MS Esplanade Nile Cruise: Best Ships For Tours

The Valley of Kings, also popular as the “Valley of Biban of the Kings,” is a valley in Egypt that was utilize over a era of 500 years during the period between the sixteenth and eleventh centuries BC to construct tombs for the pharaohs and nobles of the New Kingdom extending during the Eighteenth Dynasty until the Twentieth Dynasty in ancient Egypt. The valley is on the west bank of the Nile River, facing Thebes (now Luxor), in the heart of the ancient funerary city of Thebes. The Valley of the Kings Is divided into two valleys: The Eastern Valley (where most of the royal tombs are located) and the Western Valley. With the discovery of the last funeral chamber in 2006, popular as (Cemetery 63), in addition to the discovery of two other entrances to the same chamber during 2008, the number of graves discovered so far has reached 63 graves of varying sizes, ranging from a small hole in the ground to a complex grave containing more than 120. A burial chamber inside. All of these tombs were used to bury the kings and princes of the New Kingdom in ancient Egypt, in addition to some nobles and those who were related to the ruling family at that time. The royal tombs are distinguished by containing drawings and inscriptions from ancient Egyptian mythology that illustrate the religious beliefs and memorial ceremonies of that time. All the discovered graves were opened and looted in ancient times, and despite that, they remain conclusive evidence of the power and prosperity of the kings of that time. This area has been a center for scout excavations to study archeology and Egyptology since the end of the eighteenth century, as its tombs arouse the interest of scholars to expand such studies and archaeological excavations. The valley became familiar in the modern period after the discovery of the entire tomb of Tutankhamun and the hearsay around it regarding the curse of the Pharaohs. The valley remained famous for the archaeological excavations spread throughout it until it was certified as a World Heritage Site in 1979, in addition to the entire funerary city of Thebes. Exploration, excavation and restoration operations are still ongoing in the Valley of the Kings, and a tourist center has recently been opened there.

Hatshepsut Temple one of attraction you can see in M.S Esplanade Nile Cruise:

Queen Hatshepsut (about 1473 – 1458 BC) built a wonderful temple in Deir el-Bahri, on the west bank in Luxor, facing the Temple of Karnak, the main sanctuary of Amun, located on the east bank. The Temple of Hatshepsut was called in ancient Egyptian Gesru Bridge, meaning the holiest of sanctuaries. It was designed by Senenmut, who held many titles, including director of the estates of Amun. You will Continue Your Tour in M.S Esplanade Nile Cruise by visiting This temple which consists of three levels, each of which has a row of columns at its end. On the upper level, there is an open courtyard behind the row of columns, preceded by statues of Hatshepsut in the form of Osiris, the god of the dead. “Jisru Bridge” is considered a burial temple for Queen Hatshepsut, where rituals are held for her after her death when she transforms into the state of the god Osiris. The temple was not dedicated to her only, as the temple included parts dedicated to her father, King Thutmose I, the goddess Hathor, as well as the god Anubis. A chapel open to the sky, dedicated to the sun god Ra Hor-Akhty. There is a great place dedicated to Amun, and at the end of the upper courtyard, on the main axis of the temple, a passage was cut into the mountain that ends with the Holy of Holies. The walls of the temple were covered with scenes representing the temple rituals and religious holidays, as well as the transfer of obelisks from the quarries to the Karnak Temple. Perhaps the most distinctive scene is that in the middle balcony, which represents Hatshepsut’s mission to the country of Punt, which may currently be located near Eritrea, and its inhabitants were depicted. And its homes as well as the surrounding environment, in addition to the riches and exotic animals that the Egyptians brought with them from there, and on the other hand, it was depicted how Hatshepsut became the legitimate king of the country, not only by confirming her father Thutmose I’s appointment of her as his legitimate heir, but also that her father was the deity Amun, Himself.

Colossi of Memnon: 

Two large giants that have been entrenched for thousands of years on the right of the road leading to the Tombs of the Dead in the Valley of the Kings and Queens, and the rest of the temples scattered on the western mainland in Luxor Governorate, and they stand guard over the road and all the temples in the west. They are the “Colossi of Memnon” sitting on the road leading to the temples, tombs and monasteries west of Luxor, and it is considered “ The two statues of Memnon are all that remains of the temple commemorating the pharaoh (Amenhotep III), and the height of the statue reaches 21.90 meters. The statue of Memnon belongs to King Amenhotep III, as their construction was supervised by the famous architect Amenhotep ibn Habu. In the past, there was an ancient funerary temple for King Amenhotep III in front of them, and nothing remains of it except the two statues, each of which reaches a height of about 21.90 meters, and they are considered part of the agenda. Tourist attractions for foreigners who enjoy Luxor and its monuments.

• Meals: Breakfast & Lunch & Dinner.
• Overnight: On Board.

