A Few Days at the Pyramids

The Great Pyramids, the only surviving monument of the ‘Seven Wonders of the Ancient World’, never cease to amaze, displaying different aspects according to time of day and line of vision. Whilst the Great Pyramids are the best preserved, the ancient sites of Memphis and Saqqara actually contain many more pyramids, all built as tombs for the pharaohs with mathematical precision thousands of years ago. On the banks of the Nile, the timeless dunes of the Sahara Desert and more than five thousand years of history make Cairo a unique and culturally most rewarding place to visit.

Napoleon’s expedition to Egypt in 1798 allowed his ‘savants’ to start cataloguing the ancient sites leading to the deciphering of hieroglyphics by Champollion in 1821 and the subsequent interest evoked led to the extraction of many treasures to various European capitals. The changing political climate gradually slowed this process leading to the establishment of the Egyptian Museum in Cairo in 1902 thereby allowing the retention and preservation of many of the treasures from the tomb of Tutankhamun in Egypt (a small number of which are featured in the recent London exhibition).

VJV Special Event - Cairo by Felucca

In 2009 we have arranged a private evening sailing by felucca, a traditional sailing boat, on the Nile through Cairo with food, wine and a traditional ‘Oud’ musician. Click here for more exclusive arrangements by VJV.