One of the most iconic structures of Egypt is Giza’s great sphinc. Credit: Petar Milošević/Wikimedia Commons
I am leading another journey of Eclipse. No surprise there. I traveled to observe 16 total solar eclipses and on all except two I was the official astronomer. But this is special, for me too.
First of all, it boasts the longest totality – 6 minutes 23 seconds – that anyone who lives will be able to testify. Secondly, it occurs in a place where, at the time of the year, the eclipse occurs, the formation of clouds is almost impossible. And thirdly, the trip will allow my group to visit the remains of the most intriguing civilization of all: the ancient Egypt. It is beyond the emotional one!
Related: The biggest eclipse for the rest of our life
Day 1
We will arrive on July 30 and we will fix ourselves in our hotel. This will be the first of the four days there.
Day 2
On the second day we begin to explore and get to know the ancient Egypt. We will visit Luxor Temple, built by the Faraoni Amenhotep III and Ramses II. This structure was dedicated to Amun-Ra, the king of the gods. Her marriage to the goddess Mother Mut was celebrated every year during a huge festival.
Then we will head to the Temple of Karnak, the largest complex of the temple ever built. It represents the combined efforts of generations of ancient manufacturers, having employed more than 1,300 years to be completed. Karnak is actually three main temples dedicated to Amon, Mut and The War God Montu. The complex is located on a site that covers 247 acres. His original name was Hyper-Isut, which means “the most sacred of the places”.
Day 3
Our third day has two options. You can make one of them or both.
Option 1 It is a 45 -minute breathtaking hot air balloon on Luxor. You will float over some of the most significant archaeological sites in the world – including the valley of kings and queens – as well as iconic historical monuments. During the flight, you will enjoy splendid environmental views on the temples you visited the day before. You will also see the lush Delta del Nilo and the surrounding agricultural land.
Option 2 It is a visit to the temple complex in Dendera. The ancient Egyptians dedicated its main structure to Hathor, the goddess of love. This temple dates back to 54 BC, although it is based on the bases of previous buildings dating back to 2,600 AC one of the ceilings also has plaster casts of the signs of the zodiac.
This temple also hosts the only well -known relief of Queen Cleopatra and her son Cesarian. Subsequently, you will continue to Abydos, the ancient city dedicated to Osiris, God of the underworld. You will visit the famous temple of Seti I, which was completed by Ramses II, and then will return to the hotel.
Later, I will present a speech on the eclipse. I will tell you what to look at, both before and after all, and how to get the most out of experience. And I will answer any question you have.
Day 4: Eclipse Day
In the end, the day came. Expect everyone in our group to be excited, but not nervous. We will look at the sky and see that it is perfectly clear. There could be some sand that blows around, but it will not influence our vision.
After breakfast, we will make a short bus trip to the Eclipse Center line, close to the longest duration of the eclipse. Here is where our group will experience totality. Everyone will look at time. Here are the most important moments to note:
THE partial phaseThe moment that marks the beginning of the eclipse, will start around 10:40 local time. Who will be the first in our group to notice the dark disc of the moon were joined against the brilliant sun? From now on until the beginning of the totality, it is necessary to use an approved sun filter to protect the eyes. If you are using binoculars, the filters go in front of the lenses. If you have brought a telescope, the filter must be in the front and protected, so a breeze will not explode it.
Whether you believe it or not, now it’s time to relax. You will have more than 80 minutes before the drama of totality occurs. So, take everything inside. The surrounding environment will always start to darken so much, but you will not notice until more than two thirds of the sun are covered. You will feel it fresher since more sunlight is blocked. Around the period in which the moon covers 90 percent of the sun, the people of our group will begin to see Venus, less than 3 ° north -west of the sun.
When the moon covers 95 percent of the sun, things begin to happen quickly. Become darker fast. Jupiter will become visible a little more than 20 ° to East-Sud-East of the Sun. You will feel an adrenaline race, but you will try to stay calm. Finally, in the last seconds before totality, you will see the spectacular diamond ring, one of the most beautiful places in nature.
