River Cruise On The Nile
Nile River Cruise
A Nile cruise is one of the best ways to see many of the amazing sites in
Egypt without the hassle of trying to drive or fly from place to place. Being
both luxurious and convenient, Nile cruises provide the perfect means of travel
within the country and are the recommended means of transportation by most
travel agents.
Touring Egypt by cruise is especially great for those worried about planning the
smaller details of their trip. In fact, most cruises have their own tour guides
that escort you to all of the major sites and even arrange for all your travel
and entrance fees. On top of this, many cruises employ world class chefs to cook
all their meals and even have nightly entertainment. However, it is important to
note that the quality of the cruise is directly correlated to the company that
is running it. Make sure to travel with a company that has a history of
satisfied customers and a good reputation in the industry.
Below are descriptions of some of the amazing sites that you can expect to see
when on a Nile cruise.
Philae Temple
This temple, located on the Island of Agika and reached by a short boat ride
from shore, was said to be dedicated to the goddess Isis and built during the
Ptolemaic period in Egyptian History. The building of the Aswan high dam during
the 1970’s threatened to flood the temple and surrounding structures. Thus, in
order to preserve these ancient monuments, the structures were relocated to
their current positions on Agika Island and carefully laid out to resemble the
original location as much as possible.
Kom Ombo Temple
This temple, whose name stands for “the city of gold,” is located at a bend in
the Nile where sacred crocodiles were said to have basked in the sun along the
riverbank during ancient times. It is probably for this reason that the temple
was dedicated to the crocodile god Sobek. However, what many say is the most
unique aspect of Kom Ombo temple is that it appears to have been dedicated to
another god as well, (witnessed by the many hieroglyphics and carvings on the
temple) known as “Horus the great” or Haroeris the “father of all gods.”
Edfu Temple
This temple, known to be the second largest after Karnak and the best preserved
of the existing Pharaonic temples, was begun in approximately 237 B.C. by
Ptolemy III and finished in 57 B.C. Dedicated to the god Horus (the
falcon-headed god), this building was rumored to have been build on the site of
a great battle between gods Horus and Seth (represented by the Hippo). With an
incredible hypostyle hall and pylons reaching over 118 feet on the main temple,
this is a site you will be sure to remember.
Karnak Temple
Probably the most famous temple in Egypt, this amazing structure was said to
have been built over the length of a thousand years, and by many generations of
Pharoahs. This temples is also known as the largest of all remaining ancient
temples in Egypt. In fact, the hypostyle hall alone, a seemingly never-ending
hall of colossal columns, covers an area greater than the whole of Notre Dame
Cathedral! Each column is intricately detailed with ancient hieroglyphics and
visitors can even see where rival pharaohs had the names of their less liked
predecessors removed from the walls.
These are only a few of the amazing sites available to you when traveling on a
Nile Cruise.
For immediate questions, contact our recommended Egypt travel planner:
Information Request
|
 |
