With Professor Bob Brier and Art Historian, Patricia Remler
March 1-16, 2011
Sudan, stretching almost one million square miles, is the largest country in Africa. The northern area of the country, along with southern Egypt, was home to several ancient civilizations. The first settlers in northern Sudan date back 300,000 years. It is home to the oldest sub-Saharan African kingdom, the kingdom of Kush, the most powerful state in the Nile valley four thousand years ago. Conflict between Egypt and Kush followed, culminating in the conquest of Kush by Thutmose I, but in the 11th century BC, Egypt withdrew and the Sudanese kings grew powerful again. In the 6th century, they invaded Egypt and ruled as Pharaohs uniting the Nile valley from Khartoum to the Mediterranean. The Kushites were expelled from Egypt by the Assyrians, but their kingdom flourished in Sudan for another thousand years.
Kush monuments and art display a rich combination of Pharaonic, Greco-Roman and indigenous African traditions. Tall pyramids, gigantic mud-brick buildings, rock-cut painted tombs, and ornately carved temples – all are present for us to discover.
Join only 16 others, accompanied by Professor Bob Brier, and journey along the Nile River and through the northern deserts in search of the remains of these remarkable civilizations.
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(B) breakfast, (L) lunch, (D) dinner
Day 1: Depart New York’s JFK Airport on Lufthansa Airlines.
Day 2: Arrive Khartoum in the evening. After clearing immigration, transfer to the historic Holiday Villa Hotel, our home for the next three nights.
Day 3: In response to the flooding from the Aswan Dam, whole temples and tombs were moved hundreds of miles to Khartoum to be reconstructed at the Sudan National Museum. Some of these archaeological remains, almost perfectly preserved, date back nearly four thousand years while the Christian frescoes on display represent the richest collection discovered so far in the Nile Valley. We spend the morning in the museum. From 1881-85, Muhammad Ahmed Al Mahdi, or The Mahdi, led a successful military campaign against the Ottoman-Egyptian government of the Sudan which resulted in the conquest of Khartoum. This afternoon, we see his silver-domed tomb and associated museum. Then it’s on to the Ethnographical Museum which contains an interesting collection of items relating to Sudanese village life. (B/L/D)
Day 4: This will be a day of relaxation as we drive north of Khartoum to the Sabaloka Gorge, where we board a small motor boat and motor down the Nile to the 6th Cataract. The river is home for several unusual bird species, and crocodiles may be seen along the banks. Upon return to Khartoum, and after dinner, experience a Dervish ceremony in the twin-city of Omdurman. Dinner is on our own this evening. (B/L)
Day 5: Our drive north takes us to Naga, one of the cities of ancient Kush with best preserved temples still standing. Walk through an avenue of rams to the Temple to Amun, founded by King Natakamani two thousand years ago, and the Lion Temple, dedicated to the lion-headed Kushite god, Apedemak. Continue to Mussawarat es Sufra, probably a cult and pilgrimage center and the largest set of Meroitic remains in Sudan. The huge complex, known as the Great Enclosure, contains temples and other buildings. Many are covered with ancient carvings, and images of elephants dominate. Overnight for two nights in the Meroe Safari Camp. Each of the ten furnished tents has beds and private bathrooms with a toilet and shower. (B/L/D)
Day 6: Flourishing between the third century BC and the fourth century AD and thus coexisting with Ptolemaic and then Roman rule in Egypt, the city of Meroe once formed the capital of an empire that stretched northwards to the borders of ancient Egypt and southwards to take in much of what is today central and southern Sudan. Famous in antiquity for its war-like queens, Meroe’s art and architecture show ancient Egyptian, Hellenistic and Mediterranean influences, as well as by those native to Sudan. Towering over the royal cemeteries is a multitude of spectacular pyramids, more than one hundred of them. Here is found the tomb of Queen Shanadakhete, Meroe’s most powerful ruler and perhaps the first significant female ruler in world history. The remains of the Royal City are scattered along the banks of the Nile and encircling the royal palace and Temple of Amun. We spend today exploring Meroe. (B/L/D)
Day 7: Today’s journey takes us through the spectacular lunar landscape of the Bayuda Desert. The area is home to several nomadic tribes, and with luck we will stop to visit with one of the clans. Along the way, we see the remains of the medieval Monastery of Ghazali, abandoned in the 11th century. Located on an old trade route, the monastery was surrounded by impressive protective walls. Overnight for two nights at the Nubian Rest House, located in the small town of Karima. This charming boutique hotel was constructed in the Nubian style with ornate domes and arches, and each of the ten rooms has a private bathroom. (B/L/D)
