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After receiving all required documentation we board our plane and depart from Eleftherios Venizelos Airport for Cairo International Airport at 07:40 am. Arrival in Cairo will be at 09:40 αm. Once we pick up our luggage our bus will be waiting to take us to the Archeological Museum Cairo. Built in 1900, it houses over 120,000 exhibits. During our tour, we will see exhibits such as the tombs found in the Valley of the Kings, the greatest one being that of the Pharaoh Tutankhamun. From there our bus will take us to the Giza Plateau where we will see the Great Pyramids along with the famous Great Sphinx, which has stood for over 4,500 years and are considered one of the great wonders of the ancient world. Next we will visit old Cairo, Babylon. Upon arrival we will visit the Greek Orthodox Church of Saint George. The Church of Saint George was originally constructed in the eight century AD, at which time it was dedicated to Saint George. The church was destroyed by a major fire, but was later rebuilt. The church that is there today is built on top of an ancient Roman tower which connects to the monastery below, and construction was only completed just over 100 years ago in 1904. It is also one of the few round churches ever built in Egypt and is known as the Rotunda of the East. One of its jewels that have survived till this day is found deep in its basement, one of the first Nilometer of the Pharaohs which was used to measure the water level of the Nile River. The last visit of our day will be the Greek Orthodox Cathedral of Saint Nicholas. Built in the 14th century it is considered the oldest and most important spiritual center for the once thriving Greek population of Cairo. During our visit we will venerate the Holy Skull of the Evangelist Mathew and relics of Saint Nektarios, who once lived and performed the Holy Sacraments there. We will also visit his private residence. Arrival at our hotel for dinner and overnight stay.
After breakfast we will depart for the city of Alexander the Great, Alexandria. Before our arrival we will stop to visit the Coptic monastery of Saint Makarios. Saint Makarios, also considered a Saint by the Greek Orthodox church, was the spiritual father to more than 4,000 monks of different nationalities. The monastery, founded in approximately 360 AD by the Saint, has been continuously inhabited by monks since it was established. Upon arrival in Alexandria our first stop will be the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of all of Africa. From there we will visit the Cathedral of the Evangelsimos of the Theotokos and the Patriarchal Monastery of Saint Sabas. The monastery guards hundreds of relics of Alexandrian saints along with the pillar that was used when Great Martyr Catherine was beheaded. The monastery’s main church was where Saint Nektarios was ordained bishop of Pentapolis. Next stop the new Library of Alexandria. The Bibliotheca Alexandrina, as it is called, is built on a magnificent site alongside Alexandria's ancient harbor in the historic center of the city. Conceived as a revival of the ancient library in the city, it was founded by Alexander the Great 2300 years ago and lost to civilization centuries later, the new 11-story library can contain up to 4 million volumes of books, and can be expanded up to 8 million by the use of compact storage. For the remainder of our visit in Alexandria we will have free time for a walk in the streets of this great city and grab something to eat, or just sit down and relax and enjoy the views with a coffee. Return to our hotel in Cairo fordinner and overnight stay.
After breakfast we will depart for another great adventure. We will head down south to the Thebaid Desert. The Thebaid acquired its name from its proximity to the ancient Egyptian capital of Thebes (Luxor). During the Ancient Egyptian dynasties this region was dominated by Thebes and its priesthood at the temple of Amun at Karnak. During our tour in this region we will visit two historical monasteries. First on the list will be that of Saint Anthony the Great. Hidden deep in the Red Sea Mountains, it is located 334 km southeast of Cairo. The Monastery of Saint Anthony was established by the followers of Saint Anthony around 300 AD, it is built on top of the Saint’s tomb. Nearby the monastery is the cave in which the Saint dwelt. Those who wish will have the opportunity to make the climb up the 1158 wooden steps to the cave entrance which takes about half an hour. At the top, as you catch your breath on a small ledge (littered with the graffiti of countless pilgrims), you can admire the wide vistas over the hills and valley below.The next monastery on the list is that of Saint Paul the Anchorite. He is regarded as the first Christian hermit who lived alone in the desert of Egypt from the age of 16 to the age of 113 years old. The oldest of the three churches located in the monastery grounds is built over the cave where the Saint had lived. His holy relics are stored on top of his tomb, which are known to have performed many miracles. Departure for our hotel in Ain Sokhna.
Ain Sokhna is located on the western shore of the Red Sea. Free time for a swim in the Red Sea, then dinner and overnight stay.
After breakfast we depart for the Sinai Peninsula. To get there we will take the 1640 long Ahmed Hamdi tunnel that takes us under the Suez Canal to the Sinai Peninsula. Once we get to the other side we will head south, having the red sea to our right. Our first stop will be Moses's Bath (Hammam Musa) near the city of El Tur (Raithu). El Tur , which is the South Sinai Governorate of Egypt, has been identified as the Biblical Elim, where Moses and the children of Israel came to seventy date palms and twelve springs of water (Exodus 15:27). Christian monks have dwelled in this area from the late third century. At El Tur we will visit the historical Monastery of Saint George which is a dependency of the great Monastery of Saint Catherine. During our visit, the monastery will offer us a complimentary lunch. Final stop of the day will be the Monastery of Saint Catherine. Built between 548 and 565, the monastery is one of the oldest working Christian monasteries in the world. The site contains the world's oldest continually operating library, possessing many unique books and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It’s location is at the footsteps of the Biblical Mount Sinai. Upon arrival we will take part in the vesper service. From there we will attend dinner at the Monastery’s Hospice. Overnight stay at the Hospice.
Before sunrise, for those who are willing , there will be an opportunity to ascend Mount Sinai. The summit is where the Prophet Moses received the Ten Commandments from God. The view from there over the Sinai Peninsula at sunrise will be an unforgettable experience. For those who can’t make the ascend you will be able to take part in the service of Holy Liturgy. Upon descent, you will also be in time to take part in morning service at the Monastery. After service, breakfast will be offered at the Hospice. After breakfast our tour of the monastery begins. We will visit the well of Moses, the Burning Bush, the monastery’s treasury and also have the blessing of venerating many holy relics, the most important those of Saint Catherine. Besides the tour of the monastery we will have time to visit a few of the ancient cells, where holy ascetics once lived, that are found outside the monastery grounds. In the early evening we will take part in the vesper service. Dinner and overnight stay.
Breakfast and departure from the Monastery of Moses in the Oasis of Pharan. From the fourth century Pharan had been the largest Christian center in the Sinai. Today you can see remnants of the first Cathedral that is located beside the women's monastery of the Prophet Moses. Next stop will be the city of Cairo where we will visit a few places that we missed on our first day. Time for souvenir shopping and Arabic tea or coffee at the world famous souk (bazaar), Khan el-Khalili. Established as a center of trade in the Mamluk era and named for one of its several historic caravanserais, the bazaar district has since become one of Cairo's main attractions for tourists and Egyptians alike. It is also home to many Egyptian artisans and workshops involved in the production of traditional crafts and souvenirs. In the evening, for those who would like, there will be an opportunity to take a short cruise in the Nile River where you can also dine. In the late hours of the evening we head out to the airport for our return flight to Athens, departure time 04:40 am and arrives in Athens at 06:40 am.
