EGYPT – NILE RIVER CRUISE

Karnak temple complex - Luxor temple Breakfast. Optional early morning balloon flight over the west coast (available on site). Free time or visit Karnak Temple complex and Luxor Temple (optional excursions package). Karnak is the largest religious complex in the world. It is located 2 km northeast of Luxor. It was known to the ancient Egyptians as Ipet-Isut (the holiest place) and is a city of temples. Its construction began as early as 2000 BC in honour of the triad of deities Amun, Mut and Khonsu. The most extensive building activity was developed by the pharaohs Thutmose, under whom the complex was surrounded by thick defensive walls and large stone gates. During the reign of Pharaoh Ptolemy II, the complex was connected to Thebes and some of the surrounding temples by the Alley of the Sphinxes. There are 3 distinct areas. In the largest is located the temple of Amon Ra. Its dimensions are colossal. The columned hypostyle hall, which consists of 134 massive columns 23 meters high, occupies the central place. There are also several smaller temples and a sacred lake in the complex. Unlike modern churches, mosques and synagogues, this temple was the home of the gods, forbidden to the public. If a mere mortal dared to go inside he was condemned to death. It was a holy shrine inhabited by Amun, the chief God of the ancient Egyptians. Commoners were only allowed into the temple during the annual festival of Opet. The frescoes reveal to us that sacred Egyptian rituals took place in this place. The Luxor temple is dedicated to the god Amun. It is a large ancient Egyptian temple complex located on the east bank of the Nile in a city now known as Luxor, but in ancient times known as Thebes. The credit for its construction goes to Amenhotep III and Ramses II, who sculpted it into six giant statues - two seated and four standing. Behind the pylon is the Great Court of Ramses II. At one end of it is erected the mosque of Abu al-Haggag. Of interest are the 40 columns forming the so-called colonnade of solemn processions. The buildings of the complex are among the best preserved monuments after the Egyptian pyramids. Return of the ship. Lunch and dinner on board. Overnight.

Valley of the Kings - Temple of Hatshepsut - Colossi of Memnon Breakfast. Free time or visit the Valley of the Kings, the Temple of Hatshepsut and the Colossi of Memnon (package "Additional excursions"). The Valley of the Kings in Egypt was part of the ancient city of Thebes and is where almost all the pharaohs of the 18th, 19th and 20th dynasties are buried. Located between the hills of Dair al-Bahri, the 63 tombs are a unique example of perfect planning and decoration. In 1979, the valley was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. The idea of creating the Valley of the Kings came about when the pharaohs of the New Kingdom began hiding their tombs to protect them from desecration. After their deaths, the pharaohs, along with several queens and high-ranking officials, were buried in these tombs located deep underground. Most tombs consisted of long, descending corridors separated by deep shafts to confuse thieves. At the end of the corridor is the burial chamber, which contains a stone sarcophagus for the royal mummy, surrounded by chambers for storing furniture, jewelry, and other items needed in the afterlife. The Temple of Hatshepsut is an impressive structure on three levels with many columns, terraces, surrounded by gardens in the past. The temple is among the best designed structures in Egypt. Hatshepsut was a female pharaoh who during her reign dressed in men's clothes and wore a pharaonic beard. The colossi of Memnon (18 m high) are the only surviving remains of the impressive funerary temple of Pharaoh Amenhotep III. The purpose of the colossi was to guard the entrance to the temple. An earthquake at the beginning of the new era severely damaged one of the colossi and it began to make sounds resembling singing or human speech. The belief that "singing colossi" were good luck spread far and wide in the world of that time. The songs stopped in 199 BC after a restoration commissioned by the Roman emperor Septimius Severus. The name Colossi of Memnon comes from the Greeks. They saw in them an image of the Ethiopian king Memnon, son of Eos, the goddess of the Dawn, who led his armies to the aid of Troy and was killed by Achilles during the Trojan War. Return of the ship. Sailing to Edfu through the locks of Esna. Lunch and dinner on board. Overnight.

Nile cruise - Edfu - Kom Ombo temple Nile cruise - Edfu - Kom Ombo temple Breakfast. The ship docks in Edfu. You have the opportunity to visit the temple of Edfu dedicated to the god Horus (available on site). Next, sail to the Temple of Kom Ombo (optional excursions package), an Egyptian cult complex built in the Hellenistic period and continued to exist in the Roman era, located on the banks of the Nile between Edfu and Aswan. Kom Ombo is unique in that it is actually a complex of two joined temples dedicated to two deities. The right (southern) part of the temple commemorates the god Sobek (Sobek), who has the head of a crocodile and is the god of fertility and creator of the world. The left area (north) of Kom Ombo is dedicated to the god Horus with the head of a falcon (Horus), who is the sun lord of war. His winged image guards against all evils and can be seen above all portals. It is assumed that Kom Ombo was built during the Ptolemaic era between 180-145 BC on the site of older sanctuaries. In mythology, Sobek is associated with the god Set, an enemy of Horus. Sobek's allies managed to escape Horus by shapeshifting into crocodiles. This is why Sobek is a deity with the head of a crocodile. At first the crocodile was considered a demon, feared by the people on the Nile. Its elevation into a cult and deification came in the people's attempt to tame the crocodiles to reduce their danger. Over time, Sobek even became a symbol of fertility in the Nile lands. A visit to the crocodile museum follows. Return to the ship. Sail to Aswan. Lunch and dinner on board. Overnight.

