SUDAN By Helicopter with
SUDAN by helicopter with TROPIC AIR Old Dongola
1
Temple of Soleb
DAY
KARIMA - SOLEB - TOMBOS - SEBU - KARIMA NUBIAN REST HOUSE
Arrive at Dongola Airstrip early morning. We will get straight into the trip and head north up to the Temple of Soleb, the most beautiful Egyptian temple of all Sudan, testimony of the New Kingdom in Nubia, with many walls rich in hieroglyphic inscriptions, bas-relief figures and many columns. The first settlement dates from 1500 B.C at the time of the first Egyptian colonization. Flying over the Nile we will see the rapids of the 3rd Cateract, we land to see some petroglyph in Wadi Sebu before continuing to the nearby Tombos where a lonely statue of a XXV dynasty king is left uncompleted in the sand for last 2.700 years. Fly back down the Nile to the Nubian Rest House of Karima for lunch. Overnight at the Nubian Rest House.
2 KARIMA - OLD DONGOLA - NUBIAN VILLAGES - KERMA DAY
DESERT MOBILE CAMP Today early morning we fly to Old Dongola where we can see the ruins of some Christian churches where columns are left in the desert. Breakfast in the desert. Then we fly over the Nubian villages with opportunity to stop and visit a painted house. We visit the archeological site of Kerma and its Defuffa. We fly over some oases in the Western desert, we will fly over sand dunes, rock formations and whatever else we may find out there in the desert until we reach Laqiya Arbain a small desert oasis with few palm trees. Here we reach our mobile camp in the desert. We may have to camp near a small military checkpoint. In the evening, we can either fly or drive out into the desert somewhere for sundowners (non-alcoholic sadly). There will be a waxing almost full moon, which will be great in camp. Overnight in the Desert Mobile Camp.
DAY
3
WESTERN DESERT - JEBEL UWEINAT - JEBEL KISSU
DESERT MOBILE CAMP
Jebel Uweinat (about 2,000 m. high) is the most incredible mountain in the Libyan Desert. Situated roughly in the center of one of the driest area in the Sahara, exactly at the border of Sudan, Libya and Egypt, it is like an island above the surrounding plain. Its height is sufficient to capture the very little rain that occasionally reaches this area. These rains are very rare and they might occur every 10-15 years, however even this little water is enough to allow some vegetation and wildlife to survive in those valleys. Jebel Uweinat was first discovered by the Egyptian explorer Ahmed Hassanein during his first Western Sahara crossing in 1923, but the real exploration was done by the Hungarian explorer László Almásy in the ‘30ies. Geologically speaking the mountain is made of a shield of granite rocks covered by sedimentary sandstone rocks, eroded by the wind into unusual shapes. The sandstone slab forms an elevated plateau that is dissected into several large units. The most important valley, Karkur Talh is in the in Sudan part of the Jebel. In prehistoric times, the mountain was densely populated, as attested by the hundreds of rock paintings and engravings that may be found in shelters along the sides of all the main valleys perfectly preserved by the dry climate. Probably the most rich and beautiful “rock art museum” of the whole Sahara. Overnight in the Desert Mobile Camp.
DAY
3
Continued . . .
Jebel Kissu
DESERT MOBILE CAMP
Jebel Kissu is a solitary massive granite outcrop, where the eroded rock boulders pile up almost continuously around the foot of the mountain. In some part the boulders form shelters. The first British explorers who travelled in the area recorded in their diaries to have found some rock paintings. Return to the desert camp for dinner and overnight in the small oases of Laquiya Arbain. We will have some spotlights and it may be fun to do a night drive and look for the Fennec fox. Overnight in the Desert Mobile Camp.
