Soghts

When the rising waters of lake Nasser threatened to engulf one of Egypt’s Greatest treasures, nations joined together and relocated the two great temples at Abu Simbel to higher ground as part of an effort which moved 11 temples to new Egyptian sites and even overseas. (The Temple of Dendar is sheltered in New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art. Spain, Italy, and Holland also took their share of spoils.) At a cost of US$36 million, teams of engineers from five countries painstakingly wrested the temples from the solid rock, breaking them into 3000 pieces weighing between 10 and 40 tons each. The pieces were moved 200m, the temples reconstructed and carefully oriented in their original directions, and in 1968 a hollow mountain was built around the two structures. The temple, the gigantic interior of the structure built to surround the relocated stones, and the expanse of Lake Nasser are sublime monuments to extraordinary human undertakings.

The Great Temple of Abu Simbel is Ramses II’s masterpiece. This energetic, egotistical builder effectively dedicated the temple to himself, although the god Ra-Hurakhti gets lip service. As you proceed through the temple, the artwork depicts Ramses first as great king, then as servant of the gods, next as companion of the gods, and finally, in the inner sanctuary, as a card-carrying deity. The seated Colossi of Ramses, four 20m statues of the king at the front of the great temple, wear both the Old and New Kingdom versions of the crowns of Upper and Lower Egypt. An earthquake in 27 BC crumbled the upper portion of one of the Colossi. Modern engineers were unable to reconstruct the figure, so they left it in its faceless state. The smaller figures standing between Ramses’s legs represent the royal family guarding the royal family jewels. A row of praying baboons adorns the entrance; the ancient Egyptians admired the baboons’ habit of greeting the rising sun. (Zhaqlevi LI, an exception, did not.)

(more…)

Practical Information

Abu Simbel is 274km south of Aswan and 50km from the Sudanese border. An excellent paved road through the desert has opened the way for land vehicles. Every morning an air-conditioned bus leaves from the Aswan station at Sam, making the trip in about three and a half hours and returning in the afternoon. Another bus (alas, not air-conditioned) leaves Aswan at 5pm, leaving you in Abu Simbel for the night (LE12.50 each way). Buy your tickets at the Aswan bus station at least a day in advance; buy your return ticket on the bus on the way back.

The proprietors of Aswan’s El-Amin, Mena, Marwa, Molla, and Nubian Oasis hotels organize taxi tours to Abu Simbel and the High Dam for LE20-25 per person (a little more in high season; entrance fees extra). You will generally leave at 4am and be back in Aswan by l-2pm (your driver may offer to stop at the High Dam on the return trip). The advantage of these tours is that you will arrive early at Abu Simbel when there are fewer tourists and the desert heat is bearable. The cramped taxis, however, can be more uncomfortable than the bus over the long desert haul. You will also be herded into a tour group upon reaching the temple, and will be expected to depart shortly after the tour ends. To explore freely, organize a rebellion of your fellow passengers, risk their hatred by straggling, or set up you own transportation. A private taxi trip arranged on your own will also save a few pounds if you’re in a group of seven.

(more…)

Abu Simbel
The pharaonic monumentality of the Nile Valley peaks at the southernmost end of the Nile in Egypt. Four 22m-tall statues of Ramses II, carved out of a single slab of rock, greet the sunrise over Lake Nasser from the Great Temple of Abu Simbel, Ramses II had this grand sanctuary and the nearby Temple of Hathor built more than 3500 years ago to impress the Nubians with the power and glory of Egyptian rule; Abu Simbel still serves its purpose, leaving no visitor unmoved. For a sneak preview of the site, look at the back of the Egyptian one pound note.

Kalabsha

The enormous Temple of Kalabsha, dramatically situated above the placid waters of Lake Nasser at the top of the High Dam, is one of the most striking pharaonic ruins in the Aswan area. Dedicated to the Nubian god Mandulis, the temple was begun by Amenhotep n, erected primarily during the reign of Augustus, and used as a church during the Christian era. In 1962-3, the West German government paid to have the entire temple dismantled and transported in 13,000 pieces from its Nasser-flooded home to the present site, 50km north of the original. Many Egyptologists consider weil-preserved Kalabsha to be second only to the treasures of Abu Simbel. Slightly out of the way and not well publicized, the temple allows its few visitors a rare chance to explore in the absence of tourists, bazaars, and baksheesh seekers. The temple is located on the west bank of the Nile, just south of the High Dam and 2km past the checkpoint.

The cheapest way to reach Kalabsha Is by taking the train to the eastern end of the High Dam and then either walking or riding to the western side .The most convenient way, however, is by taxi from Aswan. Try bargaining downtoLE15 or LE20 for a large group (more than 5). You can include Kalabsha in an excursion to Philae and the dams (LE30 for a 5-person taxi). Don’t forget that the ‘ dam closes at 5pm. From the western side of the high dam you can walk most of the way to the temple (lkm), passing the abandoned hulls of marooned fishing fleets along the way. Bring plenty of water and cover your head. From about mid-July to mid-August, when the water is at its lowest, you may be able to wade through the muck to the temple. At other times you must get a rowboat for LE5 per person (groups of more than 8, LE3 per person). The rowboat rowers will insist at all times of the year that the temple is on an island and inaccessible by foot. The site is open 7am-6pm but the guard may be so surprised to have visitors that you’ll be allowed to stay later. (Admission LE6. students LF3.)

Food

While no gourmet’s paradise, Luxor serves up better fare than most temple-hugging towns. Its menus are a little longer, its dishes are a little stranger, and its restaurants have a little more charm. Many of Luxor’s affordable culinarias huddle around the train station and to the north of Luxor Temple on Al-Kamak St. Luxor’s best deal for food is the kushari stand on your left as you walk down Al-Mahatta St. from the station (LEI per plate). There is also an excellent ta ‘amiya (falafel) stand on Al-Karnak St. behind Luxor Temple. And be sure to try kibda (liver) sandwiches. The local souk runs parallel to Al-Karnak, beyond the tourist shops.

New Karnak Student Restaurant, next to the hotel of the same name Orange interior. Specializes in tasty omelettes (cheese, chicken, or Spanish, all LE2.5O) and soups (75pt-LE1.50). Drinks 75pt, ice cream 90pt. Open 7:30am-10:30pm.

Salt and Bread, in front of train station. Shisb tawouk (chicken shishkabab) LE7, ^chicken LE6, Wchicfcen LE3. Omelettes LE2.50, veal steaks LE7. Lots of outdoor seating; indoors not as appetizing.
(more…)

Hotel Marsam (tel. 37 24 03), the second building away from the front of the student kiosk. A large porch with ping pong table and view of asab (sugar cane) fields may enhance a stay in this not-quitc-spotless hotel. Doubles LE30 in winter, including breakfast. Lunch or dinner LE8.

Queens Hotel (tel. 717), near Medinat Habu Temple. Simple old manager is a nice break from the slick people of Luxor, and the location next to the temple is breathtaking (go up on the roof and look). LE10 per person. In winter, doubles LE25. Includes breakfast. Generous meals of beef or chicken upon request (LE7).

Abul Kasem Hotel(tel 58 15 90), just before the entrance to Seti Temple. Large, carpeted rooms in a quaint and tranquil setting. Student and group discount. LEI 5 in summer, LE25 in winter. Breakfast and private bath included. Lunch or dinner at the fine adjoining restaurant LEI 0 (in winter and late summer only).

Pharaoh’s Hotel (tel. 702), 100m behind the student kiosk along an unpaved road. The best of the west bank hotels draws you in with a shaded path covered in vines. Clean, classy, and carpeted. Doubles LE60 (for A/C without bath, or fan with bath).

Accommodations on the West Bank

Though most visitors to the area sleep in downtown Luxor on the east bank, staying on the west bank offers incredible wide blue skies, soothing silence, green fields, and a chance to roll out of bed and to the Theban necropolis at the opening bell. Unfortunately, you don’t get quite as much for your money on the west bank, as competition is not as fierce. Prices below are for winter; during the high season you should call ahead before lugging your bags across the river.

