“All Egypt is the gift of the Nile”, wrote the Greek historian Herodotus. For many thousands of
years, the benevolent river witnessed a fantastic civilisation grow and develop along its banks.
Death and eternity became an obsession of the God Pharaohs who built tombs and monuments to defy
time. Dynasties rose and fell; invaders came and went; religions waxed and waned. The relics of
this colossal past await members of the Egyptian inland tours which are described in detail in
the following pages.
As the chief port of Egypt and its second city, Alexandria may claim some eminence today, but
its glory undoubtedly lies in its past. As the name implies, it was founded by Alexander the
Great more than 300 years B.C. and the famous conqueror was buried in the city.
For 250 years the city remained free and became the centre of culture for the ancient world.
It was also a centre of luxury. Its palaces were the stage for many a splendid event though none
of them equals in fame the loves of Anthony and Cleopatra.
Egypt's Queen, and the last of the Ptolemies who first with Julius Caesar and then with Anthony was twice within
reach of becoming Empress of the World.
It was not until the 7th century that warfare touched Alexandria when the Persians and then the
Arabs conquered it. The loss sustained by the invasions of the Arabs can never be estimated, for
the destruction of the Alexandrine Library at the time has robbed the world of countless treasures
amongst the classics.
Many amongst you will travel to Cairo, Egypt's bustling capital, where the treasures and excavated
wonders of the ancient tombs almost stun the mind, as an endeavour is made to comprehend the wonders
of the ancient world. The time defying Pyramids and Sphinx at Giza - perhaps you will see the
performance of (Son et Lumière) Sound and Light, with this historic setting used as a stage.
Further afield to Luxor - the Valley of the Kings where more splendours await to excite the mind
and the imagination. Through this arid desert flows the mighty Nile. Having given birth to Egypt
she flows on watching over her offspring as a mother would a child. What sights must have been
mirrored in the dark waters, as from Biblical times, history has evolved along her fertile banks.
Horse drawn carriages can be hired for rides around the city
Buses and a tram network cover the city but it is advisable to take some form
of transport from dock to the town, as it is some distance and not an inspiring walk
Be sure that the cab or carriage driver uses the meter or agrees a price before you start your journey in order to
avoid any later embarrassment
Churches
St. Catherine - Roman Catholic - Services hourly - 6am until noon
St. Mark - Protestant - Liberation Square
Restaurants
Pastroudis A1 Horreya Avenue
Omar el Khayyam - Saad Zaghloul Square
Ikhlas el Chark - Corner Zaghloul, Sultan Hussein Street
All kinds of leather goods - bags, shoes, wallets, etc. Brass
trays - camel saddles - candlesticks - dolls, camels and all manner of local souvenirs.
Bazaars
are set up alongside the ship outside the Sea Passenger Terminal. Remember to bargain
and not accept first price offered.
Beaches
Very fine white sandy beaches stretch for 18 miles from Alexandria along the
coast. The best beaches include those at Al-Agami, Cleopatra, Stanley, Sidi-Bishr, Al-Montazah,
A1 M'amura and Aboukir.
Sporting Club
An excellent sporting club exists in Alexandria, though private, passengers
from the ship have been welcomed in the past. The facilities include Golf Course - swimming pool,
tennis, horse riding, restaurant and is set in an excellent locality.
Ras el Tin Palace (former summer palace of King Farouk)
A1 Montazah Palace
Graeco-Roman. Fine Arts
Hydrobiological
The Antoniadis Gardens
Places of Interest
Cairo
Born of the Nile - with her fantastic treasures - the Pyramids, the Sphinx - Museums, Ancient
Mosque, Bazaars - to visit is to journey back into the past. Regular train services run between
Alexandria and Cairo - the journey taking approximately three hours.
Hotels
Nile Hilton
Shepheards Hotel
Semiramis
Cairo 1970s: The 8th October Bridge across the River Nile
[Photo: Peter Stevens Collection]NavBar
Cairo Shops
Nile Bazaar - 15 Barakat Street
M. A. Mansoor Sons - Semiramis Hotel
Ding Dong Bazaar - 24 Rue Ablas
D. Hassaram - 2 Fouad lst Street
Lucky Bazaar - Shepherds Hotel
Dialdos - 55 Ibrahim Pacha
Onnigs - Khan Khalili Bazaar - Semiramis Hotel
Hassan - El Waldo Street
Anglo-American Bookshop - 55 Gomhouria Street
Karnak Bazaar - opp. American Embassy
E. Hatoun and Sons - Mousky Street
Egyptian Mousky Bazaar - Mousky Street
Miss Egypt Fashions - Nile Hilton Hotel
Mousky Chic Fashions - Nile Hilton Hotel
Places of Interest contd.
Luxor
Twelve hours by train from Cairo or two hours by aircraft. Luxor, part of ancient Thebes lies
the modern city of Luxor - some 325 miles “up” the Nile, south of Cairo. In 1800 B.C., unknown
invaders overran the delta of Egypt, forcing the Pharaohs to relocate their capital city. Thebes
became the new centre, flourishing for centuries as the pride of Egypt's “Middle Kingdom.”
Ambassadors from the farthest reaches of the then known world came to marvel at the great temples
of Karnak and Luxor, linked by a mile-long avenue of ram sphinxes. Modern tourists are no less
awed by the ruins of these grandiose structures.
Across the river in the desert Valley of the Kings are wonders even more abundant: the Colossi
of Memnon, the decorated tombs of the Pharaohs dug into the rock walls of cliffs, and the unique,
three-tiered funerary temple of Queen Hatshepsut.
Avenue of ram sphinxes leading to
Temple of Karnak at Luxor
[Image: 1965 Shore Brochure]
