NOVEMBER 5 - 20, 2011

REGISTRATION DEADLINE PASSED - CALL TO CHECK AVAILABILITY 210-821-7000
For the discriminating traveler, the American Research Center in Egypt (ARCE), in collaboration with Eskin Tours International, is offering a unique 15-night tour that knits together the Pharaonic, Coptic, and Medieval periods of Egypt’s rich cultural history, with an emphasis on cultural preservation. You will learn about American efforts to preserve this magnificent history within the context of modern day Egypt, with unparalleled behind-the-scenes tours of historically iconic sites where the Research Center has conducted preservation activities.

Since its founding in 1948, ARCE has been a remarkably active scholarly presence in Egypt, working to facilitate research and expeditions by pre-eminent American universities and museums. More recently, ARCE’s activities have expanded to include a wide variety of training and conservation initiatives aimed at preserving vulnerable and historically noteworthy sites throughout Egypt.

In this one-of-a-kind tour experience, the must-see sites of ancient Egypt will be made more meaningful by the ARCE scholars and professionals who are working to protect them. We will also take "the road less traveled" through recently conserved Coptic and Medieval sites that reveal the significance of these periods in Egypt's long history.

Serving as our guides are two experts in Egyptian history and architecture, Dr. Jocelyn Gohary and Dr. Tarek Swelim. ARCE senior staff members will share additional insights along the way at ARCE preservation sites.
Read their bios>>

TOUR HIGHLIGHTS:

Cairo

• Visit the storied Egyptian Museum, home to the world's largest collection of ancient Egyptian artifacts, including King Tutankhamun’s golden treasures. Here, ARCE established the museum's very first registrar's office and initiated the first comprehensive, expandable, digitized inventory of the museum's massive collection.
  

• Explore the evolution of Egyptian pyramid building, beginning in Dahshur, moving through Saqqara, and concluding at the iconic Giza plateau.

• Visit the Coptic and Medieval quarters of Cairo where you will experience the many layers of history that are critical to understanding the development of this great city. Here you will be led by experts who are working in collaboration with our Egyptian colleagues to provide a rich educational context for the adventurous visitor.
  
  

  Wall painting at St. Antony's monastery

  
  

• Enjoy shopping in the Khan el-Khalili and Al-Fustat markets.

Red Sea Coast

• We’ll drive south along the Red Sea coast to St. Antony’s Monastery, where the Christian monastic tradition began in the Eastern Desert in the 4th century A.D. Stunning wall paintings in the monastery reveal the true artistry of Coptic painting, now fully visible for the first time in centuries as a result of ARCE's cleaning and conservation work. Also on display are early monks' cells, which ARCE helped to conserve and make accessible to visitors.
  

Sohag/Abydos/Luxor (ancient Thebes)

• In Sohag, we will visit the seldom-toured Red and White Monastery churches, dating to the 5th and 6th centuries, A.D. The church in the Red Monastery is among the best-preserved examples of religious architecture from the Late Antique/Early Byzantine period in the entire Mediterranean world.

• In Abydos, we transport to an area used as a sacred site since pre-dynastic times. There we will visit the New Kingdom mortuary temple of Seti I, representing a revival of Old Kingdom forms.
  

• Experience ancient Thebes as we explore Karnak and Luxor temples, religious structures that were at the heart of Pharaonic civilization for 1500 years. ARCE’s monitoring and conservation activities here are helping to slow deterioration and train the Egyptian conservators responsible for maintaining this extraordinary heritage.
  
  

  Sailing at Aswan

• On the west bank of the Nile, you’ll explore Medinet Habu, the memorial temple of Ramesses III; Deir El-Bahri, built by a famous female Pharaoh, Queen Hatshepsut; the Valley of the Kings; tombs of the nobles; and the Ramesseum.

Aswan/Abu Simbel

• See Abu Simbel, the twin temples of Ramesses II and his queen Nefertari.

• Visit the Philae temple, the High Damk Kitchener and Elephantine Islands, and Nubian Museum at Aswan.

View Detailed Itinerary

Read a May 2011 Business Insider article about why NOW is the time to go to Egypt>>
Read a WSJ article about post-revolution Egyptian travel>>

SPACE IS LIMITED. REGISTER TODAY!

REGISTRATION DEADLINE PASSED - CALL TO CHECK AVAILABILITY 210-821-7000 The total cost of the 15-night tour is $5,200. Price includes hotels, all travel within Egypt, most meals, tipping, visas, and a $1,000 tax-deductible donation to ARCE. Exclusions: International round-trip airfare, some meals, beverages with included dinners, and optional trip insurance.

Both a completed registration form and $500 deposit per person are needed to complete a reservation. Click 'register' to download the registration form. Click 'make deposit' to make a deposit online.

register make deposit

Questions can be directed to Nadia Eskinazi at Eskin Tours. Phone:1-800-315-9179 
Email: eskintours@sbcglobal.net