Enjoy Your Breakfast in M.S Esplanade Nile Cruise ship and then join your tour guide to start your Third day in your Tour by visiting:

Edfu Temple:

The Temple of Horus is one of the most complete ancient Egyptian temples located on the west bank of the Nile River in the city of Edfu. The construction of the temple took about 180 years since the reign of King Ptolemy III (246-221 BC), in 237 BC. AD, until its construction was completed during the reign of King Ptolemy XII (80-51 BC) in 57 BC. The temple still retains all its picturesque architectural and decorative elements, as it remained buried under the sand for several years until the French archaeologist Auguste Mariette cleaned it and restored some parts of it in 1860 AD. The temple dedicated to the worship of the god Horus consists of a huge edifice with two towers, preceded by two granite statues of Horus in the form of a falcon. While the façade of the edifice is decorated with scenes of King Ptolemy XII as he triumphs over his enemies, and other scenes depict him with deities. The temple’s huge gate leads to an open courtyard containing columns with vegetal capitals, like the Great and Small Hypostyle Hall, and from there to the transverse halls and then the Holy of Holies of the temple. We can also find scenes of the founding of the temple and the king’s relationship with his deities in the Great Hypostyle Hall, while the walls of the Small Hypostyle Hall are decorated with a scene depicting the journey of the sacred boat of the god Horus and the goddess Hathor.

Kom Ombo Temple one of attraction you can see in M.S Esplanade Nile Cruise:

The Temple of Kom Ombo is one of the most important Egyptian temples due to its architectural and religious distinction, as it was dedicated to two deities together, Sobek and Horus. The temple appears to be composed of two parts separated by an imaginary line. The northern part of it was dedicated to worshiping the Holy Trinity of Horus, while the southern part was dedicated to worshiping the Holy Trinity of Sobek. The temple was also distinguished by a group of important scenes, including the division of the temple by the goddess Maat, the goddess of truth and justice, and also depicted a group of surgical and medical tools, and a list of the holidays held in the temple.

• Meals: Breakfast & Lunch & Dinner.
• Overnight: On Board.

[caption id="attachment_32156" align="alignnone" width="1400"] M.S-Esplanade-Nile-Cruise-Best-Ships-For-Tours-philae-Temple-EgyptaTours-Featured-Image[/caption] Enjoy Your Breakfast in M.S Esplanade Nile Cruise ship and then join your tour guide to start your Fourth day in your Tour by visiting:

Temple of Philae:

The city of Aswan is distinguished by many ancient monuments that Egypt is famous for, the most important of which is the Temple of Philae, which escaped the fate of drowning in the waters of the Nile in the 1960s. Aswan is located on the eastern bank of the Nile River, 899 kilometers south of the Egyptian capital, Cairo, according to the website of the Egyptian State Information Service. The ruins of Philae Island were transferred to nearby Agelkia Island during a UNESCO campaign in the 1960s to save sites that were flooded by the Nile during the construction of the Aswan High Dam. The Temple of Philae, dedicated to the Egyptian goddess Isis, was reassembled in a scenic location to match the original location of the temple on the island of Philae. Philae Island was of great importance to the ancient Egyptians due to its distinguished location, as it formed a natural geographical border with Aswan Island, and was known in Egyptian texts as the dividing line, according to the website of the Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities.

High Dam one of attraction you can see in M.S Esplanade Nile Cruise:

You will Continue Your Tour in M.S Esplanade Nile Cruise by visiting The Aswan High Dam is counted the fantastic and massive engineering project of the twentieth century from an architectural and engineering standpoint, superior to other giant global projects. The High Dam was construct to protect Egypt from the high floods that were flooding the country and submerging large places in it, and to preserve the water that was wasted in the Mediterranean Sea. The Egyptians have realized the importance of the Nile since ancient times. Annual storage projects, such as the Aswan Reservoir and the Jebel Awliya Reservoir, were established on the Nile to control the river’s changing revenues. Barrages were also erected on the Nile to regulate irrigation on the river’s various banks. However, annual storage was only a partial solution to controlling the Nile. Accordingly, the river’s revenue varies greatly from year to year, as it may reach about 151 billion cubic meters or fall to 42 billion cubic meters annually, and this large variation from year to year makes relying on annual storage extremely dangerous, as it can expose agricultural lands to barrenness. In years with low revenues, Therefore, thinking turned to constructing a huge dam on the Nile to store water in years with high revenues for use in years with low revenues. The building of the High Dam was the first constant storage project at the level of the tub countries to be proceeded within the Egyptian borders.

Unfinished Obelisk:

Obelisks are considered one of the most prominent architectural monuments in ancient Egyptian civilization. They are a purely Egyptian innovation that testifies to the ingenuity of the ancient Egyptian engineer. They were erected in towering pairs in front of temples as memorials. The obelisk was known as “Tekhen” in the ancient Egyptian language. It is a rectangular column made of a single block with a gilded pyramidal top that reflects the rays of the sun. The obelisks became the pride of the kings, and they made sure that the obelisks built during their reign bore their names and titles. The unfinished obelisk was founded in the soon twentieth century as it was filled with sand for thousands of years in one of Aswan’s quarries, famous for its hardness and high quality. It is likely that he began carving this incomplete obelisk on the commission of Queen Hatshepsut (ca. 1473-1458 BC) to erect it In front of the Temple of Amun in Karnak, but work on the recumbent obelisk stopped after many cracks appeared in the stone. The incomplete obelisk is considered one of the longest Egyptian obelisks ever, as it reaches 42 meters in length and weighs approximately 1,168 tons if it were to be completed and erected.

• Meals: Breakfast & Lunch & Dinner.
• Overnight: On Board.

After breakfast on M.S Esplanade Nile Cruise board and check out around 08:00 AM. You will have free time, and at any time we will take you to Aswan airport, train station or any point you want in the city. If your transfer is in the evening you can also see some other places in Aswan like the Nubian Village.

• Meals: Breakfast.
• Final Departure.