DAY
4
El Kurru
WESTERN DESERT - JEBEL BARKAL and the neocropolis of EL KURRU. NUBIAN REST HOUSE Today we fly back to the Nile, and south to the Nubian Rest House in time for lunch. In the afternoon we can move southwards to the village of El Kurru where there is one of the necropolises of the ancient capital, Napata. Here we can visit one tomb, which is excavated in the rock under pyramids - partially collapsed - and it is decorated with images of the Pharaoh, of the gods and multicolor hieroglyphic inscriptions. Not far from here there is an interesting site of petrified wood, an ancient forest with hundreds of huge trunks. We have the opportunity to climb Jebel Barkal at Sunset. Return to the Nubian Rest House for overnight.
Jebel Barkal
DAY
5
KARIMA - MEROE - NAGA - MUSSAWARAT
MEROE CAMP
A landmark in the Nubian Desert, Jebel Barkal ( Jebel means Mountain in Arabic), can be seen from a few dozen kilometers whilst still in the open desert. At the foot of this wonderful and isolated red sandstone mountain, considered holy since the ancient times, there is a big temple, dedicated to the Pharaohs of the New Reign and to their patron, Amon. Amon's ancient "Pure Mountain", the Olympus of the Nubians, was the religious Nubian heart for more than 1000 years. Besides the ruins of the big temple there are still several sculptured granite rams that were supposed to border a long avenue that probably led to the pier on the Nile. In the mountain wall there is a big room decorated with bas-relief. We fly over the Pyramids of Nuri, which are located on the Eastern side of the river, and then we follow the Nile, the new artificial lake, the 5th Nile cataract and then down to the ancient land of Meroe. Lunch in the Meroe Camp.
DAY
5
Continued . . .
MEROE CAMP
In the afternoon, we fly to two amazing archaeological sites - the site of Naga is located about 30km to the East of the Nile and it is one of the two centers that developed during the Meroitic period. In Naga, a typical Saharan environment with rocks and sand, we find a temple dedicated to Apedemak (1st century A.D.): a wonderful building with bas-relief decorations depicting the god with a lion’s head, the Pharaoh, noblemen and several ritual images. A few meters away there is a small and odd construction with arches and columns, named "kiosk", in which we can notice Egyptian, Roman and Greek styles, all at the same time. Not far away we reach another temple dedicated to Amon with many statues of rams and beautiful gates decorated with bas-reliefs. We then go to Musawarat, not far away from Naga. This settlement is located in a beautiful valley crowned by hills. Here the ruins of a very big temple are visible; it once played an exceptional important role. Its main characteristic, the “Great Enclosure” is made by many constructions and boundary walls that surround a temple built in the 1st century A.D. The large number of elephants represented on these walls makes you think that this animal used to have an important role in the area. Beyond the big wadithere is another temple- restored by a German archaeological mission - dedicated to the god Apedemak. Return to Meroe Camp in the late afternoon and do a short trip of the Meroe pyramids. Dinner & overnight at Meroe Camp. *** The archaeological sites of the Meroitic Empire were listed in the World Heritage Unesco sites in June 2011. Temple of Amun - Naga
DAY
Musawwarat
6
MEROE - PORT SUDAN CORAL HOTEL We will be up for sunrise at the pyramids and then return to camp for a good breakfast. Today we fly to Port Sudan, along the way we will search for some newly discovered rock art sites and maybe discover some of our own. We will arrive for a late lunch at the coral Hotel and in the afternoon we will visit the archaeological site of Suwakin. Dinner and overnight at the Coral Hotel, Port Sudan.
Lion Temple - Musawwarat
Port Sudan
DAY
7
DEPARTURE PORT SUDAN We can fly up or down the coast and land on one of the small islands for a picnic and some snorkeling. PM departure from Port Sudan onwards.
S U D A N
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TEMPLE OF SOLEB
OLD DONGOLA
JEBEL UWEINAT
JEBEL BARKAL MOUNTAIN
EL KURRU
NUBIAN DESERT
NURI, SUDAN
NUBIAN VILLAGE
NUBIAN VILLAGE
TEMPLE OF AMON - NAGA
SUDANESE MOSQUE
SUFI DANCING, SUDAN
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