January . 2012 1

Egyptian Tourism Promotion AuthorityEGYPT THIS MONTH

Issue 31January 2012 www.egypt.travel

Liv

e C

olo

rs E

gy

pt

Cruising the Nile is a dream on the agenda of most tourists from around the world. It has been the destination for dignitaries, movie stars and celebrities for many years. Probably, and since Agatha Christie’s famous novel, “Death on the Nile”, Nile cruises have become even more popular.

Nile cruises are a classic escape for Pharaonic era enthusiasts and outdoor adventurers alike. Visitors to this part of the world, will also be introduced to the country’s natural beauty and extensive open-air museums.

Typically, travelers will fly, or take the overnight train down to a location such as Luxor or Aswan, and then board their cruise boat from there. Cruises may last anywhere from three days to eight days, depending on the travel

EXPLORE THE ANCIENT WORLD

IN LUXURY

a SpeCIal ChrISTmaS CelebraTIon In The CaThedral

el- Samaeyeen In Sharm el SheIkh

The Egyptian Travel Agencies Association in South Sinai will be organizing a religious celebration and a special Greek Orthodox mass which will be held by a priest from Russia on January 7th, 2012 to celebrate Christmas in the Cathedral El- Samaeyeen in Sharm El Sheikh

Foreign tourists, especially Russians in Sharm el-Sheikh have been invited to attend the ceremony.

2 January . 2012 January . 2012 3

Egyptian Tourism Promotion Authority News letter Egyptian Tourism Promotion Authority News letter L

ive

Co

lors

Eg

yp

t

Liv

e C

olo

rs E

gy

pt

arrangements made to visit Upper Egyptian cities such as Luxor, Aswan, Edfu and Dendera. Other cruise boat tours are available for Lake Nasser, offering different programs.

The benefits of a Nile cruise are not only that they offer a unique mode of travel to experience Pharaonic antiquities, but that they provide a glimpse into the traditional rural lifestyle of the communities that live along the banks of the Nile. The way of life is practiced much the way it was thousands of years ago, with villages composed primarily of mud brick homes and farmers tending to their crops with

the help of donkeys and water buffalos. Witnessing this tends to have a very novel and soothing effect on travelers, since the calm environment sits in sharp contrast to the claustrophobic nature of larger urban cities.

Cruises from Luxor to Aswan or Vice Versa

Traditionally, the most popular cruise packages involve or sailing from Luxor to Aswan or vice versa. There are also packages that include extra cities of interest such as Edfu, Kom Ombo and Esna, which are all located near Luxor and Aswan.Esna, which is 54km from Luxor, is where you will see the Temple of Khnum, the god who fashioned man on his potter’s wheel. On the west bank of the Nile, Edfu is spread upon the mound of an ancient city, where the temple of Horus is on the outskirts. Southwards, beyond Edfu, you come to the east bank around Kom Ombo, which has a huge Nubian population and where the Temple of Sobek and Haroeris stand.

In Luxor, there are the awe-inspiring Luxor Temple and Karnak Temples to visit, as well as the Valley of the Kings, the Colossi of Memnon and Hatshepsut’s Temple in the West Bank. Aswan offers up the massive High Dam, the unfinished Obelisque, and the beautiful Philae temple, which is dedicated to the goddess Isis. Other typical sites and activities in Aswan include sailing on feluccas and visiting the Botanical Gardens and the Agha Khan Mausoleum.

The 10Th InTernaTIonal CyClIng raCe

On January 14th, the 10th International cycling race will take place in Egypt under the auspices of the Egyptian Tourism Authority (ETA) in the Pyramids area. Competitors will cover a distance of 1010 km inside Egypt, then cross several African countries, to end up in South Africa after one hundred days from the start of the race.

The race in Egypt is extended over eight stages and starts on January 14, 2012 at 8:00 am from the Pyramids panoramic site till Edfu in Aswan on January 23, 2012.

Eighty bikers of different nationalities will partici-pate from Canada, Netherlands, Hungary, the Czech Republic, South Africa, France, Belgium, England, Ireland, Australia and Poland.