Day 8: The holy mountain of Jebel Barkal dominates this part of the Nile. Both ancient Egyptians and Kushites believed that this was the home of Amun, and the remains of a temple dedicated to this god lie at the foot of the sandstone butte. First constructed by Thutmose III in the 15th century BC, each successive ruler added to it until it became the largest Kushite building ever constructed. The Temple of Mut, dedicated to the Egyptian goddess of the sky and the wife of Amun, is located within the complex. Nearby El Kurru necropolis contains royal tombs with well-preserved wall paintings still intact. Jebel Barkal and El Kurru together are a UNESCO World Heritage Site. (B/L/D)
Day 9: We leave Karima this morning and drive to the Third Cataract. Nearby we visit Tombos, an important ancient granite quarry and necropolis. Then it’s on to the 3rd cataract where, from the top of a hill, we will have a beautiful view of the rapids. Overnight for three nights in a pre-set camp nearby. Here dome tents with beds, foam mattresses, and sheets, along with a small table and chairs, have been set up prior to our arrival. The camp includes two showers and two toilets. (B/L/D)
Day 10: Our explorations take us across the Nile by ferry to the west bank, the location of several ancient sites. Sesibi was a New Kingdom town founded during the 18th Dynasty and was the southernmost fortified town founded by Egyptians in Upper Nubia. Then it’s on to the well-preserved Temple of Soleb, built by Amenhotep III in the 14th century BC. Lying on the banks of the Nile, a processional way leads from the river to the complex. Relief carvings on the temple walls depict sed, the celebration of renewal. At Jebel Dosha, a few miles north of Soleb, a rock-cut Chapel of Thutmose III overlooks the Nile and contains scenes showing the pharaoh offering to various deities. Many monuments were carved on the face of the mountain, including stelae dedicated to gods and rulers, including Seti I. (B/L/D)
Day 11: Just south of the Third Cataract is Kerma, the largest settlement along this stretch of the Nile and once the capital of the first kingdom of Kush. Archaeological evidence shows that settlement began here as far back as 2400BC. Deffufa East and West are two enormous mud-brick buildings more than 3,500 years old. Western Deffufa is possibly the largest man made structure in sub-Saharan Africa. Surrounding Eastern Deffufa are massive tombs of Kerma’s former kings. This New Kingdom Egyptian cemetery contains several Egyptian-style mud-brick chambers, and both shaft and mud-brick tombs. Nearby is a rock art site, Sebu, where hundreds of prehistoric petroglyphs have been pecked into the rock. We will spend all day exploring the Kerma area. (B/L/D)
Day 12: Our morning drive takes us across the Nubian Desert to the lush green oasis of Dongola. Here, the irrigated fields are filled with fruit and vegetables, and groves of date palm trees provide cool shade. Here, walk through the old town of Dongola and view the remains of the Coptic Church along with a vast muslim cemetery with qubbas (domed tombs) dating back to the 14th century. Nearby the remains of Kawa, dating from the Kerma culture, are rapidly being covered by the blowing sand. Return to the Nubian Rest House in Karima for two nights. (B/L/D)
Day 13: There will be time this morning to enjoy the colorful daily market in Karima where people from miles around come to shop. In the afternoon, explore the Royal Necropolis of Nuri with pyramids older than those at Meroe. The tomb of the great Napatan king Taharqa, one of the 25th Dynasty pharaohs of Egypt and probably the most powerful ruler in Sudanese history, is located here. (B/L/D)
Day 14: We depart this morning into the Western Desert and Wadi Muqaddam, a complex culture area of great antiquity. Throughout are ancient tumuli and cemeteries built of stone. Many of the graves are isolated and perch on high promontories where others cluster in small groups. Our tour will include stops at chai houses along the way. Return to Khartoum and the Grand Holiday Villa. Dinner is on our own. (B/L)
Day 15: Begin today in the Omdurman market. In the afternoon, enjoy a cruise on the Nile with the rest of the afternoon free to rest and prepare for our departure this evening. Our final dinner party will be in a local restaurant. Transfer to the airport for our evening flight back to the USA. (B/L/D)
Day 16: Arrive USA
Professor Bob Brier received his Ph.D from the University of North Carolina. He is not only one of the nation’s leading Egyptologists, but a brilliant lecturer and storyteller. He is professor of philosophy at the C.W. Post Campus of Long Island University and the author of several books including The Murder of Tutankhamen: A True Story (Berkley Books, 1998), The Daily Life of the Ancient Egyptians (Greenwood Press, 1999) and The Secret of the Great Pyramid: How One Man's Obsession Led to the Solution of Ancient Egypt's Greatest Mystery (Harper Collins, 2008). Professor Brier has served as director of the "Egyptology Today" program of the National Endowment for the Humanities, and as host of the Learning Channel series, The Great Egyptians. He has twice been selected as a Fulbright Scholar, and has received Long Island University’s David Newton Award for Teaching Excellence in recognition of his achievements as a lecturer. He is a wonderful teacher with a special flair for evoking the distant past in ways that make it seem vividly present.
