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Blog Diary 2007

Articles on Egypt
Sekeds and the Geometry of the Egyptian Pyramids.

Sekeds and the Geometry of the Great Pyramid

Great Pyramid Geometry

The Osirion and the Flower of Life

The Astronomical Alignment of Egyptian Temples.

Mid-Winter Solstice Celebration Holiday 2008

Hatshepsut temple

A fabulous week holiday in Luxor visiting many ancient sites culminating in celebrating the mid-winter solstice at the magnificent temple of Queen Hatshepsut. We will also visit the Osirion in Abydos.

15th - 22nd December: Click here for details.

Sacred Egypt

From the Pharaohs to Christianity

An 16 day trip exploring some of the most significant sacred sites of Ancient Egypt

led by David Furlong and run in conjunction with Eagle Travel

Tuesday 15 January - Wednesday 30 January 2008

Day 1 - 15 Jan	Fly London Cairo. Check into our 5* hotel. Evening sharing and practical information.
Day 2 - 16 Jan	Morning visit to Cairo Museum, with its many treasures including that of Tutankhamun. After lunch at the Hilton hotel we will visit the fascinating churches and museum of Coptic Cairo in the old quarter of the city. In the late afternoon we will fly to Aswan and check into our 5* hotel set on an island in the middle of the Nile. In the evening, there will be an opportunity to visit to the local souk market.
Day 3 - 17 Jan	Morning flight to the fabulous temple of Abu Simbel, built by Ramses II, which was raised to a higher level when lake Nasser was created. On the return trip we will visit the Aswan dam and the ancient granite quarries, containing the unfinished obelisk. After lunch we will cross the Nile to take a camel ride to visit the old abandoned monastery of St Simeon, which lies at the fringe of the desert.
Day 4 - 18 Jan	Checking out early from the hotel we will first visit the temple of Isis at Philae. This cult temple built on an island during the Ptolemaic and Roman times contains many interesting features, which we will see in other temple sites that we will visit. We will then transfer to our Nile cruise boat for lunch. In the afternoon we will enjoy the pleasures of sailing on the Nile in a Felucca. The cruise boats normally set sail in the late afternoon for Kom Ombo. Gliding down this river seeing the many different scenes along the river bank, is a valuable experience. The Nile perceived as an expression of the god Hapy, was the primary source of the fertility of the land and as such was held sacred to the Ancient Egyptians.
Day 5 - 19 Jan	In the morning we will visit the Kom Ombo temple, which is dedicated to the twin gods of Horus (order) and Set (chaos). The ancient Egyptians were aware of the perpetual dance between order and chaos, good and evil. In their eyes these twin forces needed to be propitiated and honoured, which is the principle theme in this temple. In the afternoon we will sail to Edfu.
Day 6 - 20 Jan	Morning visit to Edfu temple dedicated to the god Horus and one of the best preserved in the whole of Egypt. This magnificent temple built on an ancient site was erected in Ptolemaic times. Its many scenes include the titanic struggle between Horus and Set, which was so central to Ancient Egyptian myth and religion. The pharaohs or kings of Egypt were always seen as incarnations of the god Horus, bringing order and regularity to their lands. After visiting the temple we will then sail to Luxor, via the lock at Esna.
Day 7- 21 Jan	Arising early we will cross the Nile by boat before collecting transport for a sunrise visit to the magnificent mortuary temple of Queen Hatshepsut at Deir El Bahari. The temple is aligned to the mid-winter sunrise but we should still be able to experience this event in mid January. We will then visit the famous Valley of the Kings and then to the temple of Ramses III at Medinet Habu, before finally finishing up at the workman’s village and tombs at Deir el Medina. On return we will check into our hotel
Day 8 - 22 Jan	This is a leisure day for visit to the markets, optional trips and for taking a dawn balloon ride over the West Bank, which is a truly memorable experience.
Day 9 - 23 Jan	Rising early we will visit the vast temple complex at Karnak dedicated to the god Amun. Walking through the temple before the main crowds arrive in the half light before dawn is a wonderful experience. The sunrise over the sacred lake is an event not to be missed. In the late afternoon we will see some of the wonderful treasures of Luxor at the museum before visiting the Luxor temple in the evening.