When a three-digit number is listed, dial 10 or 25 in Luxor and ask for “west bank number so-and-so.” You can also ring up a west bank operator at 38 25 02 or 38 48 35 and ask for your three or four-digit extension. A taxi to your hotel from the ferry docks (LE2) is the only practical way to get there. For more directions, see West Bank in Sights.

The YMCA Day-Camp, on Al-Karnak St. (tel. 38 24 25) 180m north of the service taxi station, offers a flat, grassy area for tents and caravans. During the summer the grounds are noisy with Egyptians partying until midnight or later (about which time the front gates close), and the litter level is a bit high. You can use the somewhat smelly but hot shower and toilets, and the enclosed camp is guarded 24 hrs. (LE3 per person, LEI.50 for motorcycles, LE5 for cars, LE25 for caravans.) The Rezeiky Camp and Motel (tel. 58 13 34, fax 38 34 47), just before Karnak Temple on Al-Karnak St., has a swimming pool with a Club Med-esque outdoor deck and bar, and a wide variety of rooms ranging from LE10 to LE25 per person (triples with fans LE5 for Let’s Go users), and campgrounds (LE10 per tent).

Abu al-Haggar Hotel, Muhammad Farid St. (tel. 38 29 58), on the corner of Al-Karnak St. Ask for one of the rooms with a droolworthy view of Luxor Temple. Oldish, fairly clean. No kitchen or washing machine. Singles LE20, doubles LE30. Breakfast included.

For those wishing to climb a bit upscale, The Ramoza on Al-Mahatta St., Horus Hotel by Luxor Temple, and Santa Maria on Television St. offer luxurious accommodations with A/C, baths, bars, and full service at rates that are extremely reasonable, especially in the summer (LE25-LE35 per person).

Abu al-Haggar Hotel, Muhammad Farid St. (tel. 38 29 58), on the corner of Al-Karnak St. Ask for one of the rooms with a droolworthy view of Luxor Temple. Oldish, fairly clean. No kitchen or washing machine. Singles LE20, doubles LE30. Breakfast included.

For those wishing to climb a bit upscale, The Ramoza on Al-Mahatta St., Horus Hotel by Luxor Temple, and Santa Maria on Television St. offer luxurious accommodations with A/C, baths, bars, and full service at rates that are extremely reasonable, especially in the summer (LE25-LE35 per person).

Bob Mariey Palace, down Muhammad Farid St. Look for sign near Nour Home. Wend your way through alleys into the tidy sitting room decked out in red, gold, and green. Owner Clay/Marley, a former belly dancer on the Egyptian national team, may treat you in good English to stories of how he got his name(s). Bathroom cleanliness so-so, and crying babies or braying donkeys may provide your lullaby. LE4-5 per person.

New Palace Hotel, Muhammad Farid St. (tel. 37 22 97). At the end of the street away from the river. Follow directions to Oasis Hotel and continue for 150m. Tacky lobby leads to clean, quiet rooms. LE4-5 per person,

Mustafa Hotel, Television St. about 400m south of Salah ad-Din Square (tel. 37 47 21). The best of the “roof gardens,” including pingpong and lovely lawn chairs. Very clean. Singles with bath, towels, and A/C LEI 8. Doubles LE22. 25% price rise in winter. No washing machine. Breakfast included.

Happy Home, near the station on the first street to the left as you walk down Al-Mahatta St., 3rd fir. (tel. 38 58 11). Enjoy the bright and colorful sitting room, cleaner than the bathrooms, under the dazed gaze of Bob Dylan. In winter singles LE5, doubles LE10, slightly cheaper in summer. Laundry LE3.

Oasis Hotel, Muhammad Farid St. (tel. 58 16 99). Take a left out of the train station and another left after 2 blocks. Cleanliness may compensate for cheesy decorations in this darkish place. Singles LE10. Doubles with bath LE15, with A/C LE20. Triples with bath and A/C LE35. Breakfast included.

Moon Valley Hotel, Ash-Shmoos St. From Salah ad-Din St. (tel. 37 57 10), make first right off Television St., slanting onto Al-Medina-Amanawara St. Hotel is 6 blocks down and to the right. Michael Jackson fans should note the pictures of the King of Pop and those of the owner, who fancies himself a look-alike. All rooms have A/C. No washing machine. Doubles LE15, breakfast included.

El Salam Hotel, Al-Mahatta St.(tel. 37 25 17). Of the comparable hotels, offers the biggest rooms, some with a table and two chairs. Shady roof with snazzy multicolored wicker furniture. Single LE5. Double LE7, with bath LE10. Breakfast LE2.

Princess Hotel, off Ahmed Orabi St. (tel. 37 39 97), follow the signs. This is probably the cleanest of the cheap hotels that are bigger than pensions. Double LE10, with bath LE12, with A/C LE15. Triples LE12.

Hotel Roma, off Television St. Rastafarians unite and go to this laid-back place, where a smile in the morning will get you a double breakfast. Young managers Osama and Muhammad, formerly of the Bob Marley Palace, run a clean-enough establishment. LE6 per person, students LE5. Breakfast included.

The Golden Pension, Muhammad Farid St. (tel. 37 22 34), on the 2nd side street to the right as you head south on Al-Manshiya from the train station. Spend the evening hanging out with fellow guests and the owners, a friendly Egyptian-Aus- ^ tralian duo. No Arabs or Israelis allowed. If that tickles your PC bone, more equitable places are nearby. Singles LE7, doubles LE15, both with smallish bathrooms. Breakfast included.

Titi Hotel (tel. 37 60 94), off Television St., 1 block past the bus station and to the right; look for the funky neon-green entry. Feel at home in this family hotel. Laidback and pleasant manager Ahmed promises special discounts for poor guests, so r be sure to bargain. Singles I-E7, doubles LE10. Breakfast LE2.

Fontana Hotel, off Television St. Turn left after the bus station and follow the can’t-miss signs, A comfortable, family-style hotel with huge, extremely clean bathrooms. Towels and toilet paper provided. Doubles LE15, breakfast included. New rooms with baths, balconies, and A/C due by early 1994.

Youth Hostel (HI), 16 Al-Karnak St. (tel. and fax 37 21 39), 200m north of the service taxi station. Halfway between Karnak and Luxor Temples, across from the YMCA camp and down a small street toward the Nile. Far from the center, not as clean as some hotels and pensions, and not cheap. Roomy sitting room and a small garden in front. Free lockers. Lockout 10am-2pm. Curfew 11pm. Dorm beds (no fans) LE5.10. Doubles (with fans) LE16.20. Nonmembers must join for LE24. Breakfast LEI.50.

Accommodations & Camping

Travelers on every sort of budget have many choices in Luxor, hi the slower months, those who come by train will disembark into a crowd of card

Most of the budget hotels are near the train station, lining Al-Mahatta St. and the streets immediately to the north and south. Cheap, comfortable pensions are grouped mostly around Television St., off Salah ad-Din Sq. Prices fluctuate by season; summer is cheapest. Competition is usually fierce, and starving student types can lop some piasters or pounds off almost any price any time of year. At many inexpensive hotels you can sleep on a roof or a terrace for LE2. Listed accommodations all have hot water, fans, and free use of washers and kitchens, unless otherwise noted. Summer rates are listed below, unless noted, and most managers say that prices should not increase more than one or two pounds in winter. You’ll be surprised at how close the budget hotels are to each other, so shop around. The extra half hour of toting your pack may well be worth it.

Police: Off Al-Karnak St., about 200m north of Luxor Temple (tel. 37 23 50).
You can easily get around Luxor by foot, but if you’d rather ride, kalishes (carriages) line the Nile. A ride is good for easy transport of baggage, a pleasant trip out to Kar-nak Temple (LE3), and making that budding romance bloom (LE2 plus commitment). Don’t overburden the poor beasts. Luckless singles can rent a bicycle (LE3-5 for the whole day); Al-Mahatta St. and Television St. have several rental places. Or bargain with a felucca captain for a short cruise up or down the Nile (in summer LE10-20 for an hour trip; more in winter). The cheapest form of transportation in the city are the minibuses (25pt). Flag one down and yell your destination to the driver. The most common route is Al-Karnak St. to Al-Mahatta St. to Television St.