Patricia Remler is an author, photographer, and art historian. She was the Researcher for four important Learning Channel documentaries - the three-part Pyramids, Tombs, and Mummies, the six-part series The Great Egyptians, the one hour Napoleon's Obsession: The Quest for Egypt, and the three-part dseries Unwrapped, The Mysterious World of Mummies. She is the author of Egyptian Mythology A - Z.
March 1-16, 2011
$10,995.00 (per person, double occupancy) includes round trip airfare on Lufthansa Airlines from New York’s JFK to Khartoum, Sudan; all hotels; most meals (as listed in the itinerary); ground transportation; and entry fees.
Single Supplement: $995.00. Should a roommate be requested and one not be available, the single supplement will be charged. NOTE: Single rooms can not be guaranteed in the Meroe Safari Camp and the Nubian Guest House in Karima as each facility has only ten rooms.
Cost Does Not Include: A separate $100.00 (per person) donation check; passport or visa fees; airport or departure taxes; alcoholic drinks, beverages or food not included on regular menus; laundry; excess baggage charges; personal tips; gratuities to guides and drivers; email, telephone and fax charges; or other items of a personal nature.
Fuel Surcharges: Far Horizons must pass on price increases for uncontrollable charges such as flights and other services due to additional fuel charges.
Donation Checks: As a tour company that benefits from the cultural and natural riches of our destinations, we have a policy of donating to the scientific and cultural projects and museums we visit. This has created a bond between Far Horizons and the academic and local communities that has helped us establish an extensive list of lecturers and contacts in each of our destinations.We ask that each participant write a check to the noteworthy project we designate. The donation amount is $100.00 per person and is made by check directly to the donation project. Note that the donation is required as part of your registration for the trip and that it is non-refundable. will be designating a donation project for this trip shortly.
A deposit of $500.00 is required along with your registration form. Final payment is due 75 days before departure. Upon receipt of your deposit and completed registration form, you will be sent a reading list and a tour bulletin containing travel information. Prior to the trip, we will send links to various websites of pertinent interest. Click here to download our Registration Form.
Cancellations received in writing at least 75 days before departure will receive a refund less a $250.00 administrative fee. Cancellations received less than 75 days before the departure date will not receive a refund. If for any reason you are unable to complete the trip, Far Horizons will not reimburse any fees. Registrants are strongly advised to buy travel insurance that includes trip cancellation.
If you do not fly on the group flight, you are responsible for all flight arrangements and transportation (including airport transfers) to join the group. If Far Horizons must change the trip dates or cancel the trip for any reason, Far Horizons is not responsible for any air ticket you may have purchased. If you issue your own international flight, please send the complete schedule as soon as you have it.
The private tours of archaeological sites and talks by specialists are scheduled in advance and include a donation to each. Specialists working at these sites are excited about showing their work to interested enthusiasts. However, please be aware that there may be times when the director or a member of the staff may not be onsite when our groups arrive due to other commitments.
Sudan’s tourism infrastructure is immature and not up to Western standards. Guides may not be as knowledgeable or educated as we would like. Hotels are simple, and some nights we will overnight in fixed tent camps instead of hotels. Roads may not always be paved. Restaurants that cater to tourists are few and far between and the meals served in them do not contain much variety. During the trip there will be walking over rough terrain and group members must be physically active and able to walk independently for distances that may exceed a mile or more each day. The trip is designed for adventure loving travelers and may involve schedule changes, unusual foods, poor roads, and local staff not used to groups of tourists. However, one of the pleasures in traveling through Sudan is that the area is out-of-the-way and the landscape largely unspoiled. By maintaining a flexible attitude and a sense of humor you will soon be captivated by the beauty of the natural scenery, the hospitality of the local people, and the fascinating sites we visit. Your flexibility and patience will be appreciated.
Archaeological tour limited to 17 Participants
