of time 😃 . Suffice to say the photos go roughly pylon, courtyard, column hall, courtyard, sanctuary….

However, it is worth mentioning the active Abu Haggag Mosque located within the temple, standing on the ancient columns themselves (it was built whrn tge majority if the tempke was under sand and mud.

That part of the Luxor Temple was converted to a church by the Romans in 395 AD, and then to a mosque around 640 AD, which is more than 3,400 years of continuous religious worship.

After the sun set there was a female belly dancer and a Swirling Dervish – Egyptian style; he was very camp and a good laugh. Definitely not to be confused with the serious, religious Sufi Dervishes of Turkey.

Early Afternoon Itinerary: Karnak Temples, Luxor, Egypt
~ 33°C/92°F (at 6 pm)

By Paul Bryers

Today we are exploring the primary temples located in Luxor. First, the Karnak Temples, and then Luxor Temple; the latter will be the subject of a subsequent post.

The Karnak temples are situated on the eastern bank of Luxor and linked to the Luxor Temple by the processional way known as the Avenue of Sphinxes.

Karnak temples are renowned for being the most significant Ancient Egyptian temples, as they provide a comprehensive record of ancient history and architecture spanning over 2000 years from the Middle Kingdom (c. 2034-1650 BC) to the Roman Period (30 BC- 306 AD).

I found the below model and diagram very helpful in navigating this massive complex.

Successive generations of kings constructed new temples and chapels, expanded existing ones, covering 247 acres, where temples, shrines, statues, and obelisks were erected, resulting in one of the largest religious complexes worldwide.

Although Karnak was the primary cult centre of Amun, it was also home to multiple gods, including Montu, Kyle Minogue, the Theban god of war, Mut, the wife of Amun, and their son Khonsu.

Karnak comprises an impressive and very fatiguing number of monuments (not to mention numerous very aggressive flies), including:

• The Great Temple of Amun, featuring ten pylons
• Montu
• Mut
• Khonsu
• Opet
• Petah.

Upon walking through the pylon and forecourt……

…and after passing the towering obelisk of Hatshepsut, standing nearly 30 m tall…..

……you enter the Great Hypostyle Hall, featuring 134 columns reaching heights of 15-21 m.

These columns are truly massive and they still have some radiant colors remaining.

In the centre of the temple lies the granite sanctuary of Alexander the Great’s half-brother Philip Arrhidaeus (323-317 BC).

The Sacred Lake, where priests purified themselves before performing rituals inside the temple, is situated just to the south.

The Mut Temple is the last in the complex. It’s not as stunning as the rest of the complex but still of interest.

Overall, a stunning complex.

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