Nile cruise - High Dam in Aswan - Temple of Isis /o. Fillet Breakfast. Early in the morning, visit to the High Dam in Aswan (optional excursions package). The Aswan High Dam is the world's largest embankment built across the Nile at Aswan, between 1960 and 1970. Its importance largely eclipses the previously completed Aswan Dam (the Low Dam), originally completed in 1902. The construction of the High Dam became a key government objective after the Egyptian Revolution of 1952 for its ability to better control flooding, provide increased water storage for irrigation, and generate hydroelectricity. Next, visit the Temple of Isis on the island of Philae (optional excursions package). The island of Philae was the centre of an ancient cult of the goddess Isis during the Ptolemaic dynasty and, as a major cult centre, attracted pilgrims from all over the Mediterranean. The scale of this cult saved the temple complex during the Christian era. After the closure of the temple in 550 AD, Christians converted the main column into a chapel and erected churches on the island, none of which survive today. In 1960, the temple and all of the island's monuments were transported to Agilkia Island with the assistance of UNESCO, to be saved from submersion during the construction of the Aswan High Dam. The Temple of Isis, the small Temple of Hathor and the Pavilion of Trajan have been preserved from the ancient complex. The island can be reached by boat. A majestic view is revealed before the eyes. The temple is of impressive size although in comparison with other Egyptian landmarks it could be considered relatively small. Interestingly, there is a preserved Christian altar in the temple and various Christian symbols can be spotted in several places. In the afternoon you can join an excursion to a traditional Nubian village with the possibility of riding a camel (available on site). You will reach the village by boat and on the spot you will be able to experience the colorful daily life of the locals. You may see crocodiles, which the Nubians revere even after their death, mummified they put them on the front doors to protect them from "evil forces". You will visit a local house where you will be treated to tea, homemade cakes with honey and a spread. If you wish, you can get a henna painting and then at the local school you will be taught a lesson about the Nubian alphabet and all will shout together under the teacher's instruction. Return to the ship. Lunch and dinner on board. Overnight.

Aswan - Abu Simbel Temple Breakfast. Free time or option to visit Abu Simbel Temple (available on site), those who wish will leave early in the morning and receive a dry breakfast package. In 1257 BC, Pharaoh Ramses II carved two temples into the solid rock on the west bank of the Nile to celebrate his victory at the Battle of Kadesh. The temples were discovered in 1817 by the Egyptologist Giovanni Battista Belzoni, who was the first to go inside them. The complex consists of a large and a small temple and an interesting fact about it is that due to the construction of the Nasser Dam from 1964 to 1968, rescue operations were carried out by a UNESCO project and the two temples were dismantled and moved to the plateau 64 m higher than their original location. The facade of the great temple, which is dedicated to the sun-god Ra, is decorated with four colossi bearing the features of Ramses, wearing the double crown of Upper and Lower Egypt. The statues were carved into the rock itself, using its natural slope. Their height is 20 m, making them easily visible even from a greater distance. Near the feet of the large statues can be seen smaller statues of Ramses II's mother, his beloved wife Nefertari and some of their many children. In the inner part of the temple is the sanctuary where there are again 4 statues - Ptah, Amun-Ra, Ramses II and Horus. Incredibly, it is a fact that on October 21 and February 21, the sun's rays penetrate the sanctuary and illuminate only three of the sculptures. That of Ptah, who is the god of the underworld, always remains in the dark. Very close to the Great Temple is the so-called Small Temple or the Temple of Hathor and Nefertari. This is the first temple in the history of Egypt dedicated to a queen, and besides the size of the female statue is the same as that of Ramses, contrary to the custom of statues of women and children being of much smaller size. Return to the ship. Sailing to Edfu. Lunch and dinner on board. Overnight.

Nile cruise - Esna - Luxor Breakfast. Free time for rest. Sailing along the Nile River.
Passing through Esna you will have the opportunity to visit the temple of Khnum (available locally) - dedicated to the god of fertility, dating back to the Roman period.
Its construction began under Emperor Claudius.
Its restoration project began in 2018, unveiling the first fully preserved zodiac on the ceiling.
Despite the popularity of the zodiac in the distant past, its depiction is rare in ancient Egyptian temples.
You'll continue along the river to Luxor by passing through the locks again.
Lunch and dinner on board. Overnight.

Flight to Bulgaria Breakfast. Release of cabins. Transfer to Hurghada airport. Flight back to Sofia.