Surprisingly, the most relaxing spot in Luxor is the waterfront. Attractive and elegant, the Luxor comiche is virtually without riverside restaurants and the typical chaos; even the felucca captains are more laid-back than in Aswan.

Hospital: Luxor General Hospital, An-Nil St. (tel. 38 20 25), north of Luxor Museum near the youth hostel, English spoken. Open 24 hrs.

Swimming Pools: The small but pleasant pool at the Luxor Wena Hotel charges LE10 for a swim (open 8am-7pm). You can splash about in the dramatically situated soup at the Novotel for the same price. Egotel, next to the Luxor Wena, reluctantly admits the riff-raff for a wallet-wounding LE25 in summer only. The Emilio Hotel on Yousef Hassan St. is a bargain at LE7. Hotel guests, of course, get in for free-but how can you tell?

Laundry: Several of the accommodations listed below provide use of washing machines, most for free.

24-Hour Pharmacy; Ahsraf (tel. 37 28 34). Walk 400m on Al-Karnak St. from intersection with Al-Mahatta St, until you sec the Modern Shop on one side and a Suzuki dealership on the other. Turn right and then left on the next block.

English Bookstore: Aboudi Bookstore, in the tourist bazaar on An-Nil St. a few doors down from the tourist office. Mainly French (Asterix!), but the occasional Judy Blume, plenty of Naguib Mahfouz, and Time. Open Sat.-Thurs. Sam-lOpm. A small newsstand in the middle of the boulevard in front of the New Winter Palace Hotel sells foreign-language newspapers and magazines.

Service Taxis: off Al-Karnak St., 1 block inland from the Luxor Museum on the Nile. Early morning and late afternoon service taxis leave whenever they fill up, about every 15min., for Qena (lhr., LE2), Esna (45min., LE2), Edfu (lVihr., LE4), Kom Ombo (2-3hr., LE6), and Aswan (3-4hr., LE7). There is also a station on the west bank where the local ferry docks, but departures are less frequent.

Bus Station: Intersection of Al-Karnak and Al-Mahatta St., by the mosque and the Horus Hotel. All buses stop here. To Cairo: 6am (ll-12hr., LE17), 4:30pm (11 12hr., LE21), and 7pm express with A/C (9hr,, LE35). Seats may be available on the A/C bus from Aswan to Cairo which passes through Luxor at 8:30pm. Hourly service 6am-6pm to Esna (lhr., LEI.75), Edfu (l^hr., LE3), Kom Ombo (3hr., LE4.50), and Aswan (4Vihr., LE6). To Qena almost hourly 6am-4:3Opm (V/zhr., LEI.50) and to northern Nile towns hourly 6am-6pm. To Hurghada 6am (LE7.50), 10:30am (LE10.30), 4pm (LE10.30), and A/C bus at 7pm (LE13). No student discounts.

Train Station: At the head of Al-Mahatta St. (Station St.), 0.75km inland from Luxor Temple (tel. 37 20 18). Looks like a temple. Lockers 90pt per day. If you’re returning to Cairo on the unreliable train, make reservations the day you arrive in Luxor. With A/C: 10 per day, 8-12hr.. 2nd class LE22 or LE25, students y^-price. Sleepers to Cairo (3 per day, LE214). To Aswan (3 per day, 4-5hr., 2nd class with A/C LE9.40, students LE7.10). It’s possible to pay a walk-on fee and travei without a guaranteed seat

Airport: 5km northeast of town; no public transportation, so take a taxi (LE10). Served by EgyptAir (tel. 58 05 81), next to the entrance of the Old Winter Palace Hotel. In summer, to Cairo (5-6 per day, lhr., LE281), Aswan (4 per day, LE128), and Hurghada (2 per week, LE128). More flights in winter (15 per day to Cairo). Egypt’s other airline, ZAS Air(tei. 95 59 31, fax 95 59 28), on the opposite side of the entrance to the Old Winter Palace Hotel, serves the same airports for the same prices. Both open daily 8am-8pm.

Telephones: Next to EgyptAir, in front of the Old Winter Palace Hotel on An-Nil St., and in train station. Open 8am-10pm. Central Telephone Office is off Al-Karnak St. directly behind the Savoy Hotel. International and domestic calls (to Cairo LEI minimum). Open 24 hrs. More expensive service at luxury hotels along the Nik, including the Savoy and ETAP (to Cairo LE2). Telegrams can be sent from the main post office or telephone offices, above. Telephone information: Call 16. Telephone code: 095.

Post Office: Poste Restante and express mail on Al-Mahatta St., 50m east of Al-Karnak St. Another branch in the bazaar near the tourist office. Both open Sun.-Thurs. 8am-2pm. Third branch in train station open 8am-8pm.

Thomas Cook: Winter Palace Hotel (tel. 38 21 96, fax 38 65 02). Full service. A Thomas Cook Bureau de Change is at Luxor Airport (tel. 37 46 55).

American Express: Old Winter Palace Hotel on An-Nil St. (tel. 55 13 01 or 37 28 62), south of Luxor Temple. Holds mail. Travelers Cheques sold to cardholders. Will wire money or send mail through Cairo office. Exchanges money and Cheques. Open daily 8am-8pm, sometimes later.

Currency Exchange: Most luxury hotels will change money between Sam and 10pm. Or try one of the smaller non-bank exchange places, for example the “Bank Exchange” on Al-Karnak St. across from the bus station (open 8am-2pm and 5-8pm). BanqueMisr, Nefertiti St., lkm north of Luxor Temple, off Al-Karnak St. Open Sun.-Thurs. 8:30am-9pm, Fri. 8;3O-l lam, 2-9pm. Bank of Alexandria: Al-Karnak St., just north of intersection with Nefertiti St. Open daily 8:30am-2pm, additional currency exchange hours 6-9pm (winter 5-8pm). New branch on the corniche open Sun.-Thurs. 8:30am-2pm, Ramadan 10am-l :30pm. National Bank of Egypt, An-Nil St., 50m south of Old Winter Palace Hotel. Open daily 8:30am-2pm and 6-9pm (in winter 5-8pm). Banque du Caire, Salah ad-Din St., just east of Television St. Open Sat.-Thurs. 8:30am-2pm and 6-9pm (winter 5-8pm). Bazar Radwan, in the tourist market south of Luxor Temple on the corner of Al-Karnak St. and Muhammad Farid St.. changes money daily lOam-lOpm.

Passport Office: An-Nil St. (tel. 37 23 18), about lkm south of the Novotel, by the sign for Mandera Restaurant. Passport registration and visa extensions available in the foreigners office. Open daily 8am-2pm and 6-9pm. Visa business 8am-2pm only. During Ramadan 10anv2pm and 8pm-10pm., visas Sat.-Thurs. 10am-2pm.

Tourist Police: An-Nil St. (tel. 38 66 20), in the tourist bazaar. Also in train station (tel. 38 21 20). Both open 24 hrs.

Tourist Office: At the front of the tourist bazaar next to the New Winter Palace Hotel, just south of Luxor Temple on the Nile (tel. 37 22 15). Open daily (including Ramadan) 8am-10pm; in winter 8am-8pm. Branch at train station (tel. 38 21 20), open Gam-midnight, maybe later. Another branch in airport. Staff can provide an official price list of services and outings in Luxor. Maps of all cities (of interest to tourists) in Egypt occasionally available. Generally, little information that you couldn’t get from your hotel lobby.

Orientation & Practical Information

The town of Luxor is located along the eastern bank of the Nile, 670km upstream from Cairo and 220km downstream from Aswan. Surrounded by a heavily cultivated floodplain, Luxor is an agricultural center, with a weekly souk (vegetable market) on Tuesdays. The nearby village of Al-Habal holds a weekly camel market, also on Tuesdays. Luxor Temple is on the Nile at the center of town; the train station is 750m inland on the eastern edge of Luxor; and Karnak Temple is 3km northeast of the first two at the northern fringe of town. Although there are only a few street signs in town, finding your way around Luxor is easy as long as you know the three main thoroughfares: Al-Mahatta Street (Station St.) runs perpendicular to the Nile; An-Nil Street runs along it; and Al-Karnak Street runs parallel to An-Nil.