Totality Start at 12:02 Local time and lasts an incredible 6 minutes 23 seconds. Nobody alive will ever have so much totality again.
At 12:08 local time, the totality ends. Look for the second diamond ring and everything you saw that led to the totality that runs in reverse order.
Finally, The partial phase ends At 13:26 local time. The spectacular total eclipse is over. But I guarantee that you will never forget it.
The rest of the day will be of great excitement. We will relive the eclipse and share stories and photos. When we return to the hotel, a representative of Eclipse Traveller will guide us in our transfer to our cruise in the Nile. We will be aboard the ship, but we will still spend the night in Luxor.
Day 5
Now that we have observed the eclipse, we will really enter the exploration of the salient moments of the ancient Egyptian. Today we will travel in Luxor’s West Bank. This will include visits to the Valley of the Kings, at the female Temple Pharaoh Hatshepsut and Memnon giants. Later during the day, we will return to the ship and save Edfu through the ESNA block. We will spend the night in Edfu.
Day 6
Today we will all take a horse and carriage to visit the temple of Edfu, one of the best preserved temples in Egypt. We will then return to the ship and sail to Kom Ombo to visit the dedicated temple in both Horus and Sobek. After our demanding day, we will sail towards Aswan and spend the night there.
Day 7
Today, our group will explore the main Aswan sites, including the high dam and the Philae temple. We will all enjoy a traditional tour of the Felucca sailboat around the island of Elephantine. Feluggas are traditional wooden sailing boats. Everyone has only one sail. We will spend another night in Aswan.
Day 8
Our group will land the ship and move to Aswan airport for our flight to Cairo. In addition, today, the members of the group will have the two options to go to the Temple of Abu Simbel for a tour. If you fly, the trip will require just over an hour. Others in our group can choose to go via land, which takes 4 hours and 20 minutes, in one way.
When we arrive at Cairo, we will transfer to our hotel and spend five nights there.
Day 9
What day it will be! Firstly, our group will guide towards the extraordinary plateau of Giza, home of the great pyramids – proclaimed by the Greeks as among the seven wonders of the ancient world. The largest is the large cheops pyramid, 480 high feet.
We will also visit the Sphinx, known as Abu al-Hol (father of terror).
After lunch, we will head to Memphis, the ancient city of Menes, the king who united the upper and lower Egypt. So we will continue to Sakkara, part of the memphis necropolis, where we will see tombs of the first and 2nd dynasties.
Day 10
This fantastic day begins with a guided tour of the Museum of Egyptian Antiquities, home of the treasures of King Tutankhamon. These include more than 1,700 gold articles. Group members can also visit the Royal Mummies Room for an additional cost.
After lunch, we will explore the old Cairo, including the church of El Mualllaqa (suspended church) and the synagogue of Ben Ezra, which hosts a library of the Jewish heritage.
Day 11
Today, our group will take a day trip to Alexandria with our Egyptological guide. We will visit the national museum, the catacombs and the Roman amphitheater, which dates back to the fourth century. Then we will explore the librethe Alexandrina (modern library) and we will see the fort of Qaitbay from the outside, built on the site of the ancient Faro of Alexandria.
Day 12
Today, our group will visit the Khan El-Khalili Bazaar, the largest covered market of the thirteenth century in the world. Here, we can explore the shops and enjoy the bargaining for various goods.
We will also visit the Citadel of Mohamed Ali (Salah al-Din Fortress), including the Alabaster mosque, which offers a breathtaking view of the city.
So we will go back to the hotel at noon and have the afternoon free.
Day 13
Finally, we say goodbye to Egypt, to never forget it. We will transfer to Cairo international airport for our flights at home.
Details
If you want to be part of this expedition that changes life, send me an e-mail to m_bakich@firecrown.com. I will send you connections, the registration form and I will also answer any questions you have.
