SUDAN: IN SEARCH OF THE PYRAMIDS AND TEMPLES OF THE BLACK PHARAOHS

19 October, 2014

Tour organised and accompanied by Alvaro Figueiredo

In this programme of 13 days we embark on a journey of discovery along the idyllic landscape of the Sudanese Nile valley, through cataracts, cultivated fields and the ever present spectacular beauty of the Saharan Desert, following on the footsteps of the early explorers who came in search of the source of the Nile.

We will travel to the past world of Napata and of the black Pharaohs of the 25th Dynasty, to the fabled kingdom of Meroe, to Christian Dongola and to the time of the Caliphs of Islam; and to the Sudan of the present, experienced in the streets, markets and cafes of Omdurman, following on the trail of 19th Century explorers and travellers, between the city of Khartoum, where the White Nile and the Blue Nile meet, and Sudanese Nubia, once the gateway to the African interior. This journey along the Nile also invites one to visit the archaeological wonders of the country, including the magnificent collection of the National Museum in Khartoum, where some of the antiquities removed during the construction of the Aswan High Dam are exhibited, the Temple of Soleb built by the Egyptian Pharaoh Amenhotep III, the Great Temple of Amun at Jebel Barkal, the pyramid sites of Jebel Barkal, el-Kurru and Nuri, and the temples and pyramids of the Kingdom of Meroe. 

 

Day 1 (19.10.2014): Lisbon/Khartoum – Flight Lisbon-Khartoum with Turkish Airlines, via Istanbul.

Day 2 (20.10.2014): Khartoum – Arrival at Khartoum, the capital of Sudan, for a stay of 2 nights in the Corinthia Hotel (5*). Afternoon visit to the National Museum, where some of the antiquities removed during the construction of the Aswan High Dam are exhibited.

Day 3 (21.10.2014): Khartoum – We continue our visit to Khartoum, including the Ethnographic Museum, the historic centre of Omdurman, the Khalifa’s House, the tomb of the Mahdi and the great market of Omdurman.

Day 4 (22.10.2014): Dongola – Departure to Dongola across the vast expanse of the Western Desert; visit the archaeological site of Old Dongola, including the Coptic Church located on the bank of the Nile. Dinner and overnight stay in Dongola.

Day 5 (23.10.2014): Kerma – Departure northwards to visit the archaeological site of Kerma, the first political centre of the Kingdom of Kush, where we visit the site with its impressive ‘deffufa’ mudbrick structure. Dinner and overnight stay in a traditional Nubian village house.

Day 6 (24.10.2014): Tombos, Soleb – Departure northwards in the direction of Tombos, to visit the Pharaonic granite quarries of Sebu. A leisurely picnic will be taken in a Nubian home and you will get the chance to visit some private houses. After crossing the Nile on the Third Cataract, we arrive at Soleb to visit the impressive temple built by the Egyptian Pharaoh of the 18^th Dynasty, Amenhotep III. Dinner and overnight stay in a traditional Nubian village house.

Day 7 (25.10.2014): Sadinga, Sai Island– Boat journey to Sai Island to visit the Otoman Fort, Medieval Church and the Kushite necropolis. Return to the Nubian village for dinner and overnight stay.

Day 8 (26.10.2014): Karima, Jebel Barkal – Departure southwards in the direction of Karima to spend the late afternoon at Jebel Barkal, where we visit the Great Temple of Amun and the sacred mountain. Dinner and stay of 3 nights in the Karima Nubian Rest House (4*), overlooking the sacred mountain.

Day 9 (27.10.2014): Jebel Barkal, Nuri, El-Kurru – Full day visit to tombs and pyramids of the Kushite Royal cemeteries of El-Kurru and Nuri, classified by UNESCO as World Heritage Sites. Return to the Karima Nubian Rest House for dinner and overnight stay.

Day 10 (28.10.2014): Ghazali, Karima – Drive to visit the great desert at Ghazali and return to Karima for dinner and overnight stay in the Karima Nubian Rest House.

Day 11 (29.10.2014): Meroe – Drive through the Desert of Bayuda in the direction of the great archaeological site of Meroe, the ancient political centre of the Kingdom of Meroe, contemporary with the Greco-Roman World, and classified by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. Dinner and overnight stay in the Meroe Desert Camp.

Day 12 (30.10.2014): Naqa, Musawwarat, Khartum – Departure for Naqa, to visit and Lion Temple, and the archaeological site of Musawwarat es Sufra, both from the Meroitic Period. Continue to Khartoum for dinner and a stay of 2 nights in the Corinthia Hotel (5*).

Dia 13 (31.10.214): Khartoum – Day Nile cruise and late afternoon visit to Omdurman to see the Sufi dervishes and their weekly ritual (Fridays, c. 5pm).

Dia 14 (01.11.2014): Khartoum/Lisboa – Turkish Airlines flight to Lisbon, via Istanbul.