Lake Cruises from Aswan to Abu Simbel and Vice Versa

Abu Simbel is home to the Great Temple of Rameses II – a world heritage site – and the Small Temple of Nefertari. Before you set sail, you will be taken by motor launch from your boat across the south face of the High Dam to New Kalabasha on the far side of the lake. When you arrive at the west bank you will see the Temple of Wadi el Sebua which is also referred to as avenue of lion-bodied sphinxes that leads up to the outer courts of the temple. You will also see the Temple of Dakka, dedicated to Thoth and the Temple of Maharraqa. From Qar Ibrim to abu Simbel the voyage is 60km and here the lake becomes very broad again. Abu Simbel contains four colossal statues of Ramses II and they are among the most stupendous monument of ancient Egypt. The temples produce a very grand effect by moonlight or at sunrise.

Sun FeSTIval aT abu SImbel22 February 2012

The Sun Festival at Abu Simbel Temple in Aswan is held twice a year, during the months of February and October. At the break of dawn on the birth anniversary and coronation of King Ramses II, shafts of sunlight streams into the temple and throws light on the statues of the king and the two sun gods, Re-Horakhte and Amen-Re seated beside the Theban god Ptah, the god of darkness.

The rest of the year, the temple is in absolute darkness. This is a rare phenomenon and on that occasion the event is celebrated by the locals with dance, music and food.

Condé naST Traveler readerS rank Four SeaSonS reSorT Sharm el SheIkh # 1

reSorT In The World

Four Seasons Resort Sharm El Sheikh has been voted the top ranked resort in the world in the annual Condé Nast Traveler Readers’ Choice Awards.

The Resort was ranked #1 in Africa and the Middle East, and is #3 among all hotels and resorts in the world in the Top 100.

With an outstanding score of 98.6, travelers who have visited Four Seasons Resort Sharm El Sheikh in the past year have rewarded the seaside resort’s high standards of service and performance.

Rare among international sun and beach destina-tions, Four Seasons Sharm El Sheikh offers a desert and sea hideaway, combining the Sinai desert’s year round sunshine with the Red Sea’s world-class diving.

Within an oasis of lush greenery and fountains, Four Seasons is a self-contained world with multiple options for dining, glamorous swimming pools, a pri-vate beach, kids activities and indoor-outdoor Spa, where authentic Egyptian traditions come to life with thoughtfully personalized Four Seasons care.

4 January . 2012 January . 2012 5

Egyptian Tourism Promotion Authority News letter Egyptian Tourism Promotion Authority News letter L

ive

Co

lors

Eg

yp

t

Liv

e C

olo

rs E

gy

pt

InauguraTIon oF The kebaSh road nexT marCh For InTernaTIonal TourISm

The Kebash Road (Avenue of the Sphinxes) will be partly opened for international and local tourism, next March, hence coinciding with the international ITB Berlin 2012 in Germany. In parallel, the remain-ing part under restoration of the road, for a length of 150 meters will be the completed as well, decided both the Minister of State for Antiquities Affairs and the Governor of Luxor.

The Kebash road is a historical project, as this is the longest path linking two ancient Egyptian temples, the Luxor Temple and Karnak Temple, over a length of 2,700 meters and a width of 76 meters. Statues of gods and kings line up on both sides of the road in the form of the Sphinx.

The development project of Kebash Road is regarded as one of the most important religious and archaeological monuments and sites in Luxor, and stands as one of the oldest religious roads in the world which represents a new addition to the archaeologi-cal sites that will have a positive impact on tourism in Egypt and increase significantly international tour-ism to Egypt. Many other restoration projects are under development, specially the renovation work of the temple of Karnak, and the temple dedicated to the moon god Khonsu. The restoration work that has been so far accomplished shows the beauty and accuracy of the temple’s inscriptions, as well as the greatness of the eighteenth and nineteenth dynasties.

CroCodIle muSeum To open In aSWan nexT monTh

The first “Museum of Crocodiles” is to open this month in front of the Temple of Kom Ombo in Aswan, coinciding with Aswan’s National Day.

The museum will display a collection of mummi-fied crocodiles, and statues of the god Sobek , the crocodile god, as the Ancient Egyptian worshipped him believing that he was the creator of the world who arose from the “Dark Water”. For that reason they built the temples in Kom Ombo, Esna, Fayoum and in other areas.

A total of forty mummified crocodiles of various sizes: from the smallest, 1.5 metres long, to the real giants of almost five metres of length will be exhibited.

Luxury CruisingIn between visiting the sites, travelers are often free to

explore the areas where the cruise boats dock, especially the cities of Luxor and Aswan, before heading on to the next location. There are several heritage hotels to visit such as the Winter Palace and the Old Cataract Hotels.

