Category: 5 Stars Luxurious
M/S Al Hambra Nile cruise has been finally inaugurated on the 28th of April 2010, is now a new standard in the Nile Cruise industry, The vessel will introduce the largest standard suites in the Nile 31 squared meters and a 6 squared meters of bathroom space unsurpassed in the industry. The vessel will introduce the concept of a two level complete Spa with an indoor swimming pool, and countless other amenities. M/S Al Hambra Nile cruise has been designed for dignitaries and top notch clients that want a new perspective on Nile Cruise Luxury. M/S Al Hambra Nile cruise has 3 decks besides to Sun deck. The reception deck called Al Sultan Deck, has 12 suites and 02 suites for Accessible. Each is 31 m². The second deck is called Al Wazir Deck (Lobby Deck), has 16 suites and 02 Suites of 36 m². The third deck is Al Khalifa Deck (Salon deck), has 06 suites & 02 suites of 42 m² and 02 suites of 51 m²
Accommodation:
- 04 Decks
- 42 Suites
- Al Sultan Deck ( Reception Deck ): 12 Suites & 02 Suites for Handicapped (31 m²)
- Al Wazir Deck (Lobby Deck): 16 Suites (31 m²) & 02 Suites (36 m²)
- Al Khalifa Deck (Salon Deck): 06 Suites (31 m²) & 02 Suites (42 m²) & 02 Suites (51 m²)
Suites Facilities:
- Mini bar
- Safe box
- Direct dial telephone
- Marine satellite reception for international T.V. Channels.
- 32 inch LCD T.V.
- Private bathroom
- Jacuzzi and shower
- High Speed wireless internet
Cruise Facilities & Services:
- Spa with indoor relaxation pool
- Single and double massage rooms
- Steam and Sauna
- Outdoor Swimming Pool
- Fully equipped Gym
- Panoramic elevator
- Handicapped accessible public areas and two suites
- Atrium with three lobbies
- Lounge
- Restaurant
- Sun Deck
- Bar
- Coffee shop
Technical Data:
- Length : 77 m
- Width : 14.2 m
- Draft : 1.6 m
- Class : Hellenic
- Engines: Three Man marine Diesel Engines
- Power Supply: Three Man marine Diesel Generators generating 220 Volts/50 Hz
- Radar and Short Wave radio
- Complete Water Purification and filtration system
- B15 Fire proof Ceilings and Walls ( Highest marine Standards )
Cruise Schedule:
** 04 Days / 03 nights Ex Aswan every Friday
** 05 Days / 04 nights Ex Luxor every Monday
** 08 Days / 07 nights Ex Luxor every Monday
Memphis was the ancient capital of Aneb-Hetch, the first Nome of Lower Egypt. Its ruins are located near the town of Helwan, south of Cairo. According to legend related by Manetho, the city was founded by the pharaoh Menes around 3000 BCE. Capital of Egypt during the Old Kingdom, it remained an important city throughout the ancient Mediterranean history. It occupied a strategic position at the mouth of the Nile delta, and was home to feverish activity. Its principal port, Peru-nefer, harbored a high density of workshops, factories, and warehouses that distributed food and merchandise throughout the ancient kingdom. During its golden age, Memphis thrived as a regional centre for commerce, trade, and religion. Memphis was believed to be under the protection of the god Ptah, the patron of craftsmen. Its great temple, Hout-ka-Ptah (meaning “Castle of the ka of Ptah”), was one of the most prominent structures in the city. The name of this temple, rendered in Greek as Aί γυ πτoς (Ai-gy-ptos) by the historian Manetho, is believed to be the etymological origin of the modern English name Egypt. The history of Memphis is closely linked to that of the country itself. Its eventual downfall is believed to be due to the loss of its economical significance in late antiquity, following the rise of coastal Alexandria. Its religious significance also diminished after the abandonment of the ancient religion following the Edict of Thessalonica. The ruins of the former capital today offer fragmented evidence of its magnificent past. They have been preserved, along with the pyramid complex at Giza, as a World Heritage Site since 1979. The site is open to the public as an open-air museum.