Luxor

Built on the site of Thebes, capital of united Egypt during the New Kingdom (18th-20th dynasties, 1555-1070 BC), Luxor is home to several august monuments. Within the town, the Temples of Karnak and Luxor awe even ruins-jaded travelers with their fusillades of gateways and forests of gigantic columns. Luxor’s historic and artistic wealth spills to the other side of the Nile, where fabulous tombs dot the The-ban plain on the Nile’s west bank. In the barren Valley of the Kings, pharaohs such as Tutankhamon achieved the immortality they sought: though their methods may have railed, the international fame of their exquisite tombs lives on millennia later. Luxor is also a good base for daytrips to the antiquities at Abydos, Dendera, Edfu, and Esna.

Luxor’s relationship with its illustrious past is more parasitic than reverent. The tourism industry here has created a society of single-minded hawkers and hoteliers, kalish chauffeurs and kabah chefs. Be careful where you place your trust; always know where you’re going and what you’re doing before you find yourself on a donkey ride to Luxor Temple, with stops at the city’s finest eating establishments and perfume shops. In any event, Luxor’s dependence on tourism makes it a buyer’s market, particularly during the slow summer season. Budget travelers luxuriate in Luxor; a few dollars per day can buy accommodations, food, and access to unforgettable sights,

Sights

Ifyou’re in Qena for more than an hour, head north to the Nile, about lkm from the main square. The view is spectacular, especially at sunset.

An interesting excursion is to Naqada (na-GA-da), about 30 minutes south of Qena by taxi, where during the fin-de-siede a monk built the Pigeon Palace. This array of brick, mortar pots, and ceramic is home to lO.O(K) pigeons. The birds are about 200m west of the road through Naqada in the midst of the green fields. (LE2 by service taxi from Qena or West Thebes.) Upon crossing the Western Desert, the weary pigeons park here for food, shelter, and the opportunity to be slaughtered. The caretakers will show you around and then bid you good-bye with outstretched palms.

But it’s the remarkably well-preserved remains at Dendera mat you came to see here. Plan to spend at least two hours at this site, as there are stairs to climb, storage spaces to probe, and plenty of wandering around to be done. The Temple of Hathor is one of the few temples where the second floor remains intact; a lenient guide will let you climb to the very top and survey your surroundings.

Accommodations & Food

If at all possible, don’t spend the night in Qena. Luxor, with its array of cheap, comfortable hotels, is only an hour away. If you must stay in Qena, the Hotel Dendera or Happy Land Hotel (tel. 32 23 30) is a I0-minute ride out of town near the Dendera Temple (see directions under Sights below). The hotel’s proximity to the temple and a well-kept public garden, as well as its shady patio and villa-esque layout, make it a wonderful place to stay, at least in theory. In practice, you’ll have to contend with the lizards, bedbugs, dust, and frequent water and electricity shortages. Rooms with fans LE15 per person, with bath LE20. For those who insist on staying in Qena, try the grotty New Palace Hotel (tel. 32 25 09), across from the train station behind the Mobil gas station (no English sign-look for the building that looks like a hotel). Rooms with baths also have fans. (Singles with bath LE10. Doubles LE8, with bath LE15.)

Restaurants in Qena lie mainly near the main square, on the street which begins at the train station. Al-Prince Restaurant will try to charge you tourist prices for its kushari (LEI.50, 50pt for Egyptians; beer LE4.50). Further up the road, past the square, is a new and quite clean restaurant. Look for the picture of the smiling chef and the chicken rotisserie in front (lkg of kabah LE22, kufta LE18, breaded and fried veal escalope LE5). Qena’s produce souk begins with tomatoes and melons near Hamdi Restaurant and runs east for 400m, ending with bunnies, pigeons, and other forms of meat.

Practical Information

To reach the banks in Qena, turn right from the main square on Al-Goumhouriya St. (500m west of the train station). The Banque du Caire is 100m down the street on the west side, the Bank of Alexandria 300m farther just past the mosques. (Both open daily 8am-2pm and 6pm-9pm.) To get to the post office, go from the train station to the main square, make a left, and walk 100m. (Open Sat.-Thurs. 8am-2:30pm.) The telephone office is on your left as you walk west under the aquamarine archway from the main square (open 24 hrs). Another office in the train station only places calls within Egypt. The telephone code is 096-There is a police office in the train station (tel. 32 52 84). The main office is just behind the bus station.

Each of Qena’s important transit centers is in a different part of town. The best way to get from one train, bus, or taxi terminal to another is to hail a horse carriage (LEl-1.50for 1-3 people, with bargaining. Don’t abuse the horse by cramming more than 3 people in the carriage). The train station is located at the intersection of Al-Mahatta St. and Al-Coumhouriya St. There are ten trains daily to Cairo (llhr., 2nd-classA/CLE2O.5O, students Hi-price) and ten trains daily to Luxor (2hr., 2nd-class A/ C LE5.60, students LE3-5O). You can reach the bus station by walking forward out of the train station (down Al-Goumhouriya) until you reach a large square (500m). Turn right and continue past the mosques; the station will be on the left. Buses are often slow and crowded. Buses to Hurghada run at least every hour in the morning, more often in the evening (3 hr., LE5-10, make reservations). Buses to Luxor run every hour (LEI.50), and there is generally frequent service to Dendera as well (20pt).
(more…)

Qena & Dendera

Qena, the provincial capital of the region that includes Luxor, is a relatively attractive town. However, unless you are en route to or from the nearby temple at Dendera (8km to the northwest) or on your way to Hurghada, there isn’t much reason to come here. The hotels are hazardous to your health, while the paucity of tourist facilities and the absence of any sights or English signs almost beg foreigners to move on.

Sights

Seth, Osiris, and Isis, the story goes, were siblings. When Isis chose to marry Osiris, a jealous Seth cut his brother into little pieces and left Isis to chase the limbs across Egypt and build temples wherever she found a piece of her beloved brother/husband. (The reincarnated Osiris and Isis would later beget Horus, the falcon-god, who would kill his uncle Seth. Sheesh.) Abydos is where the mutilated brother’s head allegedly landed; it became the site for the cult of Osiris, where the incestuous myth was once reenacted annually, including a simulation of Osiris’s death and dismemberment. (The temple at Dendera also depicts this story, as well as Osiris’s ascension to heaven.)

The Temple of Osiris, built by Seti I, has been partially reconstructed. Its echoing rooms and huge columns compose one of the most impressive sights in Middle Egypt. Three of the original seven doors remain to the Portico of Twelve Pillars, which guarded the entrance into the temple proper. The central doorway leads to the first hypostyle ball, lined with 24 colossal papyriform columns. This grandiose entrance gives way to the second hypostyle hall, which contains some of the finest bas-reliefs ever carved in Egypt. At the for left corner of the second hypostyle hall a long, narrow corridor known as the Gallery of the Kings leads toward the southeast. This simple passage houses one of Egyptology’s most treasured finds, the Kings’ List, which mentions the names of 76 Egyptian rulers from Menes of Memphis to Seti I, although it is missing a few. Correlating this list with prior knowledge, scholars were able to pinpoint the sequence of the Egyptian dynasties.
(more…)

Practical Information, Accommodations, & Food

The streets lead ing up to the temple at Abydos are lined with all the tourist conveniences, including cafes, a bank, and a photo shop. Since there are virtually no accommodations in the area, most people visit Abydos as a long daytrip from Luxor (IX4O-75 for a private taxi in combination with Dendera Temple). You can also stop en route between Luxor and points farther north. The closest town to the ruins is Balyana, 7km away on the main north-south rail line and relatively accessible.