Nights are always spent on the cruise ships and meals are often divided between local offerings in the areas being visited and meals served on the boat. The budget of most Nile cruise boats is quite flexible, so you can choose anything from a high-end luxury cruiser, complete with pools, clubs, restaurants and room service, to a more wallet-friendly cruise boat with lesser amenities. In all cases, these massive ‘floating hotels’ are usually very well maintained with highly experienced staff. Entertainment on the cruise boats is always available, and usually features nightly shows with traditional dancers and musicians.

The best times to enjoy a Nile cruise are during the period stretching from October to April, when the weather ranges between chilly to mild. The summer months in Upper Egypt, in particular, can often be quite hot during the day, though evenings are mild. So when planning a cruise during the summer, make sure that the site seeing tours are conducted in the early mornings.

Sunday 1st

•Art El Alma del Mundo - An exhibition by Spanish

artist Miguel Angel Sanchez. The artist photo-

graphed 110 residents in his studio, from musicians,

painters, ministers, shoe shiners, bloggers and

others. Each photo is dramatic with chiaroscuro, or

a vivid contrast between light and dark.

Palace of Arts, Cairo Opera Grounds

Tel: (02) 2736 8796

Time: Exhibition runs until January 9th

Identities - Three artists from Hamburg ask

questions about forms and definitions.

Mashrabia Gallery of Contemporary Art,

8 Champollion St. Downtown.

Tel: (02) 2578 4494

Time: Exhibition runs until January 12th

Contemporary Views IV/Figurative Practices -

Pioneer artists such as Samir Rafi, Tahia Halim, and

Ragheb Ayad.

Al Masar Art Gallery

Tel: (02) 3570 2975

Time: January 29th

•Music Bikya Band - DrumNBass, Trip-hop, Folktronica

Cairo Jazz Club, 197, 26th July St. Agouza

Tel: (02) 3346 1071

Time: 10 pm

Thursday 5th

•Music Gala Concert - Cairo Opera Orchestra.

Main Hall, Cairo Opera House.

Tel: (02) 2739 0132

Time: 8 pm

Friday 6th

•Music DJ Masters at Funk - Deep Funky House

Cairo Jazz Club, 197, 26th July St. Agouza

Tel: (02) 3346 1071

Time: 10 pm

Sunday 8th

•Music Jazz - Eclectic Band

Cairo Jazz Club, 197, 26th July St. Agouza

Tel: (02) 3346 1071

Time: 10 pm

Tuesday 10th

•Art On Codes, Symbols & Stockholm Syndrome -

Khaled Hafez’s work is politically charged and in it he

attempts to reproduce what he calls the ‘Big Mac’

Through his work Hafez seeks to evoke the negative

and positive of Egypt’s history.

Safar Khan Art Gallery

Tel: (02) 3570 2975

Time: until January 27th

•Music Pop/Rock/Blues - Crash Boom Bang Band

Cairo Jazz Club, 197, 26th July St. Agouza

Tel: (02) 3346 1071

Time: 10 pm

•Opera La Boheme - Cairo Opera Orchestra.

Main Hall, Cairo Opera House.

Tel: (02) 2739 0132

Time: 8 pm

Wednesday 11th

•Opera La Boheme - Cairo Opera Orchestra.

Main Hall, Cairo Opera House.

Tel: (02) 2739 0132

Time: 8 pm

Thursday 12th

•Music Contemporary Oriental - Mariam and Abo and

Wust El Balad

Cairo Jazz Club, 197, 26th July St. Agouza

Tel: (02) 3346 1071

Time: 8 & 10 pm respectively

•Opera La Boheme - Cairo Opera Orchestra.

Main Hall, Cairo Opera House.

Tel: (02) 2739 0132

Time: 8 pm

Friday 13th

•Opera La Boheme - Cairo Opera Orchestra.

Main Hall, Cairo Opera House.

Tel: (02) 2739 0132

Time: 8 pm

Sunday 15th

•Art Art Bouquet 3 - 16 painters showing their most

recent works.

Duroub Art Gallery, 4 Latin America Street, Garden

City

A,B...Cartoons - Imagined and drawn scenes are

displayed by artist Shayma Kamel. The Egyptian

African touches, represented in most paintings by

the Egyptian colors, were deliberately selected.

