Wings Over Israel, Jordan & Egypt

Cairo , the capital city of Egypt, has been the heart of Egypt for more than 1000 years and it demonstrates the dichotomy of all things Egyptian. Cairo is a timeless metropolis enriched with the unforgettable marks of a glorious past. It is in Cairo where the medieval world and the contemporary western world come together.The home of one of the seven wonders of the world – the Great Pyramids – not to mention the Sphinx of Giza and the Egyptian Museum of Antiquities, Cairo is a treasure chest of discovery, amazement, warmth & enjoyment.Islamic Cairo is the old medieval quarter, and stepping into its neighbourhoods is like moving back six or seven centuries with its tiny alleyways & mud-brick houses. Some of Islamic Cairo’s highlights include the Ibn Tulun Mosque, dating from the 9th century and one of the largest mosques in the world; the Mausoleum of Imam ash-Shafi’i, the largest Islamic tomb in Egypt where one of Islam’s greatest imams was buried.The Citadel, which is an awesome medieval fortress that was the seat of Egyptian power for 700 years. The Citadel has three major mosques and several museums.Coptic Cairo was originally built as a Roman fortress town. It pre-dates the founding of Islamic Cairo by several hundred years and was home to one of the world’s first Christian communities. It is, however, a holy place for Jews and Muslims as well as the Coptic Christians who lived there. The one remaining part of the Fortress of Babylon is a tower which was built in 98 AD and originally overlooked an important port on the Nile. The Coptic Museum is at the foot of the tower and its exhibits cover Egypt’s Christian era between 300 and 1000 AD. This stunning collection includes religious and secular art, and includes stonework, manuscripts, woodwork, metalwork, paintings and pottery.For shopping, the Khan El Khalily bazaar is a must.

Jerusalem, (je-r¡´se-lem) city (1991 est. pop. 535,000, including East Jerusalem), capital and largest city of Israel, on a high ridge W of the Dead Sea and the Jordan R. A holy city for Jews, Christians, and Muslims, Jerusalem is an administrative, cultural, and tourist center. Manufactures include cut and polished diamonds, plastics, and clothing. The eastern part of Jerusalem is the Old City; the New City, to the south and southwest, has been largely developed since the 19th cent. and is the site of the Knesset, Israel’s parliament. Archaeology indicates that Jerusalem was already settled in the 4th millennium B.C. David captured it (c.1000 B.C.) from the Jebusites (Canaanites), and after Solomon built the Temple there (10th cent. B.C.), Jerusalem became the spiritual and political capital of the Hebrews. The city fell to many conquerors, e.g., Babylonia (586 B.C.) and Rome (63 B.C.), and it was the scene of Jesus’ last ministry. The Roman emperor Titus destroyed the rebuilt (Second) Temple (A.D. 70) to punish rebellious Jews. The Muslims, who believe that Muhammad ascended to heaven from the city, treated it well after they captured it in 637. It was conquered by the Crusaders in 1099 and was recaptured (1187) by the Muslims under Saladin. Jerusalem was the capital (1922-48) of the
British mandate of Palestine.

During the Arab-Israeli Wars, the city was divided (1949-67); the Old City became part of Jordan and the New City became the capital of Israel. In 1967 Israel captured the Old City and formally annexed it. Israel reaffirmed its annexation of the Old City in 1980, an action not accepted by many nations. The Old City contains many holy places of Christianity, e.g., the Church of the Holy Sepulcher; of Islam, e.g., the Dome of the Rock (688-91); and of Judaism, e.g., the Western (or Wailing) Wall (part of the Second Temple

Luxor was built on the site of the ancient city of Thebes, and the magnificent monumental architecture and its excellent condition make Luxor one of Egypt’s greatest tourist destinations. For many hundreds of years people have been visiting the temples of Luxor, Karnak, Hetsgepsut and Ramses II. The Nile has feluccas and old barges that shuffle between the luxury hotel ships of the Hilton and Sheraton that cruise between Cairo and Aswan. Luxor Temple was built by Pharaoh
Amenophis III on the site of another Thebian temple and added to by Tutankhamun, Ramses II, Nectanebo, Alexander the Great and various Romans. Excavation work has been underway since 1885. The Temples of Karnak are a series of monuments that were the main place of worship in Thebian times, and they can be divided into the Amun Temple
Enclosure, which is the largest; the Mut Temple Enclosure on the south side; and the Montu Temple Enclosure. The Amun and Montu enclosure were once connected by canals to the Nile providing passage for sacred boats during festivals. Luxor is accessible from Cairo by buses or trains which run every day.