Toponymy:
Memphis has had several names during its history of almost four millennia. Its Ancient Egyptian name was Inebou-Hedjou, and later, Ineb-Hedj (translated as “the white walls”), because of its majestic fortifications and crenulations. Because of its size, the city also came to be known by various other names that were actually the names of neighbourhoods or districts that enjoyed considerable prominence at one time or another. For example, according to a text of the First Intermediate Period, it was known Djed-Sut (“everlasting place”), which is the name of the pyramid of Teti. The city was also at one point referred to as Ankh-Tawy (meaning “That which binds the Two Lands”), stressing the strategic position of the city between Upper and Lower Egypt. This name appears to date from the Middle Kingdom (c. 2055–1640 BCE), and is frequently found in ancient Egyptian texts. Some scholars maintain that this name was actually that of the western district of the city that lay between the great Temple of Ptah and the necropolis at Saqqara, an area that contained a sacred tree. At the beginning of the New Kingdom (c. 1550 BCE), the city became known as Men-nefer (meaning “the good place”), which became Menfe in Coptic. The name “Memphis” (Μέμφις) is the Greek corruption of this name, which was originally the name of the pyramid of Pepi I, located west of the city. The Egyptian historian Manetho referred to Memphis as Hi-Ku-P’tah (meaning “Place of the ka of Ptah”), which he approximated in Greek as Aί γυ πτoς (Ai-gy-ptos), from which derives the Latin AEGYPTVS and the modern English name of Egypt. The term Copt is also believed to be etymologically derived from this name. In the Bible, Memphis is called Moph or Noph.
Legendary History:
The legend recorded by Manetho was that Menes, the first pharaoh to unite the Two Lands, established his capital on the banks of the Nile by diverting the river with dikes. The Greek historian Herodotus, who tells a similar story, relates that during his visit to the city, the Persians, at that point the suzerains of the country, paid particular attention to the condition of these dams so that the city was saved from the annual flooding. Herodotus dates the founding of the city at around 3100 BCE, over 2500 years prior to his visit. It has been theorised that Menes was possibly a mythical king, similar to Romulus and Remus of Rome. Some scholars suggest that Egypt most likely became unified through mutual need, developing cultural ties and trading partnerships, although that the first capital of united Egypt was the city of Memphis is undisputed.Egyptologists have also identified the legendary Menes with the historical Narmer, who is represented in the Palette of Narmer conquering the Nile delta in Lower Egypt and establishing as pharaoh. This palette has been dated to ca. 31st century BCE, and would thus correlate with the story of Egypt’s unification by Menes.
Old Kingdom:
Little is known about the city of the Old Kingdom. It was the state capital of the godlike pharaohs, who reigned from Memphis from the date of the 1st dynasty. During the earliest years of the reign of Menes, according to Manetho, the seat of power was further to the south, at Thinis. According to Manetho, ancient sources suggest the “white walls” (Ineb-hedj) were founded by Menes. Referred to in some texts as the “Fortress of the White Wall”, it is likely that the king established himself here to better control this new union between the two rival kingdoms. The complex of Djoser of the 3rd dynasty, located in the ancient necropolis at Saqqara, would then be the royal funerary chamber, housing all the elements necessary to royalty: temples, shrines, ceremonial courts, and palaces barracks. The golden age began with the 4th dynasty, which seems to have furthered the primary role of Memphis as a royal residence where rulers received the double crown, the divine manifestation of the unification of the Two Lands. Coronations and jubilees such as the Sed festival were celebrated in the temple of Ptah. The earliest signs of such ceremonies were found in the chambers of Djoser. It was also during this period that ‘ developed the clergy of the temple of Ptah. The importance of the shrine is attested in this period with payments of food and other goods necessary for the funerary rites of royal and noble dignitaries. This shrine is also cited in the annals preserved on the Palermo Stone, and beginning from the reign of Menkaura, we know the names of the high priests of Memphis that seem to work in pairs at least until the reign of Teti. The architecture of this period was similar to that seen at Giza, royal necropolis of the Fourth dynasty, where recent excavations have revealed that the essential focus of the kingdom at that time centred on the construction of the royal tomb. A strong suggestion of this notion is the etymology of the name of the city itself, which matched that of the pyramid of Pepi I of the 6th dynasty. Memphis was then the heir to a long artistic and architectural practice, constantly encouraged by the monuments of preceding reigns.Sculpture from the Middle Kingdom restored in the name of Rameses II. All these necropoleis were surrounded by camps inhabited by craftsmen and labourers, dedicated exclusively to the construction of royal tombs. Spread over several kilometres stretching in all directions, Memphis formed a true megalopolis, with temples connected by sacred temenos, and ports connected by roadways and canals. The perimeter of the city thus gradually extended into a vast urban sprawl. Its centre remained around the temple complex of Ptah.