Five of the ten daily Cairo-Luxor trains stop at Balyana. From Luxor it’s much faster to go by service taxi to Qena (LE2) and change for Balyana (LE5). Another strategy is to stay in Sohag, the nearest city, and come to Balyana by service taxi (LEI.50). The service taxi station in Balyana is one block east of the railway station. From here or from the junction of the north-south road and the Abydos-Balyana road you can catch a service taxi to Abydos (75pt). An infrequent and crowded bus runs from Abydos to Balyana (15pt). The correct fare for a private taxi to Abydos is LE4 each way, though it can require some hard bargaining.
(more…)

Abydos

The ancient city of Abydos was the site of a necropolis and temple dedicated to the god Khenti-Amentiu. Pharaohs from the first dynasty onward chose to be buried at the site and eventually corpses from all over Egypt were interred at this necropolis par excellence. Never one to rest on his laurels, Osiris, god of the Nile, subtly co-opted Abydos and the worshipers of Khenti-Amentiu during the 6th dynasty. Abydos has all but vanished, save the imposing Temple of Osiris built by the 19th-dynasty Pharaoh Seti I. Though not as imposing as its stupendous first cousins at Luxor and Karnak, the temple is the greatest work of the New Kingdom, noted for its delicately painted murals and magnificent bas-reliefs.

Sights

About 10km northwest of Sohag on the edge of the desert are two of the finest Coptic monuments in Upper Egypt. Deir Amba Shenouda, or the Monastery of St. Shenouda, is also known as the White Monastery after the color of its limestone blocks, many of which originally belonged to a pharaonic temple and feature hieroglyphic inscriptions. The monastery was founded in 400 AD by St. Shenoudi. Much of the nave has been destroyed by earthquake, but a small church occupies the apse. Remove your shoes upon entering the carpeted church within the monastery complex.

You’ll be greeted by a seated Jesus, balancing an eroded globe in his right hand and a Bible in his left. The monastery is especially worth visiting between Jury 5 and August 5, when hordes of Coptic pilgrims descend upon it. During this period, the monastery becomes a living flea market, especially on Thursdays and Fridays. The pilgrims sprint down the steep slopes of the nearby hills, and childless women wrapped in sacks roll down the hills in hopes of obtaining a divine fertility boost. During the pilgrimage period you can visit Deir Amba Shenouda sites from Sohag by minibus for 25pt; at other times, catch a service taxi.
(more…)

Accommodations & Food

The three hotels in Sohag stand in a row across from the train station at the heart of the town’s boisterous mosque scene. With your back to the station, the hotels are, from left to right, the Al-Salaam, the Ramses, and the Andalos. Andalos Hotel (tel. 32 43 28) is perhaps the cleanest of the three, though the bathrooms could be cleaner and you may have to share with a cockroach. Hot water, very loud fans, and rooms with locks. English spoken. Singles LE7, with bath LE9- Doubles LE10.50, with bath LE14.75, with A/C LE23. Breakfast included. Al-Salaam Hotel (tel. 32 33 17) promises A/C in 1994; for now, fans will do. Singles LE5, with bath LE10. Doubles LE8, with bath LE10.

The Ramses Hotel (tel. 32 23 13), marked by a picture of a ship above the door, is cleaner than it looks from the outside. Singles LE5. There is also the tough-to-find and less-than-spotless Youth Hostel (HI) at 5 Port Said St. (tel. 32 43 95). Take a right out of the train station and walk until you reach a square; cross the train tracks, turn right twice, and look on the right. If you’re lost, ask for belt ash-shabab. Grimy bathrooms. Five to a room with fan. Kitchen facilities available. Lockout 10am-2pm. lpm curfew. LE3.10. There are a few kushari places, and Ash-Shalaby restaurant near the train station serves fatty meat in gravy with salad, rice and bread for LE4. Cross the Nile for more upscale environs and tastier meals.

Practical Information

The local Bank al-Misr is on the corniche. Turn left out of the train station, left again at the market square, and cross the train tracks. The bank is on your right. (Open Mon.-Thurs. 8:30am-2pm. Additional exchange hours Fri. 6-9prri and Sat. lOam-lpm and 6-9pm.) The post office is on Nile St.; go left from the station past the mosque and head left to the end of the street. The tele phone office inside the train station (open 24 hrs.) is good only for domestic calls; for international calls, go to the telephone office across the street from the police station. The telephone code is 093. On the other side of the bridge by the mosque, in the building shaped like an inverted pyramid, sits the police station (tel. 122). The hospital (tel. 33 20 07) lies just across from the bus station; for an ambulance call 33 30 78.

You’ll find the usual Nilonic plenitude” of transportation in Sohag. The train station is in the center of town in the middle of Al-Mahatta St. Frequent trains head both north and south. The train to Luxor takes four hours and costs LE9.20 in air-conditioned second class (students LE7). The bus station lies 300m south of the train station. Buses leave frequently, especially in the morning, to Assyut (2hr., LE3), Qena (3hr., LE3), and Al-Balyana, near the ruins of Abydos. Northbound service taxis can be found in a square 200m north of the train station on Al-Mahatta St. (to Assyut 90min., LE3-5O). Southbound service taxis stop by the bus station and depart every 20 minutes in the morning to Qena (LE5) and Al-Balyana (lhr., LEI.50), where you can connect with a service taxi to Abydos for 75pt. Local taxis leave from 200m west of the bus station to Deir Amba Shenouda (50pt), or you can hire a private taxi to the sights for LE10 round-trip.

Sohag

As of now, Sohag is a center for agriculture, not tourism. It is situated on the west side of the NUe, 467km south of Cairo, 92km south of Assyut, and 204km north of Luxor. Despite its proximity to Abydos and the abundance of old cars which make its streets a living automotive museum, relatively few tourists have heard of Sohag. Locals advertise a soon-to-be-built archeological museum, which would lead to improvements in tourist facilities; meanwhile, a magnificent, newly discovered Pharaonic statue in the neighboring town of Akhmim, and the nearby monasteries of Deir Amba Shenouda and Deir Amba Bishai merit a short visit to this town.

Sights Outside the city, there are several groups of ancient tombs as well as a couple of historic Coptic monasteries, the most interesting and accessible of which being Deir al-Muharrak (the burnt monastery). Bishop Bakhomous built a monas-terv here in the 4th century at the legendary refuge of the Holy Family during their whirlwind tour through Egypt. The Church of Elazraq is the oldest church in Upper Egypt and was constructed in fulfillment of an Old Testament prophecy about a church in the geographic center of Egypt.

The adjacent Church of St. George contains more icons of the Holy Family and star-studded Coptic saints. Next to two churches is a four-story tower accessible (when open) only by a drawbridge, built to provide refuge for the monks during the 5th century. Father Athanisos al-Moharragi will show you around, answer your questions, and practice his best monastic English. To get to Deir al-Muharrak, take a service taxi south to AI-Qusiya (LEI .50) from outside the Assyut train station, then another service taxi up to the monastery
Felucca fanatics might venture out to Banana Island, across the river from the city (50pt by felucca ferry). If you choose to meander on foot, you’ll find the Nile bank of Assyut long and leafy, with a view of the British-built Assyut Barrages to the north.

Accommodations & Food Set amidst trees and playgrounds, the YMCA (tel. 32 32 18) offers two types of accommodation. Relatively spartan but clean doubles with refrigerators go for LE8 (singles LE6). But the large carpeted rooms with A/ C, color TV, and private bath make this place perhaps the best deal in Egypt. (Deluxe doubles LE20. Deluxe singles LEI 5.) The staff is sometimes elusive, so try to make it as clear as possible what it is that you want to whomever you see.

To get to the YMCA, turn right (north) from the train station after 200m; turn right and walk beneath the underpass, past a mosque and a church, and you’ll see the entrance on your left (after another 150m). Just before the underpass, the Windsor Hotel has bearable large rooms. (Doubles with bath LE4.5O.) A bit closer to transportation, the Al-Haramein Hotel (tel. 32 04 26) is one block east of the train station on the road to the Nile (Al-HilaU St.), but it’s not always easy to get a room here. (Clean rooms.

