HELA ON THE NILE
Nile Splendor is an extension of Nile Enchantment. Whether before or after your journey along the Nile banks will you discover Cairo, Al Qahira; the city victorious is what it stands for. A swirl of activity which borders on chaos taking one to search for hidden treasures in little niches.
On the city’s west side lie the ancient necropoli of Giza, with its Great Pyramids, and Saqqara as well as the soon to be inaugurated Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM). Among an incredible and impressive array of artifacts and treasures, the museum will house Tutankhamun’s complete collection.
Across the Nile, to the east, stands Old Cairo. During the Middle Ages, Cairo was a stop along the Silk Road. The air was rich with the smell of African incense, and the city was buzzing with caravanserai, specialized bazars and artisan workshops. Old Cairo owes its eclectic architecture to the succession of foreign rulers, each new dynasty importing its own style. The Iraqi Abbasids, Tunisian Fatimids, or Kurdish Ayyubids all contributed to Cairo’s rich symphony of geometrical design and lattice mashrabiyas.
Leading the Arab conquest of Egypt in 640 AD, Amr Ibn Al-As settled in Al-Fustat, later making it the Egyptian capital. Today, the Hanging Church; Abu Serga Church, where the holy family took refuge; the Ben Ezra Synagogue and Egypt’s first mosque, named after Amr Ibn Al-As are located there: the three monotheistic religions side by side. Al-Fustat is a lovely neighborhood, a quiet, peaceful haven in the midst of Cairo’s bustle.
