EPIC EGYPT

EPIC THRILLS IN EGYPT THE LEGENDS, ARCHITECTURE AND SYMBOLISM OF AN ICONIC TRAVEL DESTINATION, UNPACKED

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FROM THE HEIGHTS OF THESE PYRAMIDS, FORTY centuries look down on us.” I’m not usually moved by the words of dead French autocrats, but as I look up awestruck at the Great Pyramid of Giza, Napoleon’s 1798 speech to his troops comes, irresistibly, to mind. Camel drivers, selfie-snapping tourists, and even the vast Sahara Desert outside Egypt’s capital, Cairo, all seem to fade away. What I’m experiencing hits me like the 5.75-million-ton bulk of Cheops’ tomb. >

STORY | LUCAS AYKROYD PHOTOGRAPHY | G ADVENTURES

THE GREAT SIMBEL RAMSES STATUE UP CLOSE

ABOVE: PROFILE OF THE LEGENDARY SPHINX

RIGHT: KARNAK HOPSTYLE HALL

THE TEMPLES WERE MIRACULOUSLY RELOCATED IN 1968 BY UNESCO TO ENSURE THEY WOULDN’T BE SUBMERGED AFTER THE ASWAN HIGH DAM OPENED.

I ’ve w a ited m y entire life t o see the oldest of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World (built in 2560 BC). Fantastic imagery ranging from Cigars of the Pharaoh, the 1934 Tintin comic album by Hergé, to Powerslave, Iron Maiden’s landmark 1984 heavy metal record, has fueled my obsession.

The G Adventures “Egypt Upgraded” itinerary enables a view of ancient monuments in style, while engaging with locals in authentic settings. Egypt’s 100 million population is 85 percent Sunni Muslim and 15 percent Coptic Christian.

In the city of Aswan, an hour and a half south of Cairo by plane, I find myself on the rooftop of a Nubian Muslim home for an evening feast. Our 14-person group has taken a ride on a traditional wooden felucca boat on the Nile, Africa’s longest river at 6,650 km, to Elephantine Island.

On an early-morning drive to Abu Simbel, the colossal temples of Ramses II, sandstone carvings of the legendary New Kingdom pharaoh, who ruled for 67 years, tower next to man-made Lake Nasser. The temples were miraculously relocated in 1968 by UNESCO to ensure they wouldn’t be submerged after the Aswan High Dam opened.

The main temple is beneath a facade of baboons praising Ra, the sun god. Inside, an aura of mystery pervades. Dramatic wall carvings depict everything from Ramses’ military victories to the afterlife reckoning with ominous deities like the hawk-headed Horus and Osiris, Lord of the Underworld.

Reemerging into the 30°C weather, I exalt as if I’d just defeated the Hittites at the Battle of Kadesh. This tour is already an enormous win. Yet there’s more to come as we cruise down the Nile.

ABOVE: THE COLOURFUL CHARACTERS OF CAIRO’S MARKETS

ABOVE LEFT: CAMEL RIDING IN THE NORTH AFRICAN DESERT

LEFT: THE SPICE SOUK (MARKET) IN CAIRO

On a morning visit to the Philae island temple complex, the melding of Pharaonic, Ptolemaic, and Roman architecture brings a charming lightness, honouring Isis, the goddess of love. At night, we delve into the menace of Kom Ombo. Bats swoop above hauntingly lit ruins, and stunningly preserved crocodile mummies bear mute tribute to Sobek, the crocodile god.

In Luxor, we stroll along the riverfront marble sidewalk and shop at the 1909-founded Aboudi Bookstore. Yet amid the crowds at Karnak, I’m right back to humming grandiose 1980s heavy-metal songs. I check out the Great Hypostyle Hall, built more than 3,000 years ago by Seti I. Near the shimmering Sacred Lake stands a magnificent granite obelisk, dedicated to Hatshepsut, the first female pharaoh. The tour also includes a visit to Hatshepsut’s mortuary temple and King Tutankahmun’s tomb in the Valley of the Kings. The Mediterranean metropolis of Alexandria offers a refreshing change of pace, from its glasspaneled, $220-million library to freshcaught shrimp and gray mullet at the Fish Market restaurant.

WHERE TO STAY: Fairmont Nile City Cairo: Celebrating its 10th anniversary in 2020, this 504-room hotel features 24-hour concierge service, Arabian cuisine at Bab El Nil, and the Willow Stream Spa.

Sofitel Winter Palace Luxor: It’s where the discovery of King Tut’s tomb was announced and where Agatha Christie wrote Death on the Nile. Stroll through the former Egyptian royal gardens and sleep luxuriously in a Magnifique Suite. Four Seasons Resort Sharm El Sheikh: This topflight Red Sea property offers nearly 80 dive sites. From a Bedouin-style beach feast to sunset cocktails at the Citadel Lounge, relaxation options abound.