Practical Information

The post office is on the street to the right of Hotel Assiout de Tourisme. Adjacent to the train station is the telephone office (open 24 hrs.). The telephone code is 088. The Bank of Alexandria, along with a number of other banks, is on the same street in a square 200m west of the train station and will change traveler’s checks. (Open Sun.-Thurs. 8:30am-2pm, additional exchange hours Sun. 6-9pm and Wed. 5-8pm.) If trouble strikes, the police station is located on the Nile, 100m south of Al-Hilali St., the main street fust south of the train station (tel. 32 25 62 or 122). Assyut University Hospital on University St. is probably the best local medical facility (tel. 32 20 16). Phone 123 in case of medical emergency.

All transportation connects to and from the main square in front of the train station. More than a dozen trains per day travel to Cairo (7hr.. 2nd class A/C LE13). Eight southbound trains shuttle to Luxor (A/C, 7hr., LEU.50), four of which continue to Aswan (12hr.. LE16). Buses are more convenient to the closer cities; the bus station lies just south of the train station. Buses, some of which originate in Cairo, p;iss through Assyut en route to Kharga Oasis (7 per day, 4-5hr., LE6.75). and the 7am bus continues on to Dakhla Oasis (8hr.( LEI 1). Unfortunately, not all buses stop in the city center every day. A surer way to reach Kharga is to grab a service taxi from the stand 100m south of the train station (LE8). The wait shouldn’t be more than an hour or two. Service taxis also provide convenient, though perilous, transportation to other Nile cities. Stands for various destinations spread out to the west and south of the train station.

Assyut

In recent years Assyut has become the hub of fundamentalist Islamic activity in Egypt, often serving as an arena for violent collisions between Egyptian security forces and militant Muslims. If times are tense, as in summer 1993. you may want to drop .Assyut from your itinerary; follow the news and check with your consulate beforehand.

Assyut’s most famous native son, the 3rd-century philosopher Plotinus, once remarked that “every beautiful vision requires an eye that is able to see it.” The eye that truly appreciates the beauty of Assyut has been trained in the tourist camps of Luxor and Aswan; when you become afraid your own reflection will try to sell you a souvenir, you are ready to come to Assyut.
(more…)

The Tomb of Pentu (#5), chief physician to the royal family, has been badly damaged, as has the Tomb of Panhesy (#6), lkm to the south. Panhesy was the Servant of Aton, observer of granaries and herds, and chancellor of Lower Egypt. His tomb was converted into a church by early Christians, but its original decorative carvings survive in reasonable condition, as does a staircase that leads nowhere, A tiny carving of a pigeon-toed ancient adorns the wall beside the door, to the right.

On the way back to the Nile shore, the tractor-bus will make a detour, if you so desire, to the remains of the Royal Palace of Akhnaton and Nefertiti. The only things uncovered by the excavations of royal rubble are the locations of streets, but a helpful guide may point out the pool where Nefertiti was known to bathe in the buff.

If you make it to die southern tombs, two are worth touring. The Tomb of Mahu (#9), Akhnaton’s chief of police, contains several levels of chambers, connected by a winding stairway and adorned with various scenes of the deceased with royal personages. The striking Tomb of Ay (#25) was constructed for a man of many trades; Ay was the king’s secretary, Queen Nefertiti’s nurse, and later, Tutankhamon’s successor. Although Ay abandoned his designs here to excavate a more elaborate tomb for himself in the Valley of the Kings at Thebes, the structure was intended to be the finest in the necropolis at Tel al-Amama. The wall inside the imposing hypostyle hall entrance is covered with scenes depicting the bustling street life of the ancient city, complete with soldiers, visiting officials, and dancing women. On the way south, you’ll pass the insubstantial ruins of Akhnaton’s city, all but leveled by reactionaries after his death (at about the time of Tutankhamon).

Tomb of Meri-Re (#4), the high priest of Aton, is the largest and best preserved of the group, retaining vibrant colors. Plans of the temples and palaces of Akhnaton adorn the walls of the tomb’s hypostyle hall, enabling Egyptologists to deduce the appearance of the ancient city’s official buildings. One wall of the tomb features two ornately decorated chariots under the solar symbol of Aton. The famous profile of Nefertiti is identifiable in several places, but has been marred by thieves. Her famous bust-with-crown was discovered here, but kept hidden by its German discoverers for years and then taken to the Berlin Maseum. The musicians, to the left of the entrance, are blind, as were all who entertained this most beautiful of women.

Tomb of Huye (#1) was constructed for the superintendent of the royal harem and steward to the queen mother, Tiy. Its decorative reliefs depict King Akhnaton with his family and closest friends. Look for the small depiction of a sculptor at work in the lower right-hand comer of the far wall, to the right of the doorway.

On the entrance walls of the Tomb of Ahmose (#3), the deceased can be seen worshiping the sun. Ahmose was royal fan-bearer to Akhnaton, and is most often depicted praying in his official costume, carrying a fan and an axe. This tomb offers a glimpse of the artistic process. A large sketch of king with chariot graces the left side of this uncompleted tomb. Because of the city’s abrupt end, the tomb was left unfinished and the sketch never carved (nor was the floor smoothed out).

Tel al-Amarna, take one of the local pickup trucks from the depot south of the Mallawi train station (25pt). The trucks leave from the parking lot at the end of the bridge crossing into town; make it clear that you want the village of Tel al-Amarna. If tourists are sparse, however, you may have to break up the trip, stopping in Deir Mous. Locals will help out, but be prepared for waits and rides in crowded pick-up trucks. Bring pens and barrettes for the sociable local children of the agricultural communities you pass. You’ll be dropped off at the bank of the Nile. From there take a ferry, which will drop you off by the site office, where you’ll pay LE7, including round-trip on the ferry and transportation to and from the site on a tractor-pulled bus. At the site there is another charge (LE6, students LE3, for photography permission LE5 per tomb. Site open daily 6am-4pm). Bring a filing cabinet for all the tickets.

There are two groups of tombs. Of the six in the northern group, #3, 4, and 6 are most worthy of a visit. A few of the southern tombs are interesting, but in order to reach them you must return to the village and pay LEI 5 for the 14km excursion. Visits to tombs #1-6 are included in the northern tour, but if you’re not insistent you’ll be shown only #3-5 as the others are a bit out of the way. If the lights in the tombs are out of order, the guides have a nifty foil apparatus which illuminates the tomb walls with sunlight. It’s not a bad idea, however, to bring a flashlight.

Once inside, you will immediately notice the pervasive vandalism. The faces of Akhnaton and Nefertiti and the symbol of Aton were favorite targets of Amun, Akhnaton’s successor.

Tel al-Amarna

Less than overwhelming in external appearance, Tel al-Amarna is in fact one of the most intriguing of the Pharaonic ruins, both for its history and for its art. The founder of the city, King Akhnaton, was a maverick who fled Thebes to found a monotheistic cult dedicated to the sun god Aton after the local religious powers resisted his innovations. The new capital of Akhnaton was decorated with countless representations of Aton. The sun god was usually depicted as a brilliant sun disk whose rays terminated in outstretched palms, often holding an ankb, a circle-topped cross symbolizing eternal life. The legacy7 of these decorative efforts is not exclusively religious; Akhnaton’s artists created the naturalistic Amarna style of art and made Nefertiti, Akhnaton’s wife, a timeless symbol of beauty.

Akhnaton followed his children and Nefertiti to the grave at the age of 35, and conservative political forces quickly stepped in. With Akhnaton’s new city razed, the capital was returned to Thebes and Tel al-Amarna was declared unhallowed ground. The taboo helped preserve the remains of Akhnaton’s home, since no liter civilization would build over the home of this heretic. Unfortunately, later communities also vandalized the tomb out of spite, leaving a largely ruined site for today’s visitors. The necropolis of Tel al-Amarna, 12km south of Mallawi on the eastern bank of the Nile, houses several rock-hewn tombs from Akhnaton’s reign.