Day 10 - 24 Jan	Checking out from our hotel we next travel overland to visit the temple of the goddess Hathor at Denderah. Like the Edfu temple this is a magnificent well preserved building with a beautiful atmosphere. In the myths Hathor and Horus were married and this event was celebrated twice a year in Ancient Egypt when the cult statues of Horus and Hathor were transported to each others temples for their re-union. There is much to see and experience in this temple, including the famous zodiac and star signs in the temple ceilings. We will then travel north to Abydos to visit the unusual temple of Seti 1 dedicated to the god Osiris. Built in the New Kingdom times around 1300 bc and subsequently added to by Seti’s son Ramses II, the Abydos temple is full of wonder and mystery. Held on its walls are the famous king lists and at the rear lies the mysterious Osirion, with the Flower of Life symbol clearly engraved on two of its columns. The quality of construction of the Osirion is very reminiscent of Old Kingdom work suggesting that the original foundation of this temple, must have dated a thousand years before Seti’s later beautiful building. After the temple visit we will travel to the Coptic White and Red monasteries that lie within a few miles of each other on the western fringes of the desert. Monasticism first started in Egypt on sites associated with the journey of Mary, Joseph and Jesus on their flight into Egypt. On leaving themonasteries we will travel to El Minia and check into our 3* hotel on half board basis.
Day 11 - 25 Jan	We will will first visit Tel El Armana the site of the new city of the sun god Aten, built by the legendary king Akhenaten and his beautiful wife Nefertiti. Akhenaten was responsible for two major revolutions in thinking. The first a form of monotheistic worship focussed on the hidden power of the Sun and the second a naturalistic artistic expression at complete odds with what had gone before. Akhenaten reigned for only seventeen years but some suggest that the legacy he left eventually found its way into the precepts of Moses and the revolution from a multiplicity of gods to just one God. We will also visit the Middle Kingdom rock tombs at Beni Hasan, and the temple site of Tuna El Gabal dedicated to the god Thoth. Overnight accommodation in the town of El Minya.
Day 12 - 26 Jan	Finishing our journey back to Giza we will visit en route the collapsed pyramid of Meidum, built by king Seneferu as an early abortive attempt at pyramid construction. In this case the Egyptian architects and builders got it horribly wrong for the pyramid collapsed prior to its completion leaving its inner core stump. This pyramid was built to the same angle of slope as the Great Pyramid of Seneferu’s son Khufu or Cheops but the failure to tie in the outer core masonry left the monument in a very unstable condition. In arriving back into Cairo we will check into the famous Mena House hotel that sits on the edge of the Giza plateau and has wonderful views of the Great Pyramid.
Day 13 - 27 Jan	In order to understand the construction of the pyramids we need to see the originator of these stone monuments built for King Zoser, by his legendary vizier Imhotep around 2625 bc. This stone monument, the first of its kind, takes the form of a series of steps, when eventually transformed, in later development stages into the classic, smooth facing we recognise today. It is located in an area known as Sakkara or Saqqara, which became the necropolis of one of the early capitals of Egypt known as Memphis. We will also visit the tomb of Mereruka, with its everyday scenes of his life and the 6th Dynasty pyramid of Teti which shows the pyramid texts. After lunch near Sakkara, we will then visit the Red and Bent Pyramids, both of which were built by king Seneferu and show the evolution in pyramid building that was to lead to the erection of the greatest monument of the ancient world; the Great Pyramid of Giza.
Day 14 - 28 Jan	Morning visit to the Giza plateau, where we will first visit and enter the Great Pyramid. We will hopefully have some time in the pyramid to ourselves for meditation and attunements, which for some can be the highlight of their trip. Following our time in the pyramid we will spend time walking across the Giza plateau to enjoy its energies before walking down to visit the Sphinx and the Valley Temple of King Khafre.
Day 15 - 29 Jan	The final day is left for absorbing the experiences of the trip, for leisure and for any optional excursions.
Day 16 - 30 Jan	Return flight Cairo/ London or to other destination.

For further information please write to:
David Furlong or Frida Maria Myrtles, Como Road, Malvern Worcs WR14 2TH
Tel: +44 (0)1684-569105 or +44 (0)777-978-9047
Email: David Furlong

A felucca on the Nile
Felucca on the Nile