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Downtown Cairo is the commercial heart of the modern city of Cairo, centered on Midan Talaat Harb and located to the east and north-east of Midan Tahrir (Tahrir Square). Formerly known as Midan Ismaili until it was renamed on the 2nd of September 1954 by president Nasser as Midan Tahrir “Liberation Square”. Midan Tahrir was the location of Africa’s first Hilton hotel, which today houses the Arab league building. The other imposing building on Midan Tahrir opposite the Egyptian museum, is the bay-fronted government Moga’maa building opened in 1952 which houses the bureaucratic offices, and where visitors can renew or extended their Egyptian visas. Although lacking in obvious tourist “attractions”, Downtown is nonetheless the convenient location of many smaller hotels, retail outlets, travel agencies and restaurants that would be of interest to the traveler. The district’s central location makes it, together with Midan Tahrir, a natural “jumping off point” for exploration of the city. The east end of Downtown is marked by Midan Ataba, the starting point of Islamic Cairo.
History:
Downtown Cairo’s wide boulevards and streets were laid out in the late 19th century on the orders of Ismail the Magnificent, the Paris of Baron Hausmann being the obvious model for a ruler wishing to Europeanize his capital and his country. The architecture of many buildings is clearly redolent of Paris in the 1870s, if now somewhat run down from neglect and dusty from the Cairene climate.
Orientation:
Downtown Cairo’s main thoroughfare’s are Sharia(St) Talaat Harb and Sharia(St) Qasr El-Nil, intersecting at the central junction of Midan Talaat Harb. Previously known as Soliman Pasha St, before being renamed on the 12th Feb 1964 to Talaat Harb St. The statue of the French General Jean Anthelme Seve also known as Soliman Pasha Al Faransawi, stood where the statue of Talaat Harb, founder of the Banque Misr now stands. Cairienes know this street by both names. Be warned, all hotels/hostels as well as individuals who work the street in downtown will try to sell you vastly overpriced tours around Egypt. They can be very forceful at times as the competition for tourists is strong and they want to take money from you before the next one gets to you. Do not let yourself be bullied into taking one of these until you have spoken to fellow travelers who can give you a more neutral opinion. In fact there are very few places in Egypt where it would be necessary to organize tours from the capital, and fewer where it would be financially advantageous. If you are a confident traveler and used to navigating your way around cities, then Cairo should be no different for you. Downtown has many small tourist oriented tour kiosks. The problem that visitors face is these tours often are inflated in price and always include at least 2 stops to ‘uncles’ perfume, papyrus, or handicraft shops. This takes away many hours from the tour itself and time at monuments in the hope that at least a few from the coach will buy something. The better option would be negotiate a taxi for the day. Stop a few taxis and ask what the price would be for a whole day of sightseeing at the places you want to visit. If the price is mutual, a taxi driver will be happy to escort you around town and wait hours in the shade out
Get In:
The Main traffic hub of Cairo Downtown is at Abdel Mo’nem Riyad Station
By Metro:
The Sadat metro station is located at Midan Tahrir, right beside the Egyptian Museum. From Midan Tahrir, Downtown Cairo is readily accessible, with only a 10 minute easy walk to the centre of the district, via Talaat Harb Street. You can take the metro from the Sadat station to the rail station (Mubarak station) or to Coptic Cairo (Mar Girgis station). .
