OASIS ITINERARY | Cairo - Siwa - Alexandria 07 days

OASIS ITINERARY | Cairo - Siwa - Alexandria 07 days

DAY 01: Arrival at Cairo airport, meet and assist then transfer to the hotel for overnight.

DAY 02: After breakfast drive to Memphis at the edge of the western desert, the capital of the ancient kingdom, and one of the most important monuments throughout the history of ancient Egypt, from here we drive to Sakkara the vast necropolis of ancient Memphis. Visit the Step Pyramid of Zoser (3rd dynasty, 2668 BC – 2649 BC).In the afternoon, drive to the Pyramids of Giza. Transfer back to your hotel for dinner and overnight.

"Memphis, was the ancient capital of Aneb-Hetch, the first nome of Lower Egypt. Its ruins are located near the town of Helwan, south of Cairo. According to legend related by Manetho, the city was founded by the pharaoh Menes around 3000 BC. Capital of Egypt during the Old Kingdom, it remained an important city throughout ancient Mediterranean history. It occupied a strategic position at the mouth of the Nile delta, and was home to feverish activity. Its principal port, Peru-refer, harboured a high density of workshops, factories, and warehouses that distributed food and merchandise throughout the ancient kingdom. During its golden age, Memphis thrived as a regional centre for commerce, trade, and religion."

"Pyramid of Zosar, Pharaoh Zosar was the first king of the Third Dynasty. The serdab, on the northern face of the pyramid, contained his statue; this was the place of his "ka," which could see the offerings made to him. The original statue, now in the Cairo Museum, is thought to have recorded his exact features. This pyramid and the buildings comprising the funerary complex were designed by Imhotep, the first architect whose name is recorded. They were also the first major constructions in stone. Prior to this, sun-dried brick had been the usual building material. It is also the first tomb of monumental size. It was begun as a large mastaba, oriented to the points of the compass, but was enlarged twice to a final height of about 200 feet."

"Pyramids of Giza, There are no more famous ancient sites within Egypt or for that matter elsewhere in the world, than the Great Pyramids at Giza. They are, without question, the icon most associated with the Egypt. They have been both the main destination for tourists and a source of imaginative thought to the world for over three thousand years."

DAY 03: At 7:30 A.M Pick-up from Cairo, drive along the North West coast to Marsa Matrouh lies on a bay on the Mediterranean and is distinguished by its seven km. long beach, which-as all visitors have testified-is one of the most beautiful in the world. Dinner and overnight in Matrouh.

DAY 04: At 5:30 A.M , Breakfast, we have a long day so we have to start early. Departure to Siwa the most inaccessible of all Egypt's oasis until very recently arrive to Siwa , visit to Gebel ElMouta where a number of tombs are situated. Local residents also call it Gebel (Qaret) al-Musabbarin (Musabbarin), meaning Mountain of the Embalmed. The tombs, which cover every inch of its base and are situated on its terraces and on all sides of the conical part, date from the 26th Dynasty, the Greek (Ptolemaic) and the Roman periods, though there appear to be no Christian burials. We continue our tour to Amun Temple of the Alexander then proceed to the fortification of Shali located in the center of modern Siwa in the Siwa Oasis, and is basically the old town. Continue to Gebel Al-Dakrur This is where people come to the area to be relieved of rheumatism complaints. Here, they are buried up to their necks in warm mud, for up to 20 minutes, and the process is o-en repeated for about three days. The people do claim relief. The mountain also supplies the red bigment used for the local pottery. We finished our tour in Siwa oasis by visiting Cleopatra Bath one of many in the area and is located on the path that leads to the Temple of Amun. It is a stone pool fed by natural spring water, and probably the best known pool in the area. Drive back to Marsa Matrouh, dinner and overnight.

DAY 05: At 7:00 A.M , Breakfast then drive to Alexandria, visit Alamein cemeteries en route the place where the Allied forces of WW II gained a decisive victory of the Axis forces, proceed to Alexandria, visit to Greco-Roman amphitheatre(if open), free evening in Alexandria, dinner and overnight.

DAY 06: At 8:30 A.M, Breakfast then visit to the Bibliotheca of Alexandria, continue to visit the famous catacomb of Alexandria, these limestone tombs, which date from about 250 BC, are painted to simulate alabaster and marble. They are decorated with pictures of Egyptian gods and daily life, along with graffiti, which also dates from the same period, drive back to your hotels in Cairo.

"Bibliotheque of Alexandria, Library of Alexandria was the largest and most significant great library of the ancient world. It flourished under the patronage of the Ptolemaic dynasty and functioned as a major center of scholarship from its construction in the 3rd century BC until the Roman conquest of Egypt in 30 BC."

"The Catacombs of Kom el Shoqafa, (meaning underground tunnels) lie in the district of Karmouz to the east of Alexandria. The area was called Kom El-Shouqafa or a pile of shards. The cemetery dates back to the 1st century A.D and was used until the 4th century A.D. It was discovered in 1900 when by pure chance, a donkey drawn cart fell into a pit, which led to the discovery. The Catacombs in Alexandria are so called because the design was very similar to the Christian Catacombs in Rome."

DAY 07:Transfer to Cairo airport for final departure.