Hermopolis & Tuna al-Gabal

The appeal of these two sites lies chiefly in the peculiar history and myth that surround them, not in the ruins themselves. In one ancient Egyptian creation story, the sun god sprang from a cosmic egg on the hillock at the ancient capital of Hermopolis, 10km northwest of Mallawi. 12 km farther west, isolated in an arid plain at the foot of the Western Desert hills, lie the ruins at Tuna al-Gabal.

This necropolis features a bizarre collection of funerary remains, including an enormous underground burial area where thousands of sacred baboons and ibises were mummified and interred. Egyptologists suspect that Tuna al-Gabal served as the Hermopolitan cemetery. The two can be visited in a single trip, but unfortunately, public transportation won’t take you all the way to either site. You should be able to persuade the driver of a taxi to do the entire route in a half-day excursion from Mallawi for LE20, a good deal for groups. More frugal and patient travelers may be able to make the journey in short hops via pick-up trucks, taxis, and even police vans, but will be bone-weary.

The Tomb of Khumhotep (#3) was constructed for a most prestigious official, the ruler of the province of Antelope and governor of the Eastern Desert. The base of one 16-sided proto-Doric column remains, and the ceiling is constructed as a triple vault. On the walls, Khumhotep inspects the various activities of his province, including the arrival of the Semitic Amo tribe from Syria. The copious green hieroglyphics outline the history of Khumhotep’s family along the bottom of the walls. The tomb features extraordinarily rich colors, especially in an image of Khumhotep with two speared fish on the rear wall.

In the neighboring Tomb of Amenemhat (#2), a checkerboard pattern covers the vaulted ceiling, while the upper walls display still more grappling wrestlers and fighting soldiers. Four 16-sided proto-Doric columns remain standing and a badly damaged statue of Amenemhat with his wife and mother rests at the rear of the tomb chamber.

Beni Hassan

The rushing waters of an angry mountain stream apparently destroyed the ancient village of Beni Hassan, but the neighboring necropolis, housing 39 pharaonic rock tombs, remains one of the finest Middle Kingdom sites in Upper Egypt. These apartments for the afterlife, dating from the 11th and 12th dynasties (2000-1800 BC), have colorful wall paintings that retain a touch of their original vibrancy, despite the effects of four millennia of earthquakes and vandalism.

From either Minya or Mallawi, take a pick-up truck to the sizable village of Abu Qurqas (50pt). Next to the bridge spanning the canal in the center of town you’ll see a sign indicating the road to the antiquities. Cross over the bridge and railroad tracks, then either walk the 3km east to the Nile bank or take a covered pickup truck (25pt). From the government office at the riverside, you can buy a ticket for transportation to the site (LE3, 6 or more LE2 each), including boat fare across the Nile and a minibus from the dock on the far side to the tombs, 500m inland.

Gabal at-Tair & Tehna al-Gabal

Gabal at-Tair is a monastery above a cave in which Jesus and Mary supposedly hid for three days while fleeing Egypt. Empress Helena, mother of Constantine, had the cloister constructed in 328 AD. The monastery is currently the site of a modern prayer festival; in late May, about 40,000 Copts come to worship at Gabal at-Tair. Tehna al-Gabal is a nearby array of ruins from Old Kingdom and Roman times. The two sites are a workable daytrip from Minya.

To reach Gabal at-Tair, take a service taxi to the village of Samalut from the stop just south of the train station in Minya (20km, 60pt). Get off at the canal bridge in Samalut and take a pickup truck-taxi east to the Nile (25pt); cross the Nile by ferry (LEI). Another pickup can take you from the quarry on the eastern bank up to the monastery (LEI). Find someone to open the church.

Near Minya & Mallawi

logical museum in Mallawi houses artifacts unearthed at the local sites. To get there, follow Al-Galah St. from Bank al-Misr for three and a half blocks. The museum is on the left. (Open Sat-Tues. and Thurs. 9am-4pm, Fit 9-1 lam, Admission LE3, students 50pt.) Other local points of interest demand more effort. Beni Hassan offers the most striking remains, with Tel al-Amarna running a close second. Tuna al-Gabal and nearby Hermopolis (Ashminein) showcase a touch of the bizarre. Leave at least a half-day for each site, and carry small bills, water, a hat, a flashlight, and plenty of film.

You might want to look into hiring a driver from either city. The LE50-90 per car may well be worth it, especially for groups of three. With a driver, you can fit two or three sights comfortably into a day; otherwise, even one is a stretch. Self-appointed tourism guru Joseph (hangs out in the Savoy Restaurant; chances are he’ll find you first) will set up a day-long trip to Tel Amarna, Beni Hassan, and Hermopolis for LEI 5, if there are enough tourists in town to fill a minibus or station-wagon taxi. You are still responsible for entrance fees and baksheesh. Of the major sights in the region, Beni Hassan is the most easily reached by public transportation, which also offers a chance to meet Egyptians. For evening relaxation, take either a hantour (a light carriage) across the bridge or a ferry to Minya’s public gardens (further away than they appear), offering greener}’ and gazebos as well as steps to the Nile. But swim at your own risk.

Getting there can be half the fun, but it’s certainly more than half the trouble. The most easily accessed of the local sights is perhaps the least interesting.

Mallawi has only one hotel, the Semiramis Hotel and Restaurant (tel. 65 29 55), on the western bank of the canal just north of the train station. Hotels in Minya are much more enticing, as the Semiramis is not particularly clean and lacks fans, A/C, hot water, and private bathrooms. The restaurant serves a half-chicken or quarter-kilo of beef with vegetables, rice, dessert, and drink (LE12). Restaurant El Huria, further north along the canal, has a less pleasant setting though it is cooled by several fans and serves meals similar to those at Semiramis for about half the price. You may prefer to stay comfortably in Minya and commute to the sites.

Minya’s Restaurants offer the usual kufta, kahab, and chicken, with a smattering of knshari, find, mdfalafel places. Top floor restaurants in the Lotus and Akhna-ton hotels offer meals including meat, salad, vegetables, and bread or rice for LE10-15; at the Akhnaton, enjoy the chicken, the coolest breezes around, and a great view of the flowering trees along the corniche. Ai Fairouz offers similar meals, but cheaper, and you can enjoy the aquatic murals complete with bubble-blowing fish and floating sailors. A good place to meet fellow budget travelers.

The Savoy Restaurant, across from the train station, serves more of the same in a shady, quiet courtyard. Never mind the cats and frowning employees. Kabab LE16 per kilo, kufta LE14, veggies LEI. From the nearby Restaurant al-Mahatta, watch the bustle around the train station and pretend you’re not a tourist (meals LE3-13). The Aly Baba Cafe, along the corniche just north of Al-Goumhouriya, caters to tourists with the best desserts and the cleanest non-hotel setting. Lunch LE10-I5, coffee LEI. English spoken. For excellent falafel sandwiches stuffed with everything from potato chips to miniature pickled eggplants (and wrapped in a page from someone’s math workbook), go to Ehab, the bearded guy across from the Savoy Restaurant. For plates of kusbari (75pt) try the shops up Al-Hussein St. (5-6 blocks). If you’re coming from the train station, turn right off the central traffic circle.

Campers may pitch their tents on the grassy banks of the Nile, but should expect to rise early and stay up late along with the traffic on the corniche. Alternatively, take the ferry or cross the bridge to the public gardens, about 3km from the center of town. People have been known to camp at Al-Minya stadium, north of the train station along Sa’ad Zaghloul.

Generous Breakfast LE3. Hotel Seety (tel. 32 39 31), down Sa’ad Zaghloul from the train station, can’t boast an overly friendly staff, but compensates with low prices. Rooms have neither A/C nor fans; bathrooms are passable. Sitting rooms are chock-full of knickknacks to look at. Singles LE7, with bath LE9- Doubles LE9, with bath [£11.50. Triples LEI 1.50, with bath LE14.5O. The Savoy Hotel (tel. 32 32 70), directly across from the train station, is the cheapest in town, and you get what you pay for, including dirty communal bathrooms. No hot water. Third floor singles LE6.15, with bath LE8; doubles LE8.10, with bath LE10.50; triples LE10.50. First and second floors are more expensive.