By Bus:
By Local Coach: The Abdel Mo’nem Riyad Coach Station a five minute walk from Tahrir Sq and behind the Egyptian Museum lies four coach stations. One is the micro-bus station, and alongside is the local bus station serving the areas of Giza, Ma’adi, Helwan, Sheikh Zayid City. The third serving the East of Cairo i.e. Heliopolis, Medinet Nasr, Cairo Airport, and El Rehab.
By Intercity Coach: The fourth station on Abdel Mo’nem Riyad Station, is across the road from the other three stations and this is where you can board the Intercity Coaches. The offices and bookings of Superjet, East Delta, West Delta, and El Gouna are here with destinations including Hurghada, Sharm el Sheikh, Ras Sidr, El Gouna, Alexandria, Delta Cities, Marsa Matrouh, Port Said, Ismailia, Suez, El Tur, El Arish, Nuweiba, Dahab, Rafah, etc
By Taxi:
Taxis to/from Zamalek, to Downtown should cost around 5 LE and to Citadel, Coptic Cairo or Islamic Cairo should cost around LE 10. Do not let the taxi driver choose you. You choose him and always look confident and that you use them regularly. Flag one down, hop in and always sit in the back of the cab. Try not to get into any discussion with the driver. Simply state your destination and look out the window. Ignore any chat if you can. Egyptians do not chat with drivers on the whole. Avoid eye contact especially in the mirror. Do not confirm the fare before getting in. No resident of Cairo does this, you should always pay afterwards, (after) you have stepped out of the cab, with no discussion of the price (unless the taxi driver thinks you’ve given him an unfair price). If you are obviously a tourist with your Lonely Planet Guide, North Face backpack, and are wearing shorts then you can sometimes expect an argument even if you have offered the correct price. Either pay him more to keep the peace (odds are he needs the money more than you) or just walk away. To avoid any confrontation regarding price, choose a cab from the new yellow, or white with black ones with meters. Then add a few LE tip if you so choose. A great look into the life of the average Cairo Taxi driver can be found in the excellent book ‘Taxi’ by Khalid El Khamissi. After reading that you may become more sympathetic to their daily struggle for business.
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Category: 5 Stars Deluxe
Sofitel Cecil Alexandria hotel lets you experience all the splendor of this amazing city first hand. Conveniently located in the heart of the business district, overlooking the bay and yacht club, this exquisite hotel is just minutes from the airport, ideal for business or pleasure. Built in 1929 yet constantly in step with the times, it provides a perfect blend of modern amenities and old world charm. Discerning connoisseurs also appreciate the impeccable service and attention to detail. Sofitel Cecil Alexandria hotel is located in the center of the town, very near to Alexandria library (500 meter)
Accommodation:
Guest Room Facilities & Services:
- All rooms have Ice machine, Individual air condition Control, Data port, Turn down service, Emergency exit map, Trouser press, Safe deposit box, Free mineral water, Direct dial telephone, Fax machine, Remote control TV, Work desk, TV room service ordering, Satellite / cable color TV, Iron, Web TV and RJ 45 outlet
- The bathroom has Bidet, Shower, Bathtub, Toilets, Make-up / magnifying mirror and Hairdryer
- The security features are including Sprinkler, Audible smoke alarm, Keycard-operated door locks, Security peephole and Emergency info
- The room service is including Voicemail, Alarm clock, Message alert, Operator wake up call and Automatic wake up call
- 220/240 V AC
Hotel Facilities & Services:
- 03 Restaurant
- 01 Bar
- Parking
- Car hire service desk
- Tourist Information Desk
- Kids Club
- Wi-Fi
- Wireless Internet access
- Safe deposit box at the reception
- Secretarial service(typing)
- Copy / Print Service
- Concierge
- Currency exchange
- Cash machine
- Coffee / Tea making facilities
- Dry cleaning / Ironing
- Laundry
- Gift Shop / newspaper
Hotel GPS:
** N 31° 11′ 59.90” E 29° 53′ 31.84”