Mashrabia Gallery of Contemporary Art,

8 Champollion St. Downtown

Tel: (02) 2578 4494.

Time: Exhibition runs until February 9th

•ClassicMusic Pianist Ramzi Yassa - Piano Sonatas: Moonlight,

Les Adieux, Waldstein, Appasionata.

Prince Mohamed Ali Palace, Manial

Tel: (02) 2735 4234

Time: 8 pm

•Performance(MusicandDance) Indian Music and Dance Company - On the

occasion of the 150th birth anniversary of Nobel

Laureate Rabindranath Tagore. The company

presents Rabindra Sangeet, also known as Tagore

songs, and a dance drama, “Shyama”

Main Hall, Cairo Opera House.

Tel: (02) 2739 0132

Time: 8 pm

Tuesday 17th

•Music Screwdriver Band - Rock Funk and Blues

Cairo Jazz Club, 197, 26th July St. Agouza

Tel: (02) 3346 1071

Time: 10 pm

Wednesday 18th

•Music RnB - DJ Feedo

Cairo Jazz Club, 197, 26th July St. Agouza

Tel: (02) 3346 1071

Time: 10 pm

CALENDARJanuary 2012

The World Cup rally From london To Cape ToWn

Under the auspices of the Ministry of Tourism and the Egyptian Tourism Authority, the World Cup Rally will cross Egypt during the period from January 8th till January 10th, 2012. This is the first time that the World Cup Rally runs throughout Africa crossing the continent from north to south, starting from London England crossing Europe, to Cairo in Egypt and ending in Cape Town - South Africa.

Starting out officially from the British Parliament on December 31st, 2011 with the presence of the British Prime Minister the crews will leave for the first leg of their journey crossing France, to Italy, Greece then across the Mediterranean to Egypt, through the Alexandria Port, passing by the Giza Pyramids, to Ein Al Sokhna, Safaga, Marsa Alam and finally on to Cape Town.

The London to Cape Town World Cup Rally will see the participation of 1010 racers from 15 different countries where they will be using different types of classic cars produced between 1924 and 1980 as well as four-wheel drive cars for a total distance rally of 15000 km.

The World Cup Rally is being held every four years to celebrate the 1966 FIFA World Cup England’s victory. The Rally starts from England and ends up in the FIFA World Cup host country, Cape Town. This is the first time that the World Cup Rally runs throughout Egypt, which represent a great opportunity to highlight the touristic sites of our country.

6 January . 2012

•Performance(MusicandDance) Indian Music and Dance Company - On the occasion

of the 150th birth anniversary of Nobel Laureate

Rabindranath Tagore. The company presents Rabindra

Sangeet, also known as Tagore songs, and a dance

drama, “Shyama”

Alexandria Opera House, Alexxandria

Tel: (03 2480 0138

Time: 8 pm

Thursday 19th

•FilmFestival “Asly Masri” - An independent film festival in the frame

of a EU co-funded project: Rising Stars - Itinerant

Cinema in Egypt, which aims to support and enhance

the independent Egyptian production through documen-

tary workshops and open public lectures, production

of short documentaries to disseminate the work of

Egyptian filmmakers

Italian Cultural Institute, 3 El Sheikh El Marsafy St.

Zamalek

Tel: (02) 2735 8791

Time: 19 - 22 January at 6 pm

•Music Jazz Concert - Yehia Khalil.

Small Hall, Cairo Opera House.

Tel: (02) 2739 0132

Time: 8 pm

Blues - Bad Mojo

Cairo Jazz Club, 197, 26th July St. Agouza

Tel: (02) 3346 1071

Time: 10 pm

Friday 20th

•Music Piano Concert - Omar Khairat

Main Hall, Cairo Opera House.

Tel: (02) 2739 0132

Time: 8 pm

Saturday 21st

•Folklore Basheer - Modern folkloric music

Cairo Jazz Club, 197, 26th July St. Agouza

Tel: (02) 3346 1071

Time: 10 pm

•Opera Live Opera from the Metropolitan - The Enchanted

Island.

Small Hall, Cairo Opera House.

Tel: (02) 2739 0132

Time: 8 pm

•SpecialEvent

Chinese New Year Festival - Celebrating the Year

of the Dragon; Lion Dancing, Cultural Fashion

show and an authentic Asian food market.

