Steigenberger Hotel El Tahrir 2

We took a taxi to the hotel. We then booked a half day hotel limousine to start our visit of Islamic Cairo. We went to the Mosque of Sultan Hassan, Mosque of ar-Rifai, Mosque of Ibn Tulun and Khan al-Khalili. 

Posing with our complimentary apple before our visit to Islamic Cairo

Overnight train to Cairo

Our train was at 8.35 pm. This is the second time we took the sleeper train to Cairo. The first was on our first trip to Egypt and that was from Aswan to Cairo. The cabin is for 2 persons with a double decker bed.

This is the print out ticket from the email we received. No QR code.

Fear not, it was acceptable

Waiting for the train

Our horrible chicken with rice dinner

Our also horrible breakfast

We reached Cairo at 6.25 am

Scenes from Middle Egypt

Before leaving Luxor, we wish to post the scenes of eveyday life in rural Middle Egypt during our travel from Cairo to Luxor. We travelled along the Nile where 95% of Egyptians live. The Nile cuts through the Sahara Desert and anywhere further is inhabitable.

The modes of transport in rural Egypt.

Hotel Pavillon Winter Luxor

We went back to the hotel to collect our luggage. As it was still early we waited in  the garden of the hotel before going to the train station.

We bought burgers from McDonald in anticipation of the horrible food on the train

Waiting for the driver to send us to the train station

Sanctuary of Amenhotep III

This sanctuary is situated at the end of the temple. Amenhotep III is shown making offering on the wall of the sanctuary.

Amenhotep III making offering

Cattle with their legs tied as offering

Offering Chapel

The reliefs here show Roman emperors dressed as pharaohs making offering to Egytian gods

Can you remember my favourite Egyptian god?

The Court of Amenhotep III

Three sides of the court have double columns supporting the now missing roof

Colonnade of Amenhotep III

There are 14 huge columns here.

You can imagine how thick the column is

Great Court of Ramses II

The court is surrounded by double papyrus-bud columns and statues of Ramses II.

The second pair of Ramses' statues

The Copts built a church here in AD 395. It was converted into a mosque in 640

Abu al-Haggag Mosque was built by the Arabs in 13th century