Accommodations & Food Hotels in Minya lie mainly along Al-Goumhouriya Street, which begins at the train station exit, and Corniche an-Nil, which is perpendicular to Al-Goumhouriya and runs along the river. Comfortable and calm, the Akh-naton Hotel (tel. 32 59 18), one block down the corniche from Al-Goumhouriya, offers rooms with baths and balconies overlooking the Nile. Singles LE20.70, with A/C LE26.1O. Doubles with A/C LE3I.80, with Nile view LE34.25. Breakfast included. English spoken. Slightly Cheaper and perhaps cleaner, the Beach Hotel (tel.322307) on AL-Goumhouriya just before the corniche, has carpeted welllit rooms lockable from the inside check for a water heater before planning a shower. Single le15.25 with bath le21 with a/c and bath LE27.

Doubles fest Cafeteria” upstairs for break friendly Lotus Hotel (tel. 32 45 41), north of the train stan Sa’ad Zaghloul Rd, parallel to the railroad tracks; 8-min.walk), offers spotless rooms and clean bathrooms. Singles with bath and A/C LE29. Similar doubles LE41.7O. Triples LE52.55. Breakfast included, English spoken. The 15-bed Amoon Hotel (tel. 32 57 87) has no sign; head down the alley across Al-Goum-houriya from the Hannaux store and turn right into the hotel before walking into the private home at the alley’s end. Fans in all rooms. Doubles LE1O, with bath LEI2. The cool, quiet entry and the colorful Nefertiti mosaic of the Palace Hotel (tel. 32 40 21), at the traffic circle on Al-Goumhouriya, will lure you upstairs to the high-ceilinged colonial-style sitting rooms. The historical atmosphere is nice until the decrepit bathrooms carry you back to the 1990s. Single LE7, with bath LE12. Double LE9.5O, with bath LE12. Triples LE12.

Transportation The trip from Cairo’s Ramses Station by train to Minya takes three to four hours. Fare in air-conditioned first-class is LE17.10 (students LE9.50); second-class with air conditioning is LE7.10 for students. Service taxis leave regularly for Minya from Giza Station (one way LE5.5O); the 250km trip takes about four hours, depending on traffic. Service taxis are slightly cheaper than trains but less comfortable, especially after a few hours. Unless you’re within 150km of Minya (for example, at Beni Suef, Mallawi, or Assyut), your best bet is probably the train.

The Minya train station (tel. 32 30 35) lies at the center of town by the canai. about five blocks west of the Nile. Minya has three bus/minibus/service taxi stations. One is directly south of the train station (to the right as you exit), on the right side of the street; service taxis to Samalut (60pt) depart from here. Further down the train tracks there is an overpass (al-kubri, the bridge). Hidden underneath it, all the way across the street, are more taxis and minibuses, headed for Cairo’s Ahmed Hilmi Station, Assyut, Abu Qurqas (LEI), and Mailawi (LEI). A bit further, buses depart for Assyut, Beni Suef, Hurghada, and Cairo’s Ramses Station. To reach the third transportation center continue along the train tracks to the bridge over the canal. Go right, then left over the bridge. Pickup trucks to Abu Qurqas are perhaps more frequent than the taxis at the overpass, and slightly cheaper (50pt).
(more…)

Practical Information Minya lies 250km south of Cairo, on the western side of the Nile; Mallawi is 45km farther south, also on the western bank. Minya is 1 bounded by the railroad tracks and train station on the west and the N0e on the east. Only about six blocks apart down Al-Goumhouriya St., these two landmarks provide 1 helpful points of navigation. The Tourist Information Office (tel. 32 01 50) is near the Nile; walk up the main road from the train station exit, passing through the traf- I fie circle at the center of town. At the river, turn left and continue about three blocks. The office is on your left. The office can provide postcards and brochures; a 1 new map of Minya, listing hotels and restaurants, is due out in winter 1994. (Open 8:30am-10pm.) There are two banks flanking the tourist office (facing the office, the bank on the left is open Sun.-Thurs, 8:30am-2pm and 6-9pm; winter 8:30am-2pm and 5-Spm. The bank on the right is open Sun.-Thurs. 8:30am-2pm). Bedecked in fluorescent green, a bank has opened just off the central traffic circle .

Of the rumored four post offices in town, the easiest to find is near the corniche. 1 Walk about five blocks down Al-Goumhouriya from the train station and turn left at 1 the large colonial-style building with the two lion statues above the gate. Walk three 1 blocks more to the large white building on your right. The post office (open daily I 8:30am-3pm; no Poste Restante) is around near the back of the building. The passport office (open Sat.-Thurs. 8:30am-2pm) is on the second floor.

(more…)

Minya & Mallawi

In Minya, a provincial capital and a university city of half a million, children will shout “Hello” in the street and bantour drivers will beg for your business-but notfl every 10m as in many other places in Egypt. While accessible and welcoming tol travelers, Minya retains an aura of real life which other big Nile Valley towns, with their endless strings of tourist bazaars, have lost. For most travelers, however, Minya is merely a convenient base for tours to the area’s many archeological sights; Mallawi, which is closer to some of them, serves as a transit point.

Minya lies on a major canal west of the Nile, halfway between Cairo and Lirxor. Reaching the sights takes more time and effort than a jaunt to the Luxor or Aswan.1 areas, but xhe friendly people can make extra days enjoyable. After a day tour in the ] Pharaonic remains of Beni Hassan or Tel al-Amarna, spend the evening strolling up j and down the corniche, blending in with middle-class families, students, and busi- j ness people, and get a glimpse at a bit of average Egyptian life.

Getting Around

In the days of British colonialism, a slow, romantic cruise down the Nile was an aris. tocratic indulgence. You can still do that, if you have $80 per night to spare; make arrangements with a travel agent before you arrive. Feluccas are cheaper and more fun. (See Between Luxor and Aswan for details.)

The inexpensive Cairo to Aswan train stops at several points along the Nile Valley, and is the most comfortable alternative for traveling between Cairo and either Luxor or Aswan. Reserve your seats several days in advance. For shorter trips, trains become less reliable and convenient than service taxis. (See Egypt: Once There and Luxor or Aswan sections for more information.) Travel early in the morning, since by mid-afternoon you may have to wait an hour or more before your service taxi fills up with the requisite seven passengers. Buses are somewhat safer and cheaper than service taxis but less frequent and slower, except for the zippy Cairo-Luxor express bus. Nile-side navigation is easier than you might think-just follow the river.

In summer, plan to do most of your touring between 6-1 lam, before temperatures soar above 43°C. From Nov.-May temperatures are much more comfortable, but the madding crowds are not.

Nile Valley

Originating in the equatorial high water mark of Lake Victoria, the Nile winds its way through Uganda and the Sudan, pouring into Lake Nasser and Egypt where its banks are home to all but a few of the country’s millions. By now the river has surely grown accustomed to the company. Ancient Egyptians likened their country to a lotus of which the Nile was the stem, the Delta the flower, and Fayyum the bud. Teeming cities, lonely necropoli, fertile fields, and desert sands all play significant parts in the drama of the river.

Traveling south from Cairo, it sometimes seems that the longest river in the world is flanked by the planet’s longest city. Hardly a meter passes without the appearance a building and a horde. Also lining the route are relics of ancient glory; pyramids,enipies, and roomy burial chambers can be found all along the river’s length.Upstream from Giza, Memphis, Saqqara, and Cairo, the Nile runs through Middle Sypt, where Minya and Mallawi cope with rapid expansion and where the Phaohs of the Middle Kingdom left their mark on Beni Hassan and Tel al-Amarna. Fur- er s°uth comes Assyut, Egypt’s third largest city, followed by the towering at the no less monumental Aswan dams, and finally,’gypt’s southern border, awesome Abu Simbel. From the first Pharaohs to the ern Egyptians, the country’s inhabitants and their conquerors have all left their mark on the mighty river. The dry desert sun preserves their efforts, bearing witness to their successes and failures.