Community Services Association, 4 Rd 21, Maadi

Time: 10 am to 4 pm

Sunday 22nd

•BookLaunch Heroes of the Past - The book contains the

biographies of popular heroes such as Juha or Abu

Zeid Hilali and eight other heroes.

8 Champollion St. Downtown.

Tel: (02) 2578 4494.

Time: 7 pm

•Music Opera Children Choir - Open Air Theater, Cairo

Opera Grounds.

Tel: (02) 2739 0132

Time: 8 pm

Jazz - Amro Salah Trio

Cairo Jazz Club, 197, 26th July St. Agouza

Tel: (02) 3346 1071

Time: 10 pm

Thursday 26th

•Music Acoustic Rock - Scjiela Scribner

Cairo Jazz Club, 197, 26th July St. Agouza

Tel: (02) 3346 1071

Time: 8 pm

•Opera Aida - by Guissepe Verdi. Cairo Opera Company

and Orchestra

Main Hall, Cairo Opera House.

Tel: (02) 2739 0132

Time: 8 pm

Friday 27th

•Opera Aida - by Guissepe Verdi. Cairo Opera Company

and Orchestra

Main Hall, Cairo Opera House.

Tel: (02) 2739 0132

Time: 8 pm

Saturday 28th

•Music Contemporary Oriental - Cairokee Band

Cairo Jazz Club, 197, 26th July St. Agouza

Tel: (02) 3346 1071

Time: 10 pm

Sunday 29th

•Music Oriental Jazz - Eftekasat Band

Cairo Jazz Club, 197, 26th July St. Agouza

Tel: (02) 3346 1071

Time: 10 pm

•Opera Aida - by Guissepe Verdi. Cairo Opera Company

and Orchestra

Main Hall, Cairo Opera House.

Tel: (02) 2739 0132

Time: 8 pm. Also on 30th and 31st

Egyptian Tourism Promotion Authority News letter L

ive

Co

lors

Eg

yp

t

La Boheme is one of the most famous operas in four acts by Giacomo Puccini (1858-1924), to an Italian libretto by Luigi Illica and Giuseppe Giacosa. It is based on Scenes de la Vie de Boheme by Henri Murger and was first performed in Turin on 1 February 1896 at the Teatro Regio and con-ducted by the well-known Arturo Toscanini.

The story gives a real picture of the Paris Bohemian life of four young artists, (Rodolfo; a poet, Marcel-lo; a painter, Schaunard; a musician and Colline, a philosopher). Rodolfo falls in love with his neigh-bor, the poor seamstress Mimi.

The music presents both the humorous high spirits of the four young bohemian male charac-ters, as well as the new found love between Mimi and Rodolfo, which ends miserably with her death, in spite of all the trials of her friends and Rodolfo to rescue her.

The opera includes many notable arias among them: (Che gelida manina), What a Cold Little Hand (Rodolfo), Mimi’s gorgeous aria (Mi chiamano Mimi) They Call Me Mimi, and Musetta’s showpiece aria, (Quando m’en vo), When I Go Along, a meltingly beautiful waltz, which reaches a fan-tastic climax for Musetta and all of the soloists.

Tel: (02) 2739 0132

Time: 8 pm. Also on 30th and 31st

La Boheme is one of the most famous operas in four acts by Giacomo Puccini (1858-1924), to an Italian libretto by Luigi Illica and Giuseppe Giacosa. It is based on Scenes de la Vie de Boheme by Henri Murger and was first performed in Turin on 1 February 1896 at the Teatro Regio and con-

The story gives a real picture of the Paris Bohemian life of four young artists, (Rodolfo; a poet, Marcel-lo; a painter, Schaunard; a musician and Colline, a philosopher). Rodolfo falls in love with his neigh-

The music presents both the humorous high spirits of the four young bohemian male charac-ters, as well as the new found love between Mimi and Rodolfo, which ends miserably with her death, in spite of all the trials of her friends and Rodolfo to

The opera includes many notable arias among them: (Che gelida manina), What a Cold Little Hand (Rodolfo), Mimi’s gorgeous aria (Mi chiamano Mimi) They Call Me Mimi, and Musetta’s showpiece aria, (Quando m’en vo), When I Go Along, a meltingly beautiful waltz, which reaches a fan-tastic climax for Musetta and all of the soloists.

La Bohème 10-13 January at the Cairo Opera House