Exploring Ancient Egypt

Who doesn’t want to see the Pyramids? Even though I wasn’t one of those kids obsessed with mummies and tomb excavations, the lure of visiting remnants of one of the oldest civilizations on the planet is not to be resisted. The scope of ancient Egyptian history and innovation is mind boggling, the mythology and culture fascinating. And when our small but intrepid band of Art Deco enthusiasts discovered the possibility of traveling in period costume combined with a very retro cruise up the Nile, I was all in. We arranged and customized our tour through Goodspeed & Bach, a New York-based company with a flair for unique small group travel. The itinerary included overnight stays in three of the most iconic historic hotels in Egypt — the Gezira Palace in Cairo, the Winter Palace in Luxor, and the Old Cataract Hotel in Aswan — as well as five nights on the SS Sudan, last of the early twentieth century steamships cruising the Nile. Joining our group were vintage Egyptologists John and Colleen Darnell, paleontologist Lee R. Berger, and NYC-based soprano Lily Arbisser. We did make a pretty impressively spiffy group; other tourists at the various historic sites took as many photos of our group as they did of the majestic columns and hieroglyphic inscriptions.

We didn’t mind being seen, but we were there to appreciate and explore the treasures of ancient Egypt ourselves. And such treasures: “Yes, wonderful things!” in the words of Howard Carter as he peered into the tomb of Tutankhamun nearly a hundred years ago. I won’t try to describe thousands of years of Egyptian history; there are many books that do an excellent job of navigating the various dynasties, excavation efforts and site discoveries, and even notable curses (if that’s your thing). I’ll just provide a brief but representative photographic summary of my Egypt adventure, below.

  • Gezira Palace

  • Egyptian Museum

  • The Pyramids at Giza

  • The Great Pyramid

  • Sphinx and Pyramid

  • King Tut Treasure Box

  • Winter Palace, Luxor

  • Colossus of Memnon

  • Smiting

  • Valley of the Artisans

  • Luxor Temple

  • Luxor Temple

  • Obelisk, Luxor

  • Luxor

  • Hatshepsut Mortuary Temple

  • Valley of the Kings

  • Valley of the Kings

  • Hieroglyphs

  • Tomb painting

  • Solar boat (Ramsses IX)

  • Karnak Temple

  • Karnak

  • Obelisk, Karnak

  • Ram-headed sphinxes, Karnak

  • Edfu

  • Horus Temple, Edfu

  • Kom Ombor

  • Kom Ombor

  • Temple of Isis, Philae

  • Philae

  • Cleopatra VII (Philae)

  • Elephantine Island

  • View of Elephantine Island

Cruising on the SS Sudan

A definite highlight of the tour was our five nights on the SS Sudan, cruising up the Nile from Luxor to Aswan. One of three steam ships built by Thomas Cook between 1911–1921, the Sudan thrived during the golden age of Egypt tourism in the ’20s and ’30s, carrying Agatha Christie, Winston Churchill, King Farouk, and other dignitaries to architectural sites up and down the river. After five decades of abandonment and dry dock beginning with World War II, the boat was salvaged and completely refurbished to its Belle Epoque glory. The Sudan is now the last of the early twentieth steamships still working; its storied history is recorded through the names of the suites and staterooms (ours was named for Vivant Denon, a diplomat and writer on Napoleon’s staff, who sketched the ancient Egyptian sites and later became head of the Louvre) and dozens of period photo prints. Christie, the Queen of Crime, is said to have written her novel Death on the Nile during her cruise; the 2004 filmed version starring David Suchet was filmed on the Sudan as a fitting tribute to the boat’s charms.

The SS Sudan more than lived up to its reputation. Our group of 36 time travelers reserved the entire boat (18 cabins and 4 suites), and were treated to impeccable and friendly service from the staff and crew, being serenaded as we boarded the boat in Luxor, handed a moist towel and refreshing drink whenever we returned from a site visit, offered tours of the galleys and engine room by men who were obviously proud to be part of the Sudan’s staff. Our meals were fabulous, featuring a combination of classic French cuisine and local specialities. Amir, the manager, was attentive to any needs, and although he was shy about his English, I believe he learned the names of every passenger and made us feel like welcomed members of this family.

  • Serenade to the Sudan

  • Boarding pass

  • Cabin door plaque

  • Inside our cabin

  • In the lounge

  • Signature cocktail

  • Captain on duty

  • Elegant staircase

  • Lee Berger talk

  • Crossing the Nile

  • Moonlight on the Nile

  • Pajama breakfast

  • Cabin telephone

  • Lounge deck

  • Chief engineer

  • Touring the engine room

  • PIlot house

  • Lily entertains

  • Sunset

  • Durrells research talk

  • Cruising through history

  • From the chef

  • Last night aboard

  • Adieu from the staff

Traveling back in time

Here’s a collection of group photos we took at some of our site visits. Most were taken by Goodspeed & Bach leaders Matt and William, or by our local guide Abdul; thanks to Cin Barnes for passing on the images (she had the most impressive-looking camera gear 😉 ).

  • Pyramids on the Giza Plateau

  • at the Colossi of Memnon

  • Hatshepsut Mortuary Temple

  • The Temple of Edfu

  • Temple of Isis, Philae

Recommended Reading & Viewing

Books

  • Alaa al-Aswany, The Automobile Club of Egypt (2013)
  • Agatha Christie, Death on the Nile (1937)
  • Lord Dunsany [Edward J. M. D. Plunkett], “The Sphinx at Giza” in Fifty-One Tales (1915)
  • Lucie Duff Gordon, Letters from Egypt (1862–1869)
  • Amelia B. Edwards, A Thousand Miles Up the Nile (1888)
  • Ronald H. Fritze, Egyptomania: A History of  Fascination, Obsession and Fantasy (2016)
  • Waguih Ghali, Beer in the Snooker Club (1964)
  • Brad Geagley, Year of the Hyenas: A Novel of Ancient Egypt (2005)
  • Janice Hamrick, Death on Tour (2011)
  • Michael Korda, Hero: The Life and Legend of Lawrence of Arabia (2010)
  • Naguib Mahfouz, Palace Walk (1990)

Film & TV

  • Cleopatra (esp. the 1934 version with Claudette Colbert)
  • Death on the Nile (theatrical film, 1978)
  • Death on the Nile (TV episode, 2004)
  • The Egyptian (1954)
  • The Mummy (esp. the 1999 version)
  • Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
  • Stargate (1994)