A Dendera and Abydos tour from Safaga Port is a 10 to 12-hour private shore excursion. It involves a guided journey into Upper Egypt to explore two of the most well-preserved and spiritually significant ancient sites, far away from the heavy crowds of central Luxor.
Prepare for an epic adventure with the Dendera Abydos Private Tour from Safaga Port! This tour takes you on a mesmerizing journey through the historic cities of Dendera and Sohag, where you’ll witness the incredible wonders of ancient Egypt and the Roman Empire. Brace yourself for a profound and unforgettable experience that will leave you in awe. Get ready to explore the mysteries of this captivating country and soak up its rich history.
Highlights on Dendera Abydos Private Tour Safaga Port
- See the Temples of Abydos.
- Lunch at a restaurant.
- Also, admire the Temple of the goddess Hathor in Dendera.
Itinerary of the Dendera and Abydos day tour from Safaga port
A shore excursion from Safaga Port to the ancient temples of Dendera and Abydos is one of the most rewarding day trips you can take in Egypt. These two sites feature some of the country’s most vibrant, intact, and historically complex reliefs.
- Landious Travel representative will pick you up from your cruise in Safaga port. You will then be driven to the Dendera temple, where you will arrive at 08:30. An Egyptologist tour guide will accompany you and explain the Temple’s history.
- After picking you up, the bus (limousine or minibus) will head towards the city of Qena. It passes the town of Safaga on its way to Abydos. The resort town of Safaga lies 45 miles south of Hurghada on the Red Sea coast. At the same time, Qena lies 220 km away in the Nile Valley. From the centre of Hurghada to Qena, the way takes about 3 hours. From Qena, you will drive further north towards the Sohag governorate to get to the village of Abydos. It will take about one more hour to get to Abydos.
Program in Abydos
- Once you arrive at Sohag governorate, you will begin your excursion to the Abydos Temple Complex. It is a vast complex of temples and buildings in Abydos. The complex combines different temples and towers. The Temple of Seti I, also known as the Great Temple of Abydos, is one of the main historical sites in Abydos. Pharaoh Seti I built the Temple. At the rear of the Temple, there is the Osireion. The Temple is also notable for the Abydos and ancient Phoenician and Aramaic graffiti on the temple walls.
- Your Egyptologist tour guide will explain the place in this Temple and then show the frequently visited sites of this large complex. Of course, your guide will have to show all these temples. Also, he will give you free time to take pictures.
Agenda in Qena
- As soon as you get Qena, you will have lunch. Then, you will drive back to Qena. It will be your first stop in this city.
- Following lunch, you will drive to the nearby village of Dendera, where you can visit the Dendera Temple Complex. Once again, your guide will explain and show the frequently visited places of this large complex. This complex has different temples and buildings, so your guide will have to show all these temples. Also, he will give you free time to take pictures.
Departure
- Finally, you return to Safaga after a fantastic trip in Abydos – Dendera.
- The Individual Trip to Abydos & Dendera from Safaga ends at approximately 08:00 pm.
What does the Price of Abydos & Dendera Individual Trip Safaga Port include?
- Tickets for visiting temples.
- Lunch.
- Drinks.
- Private guide.
- Also, a private vehicle will be taken to Abydos–Dendera and back to the hotel.
What does Abydos’s individual Trip Safaga program not include?
- Additional excursion programs, if not included in the above program.
Items you should pack for your trip from Safaga to Abydos
- Breakfast box.
- Also, bring suitable clothes for the season.
Booking Days of the Tour to Dendera and Abydos Temples from Safaga Port
- Daily from 04:00 – 20:00.
What can one expect to see during an individual trip to Abydos temples from Safaga?
Dendera Temple Complex
The Temple of Hathor was primarily constructed during the Late Ptolemaic era, specifically during the reign of Ptolemy XII and Cleopatra VII, with subsequent additions made during the Roman period. Despite being erected by a dynasty of non-native Egyptian rulers, the temple structure has been found to align with that of other traditional Egyptian temples, except for the front of the hypostyle hall, which, as indicated by an inscription above the entrance, was created by Emperor Tiberius.
Additionally, the temple complex features depictions of Ptolemaic rulers, such as a significant relief of Cleopatra VII and her co-ruler, Ptolemy XV (also known as Caesarion), carved onto one of the Temple’s external walls. The two rulers are attired in traditional Egyptian clothing and are depicted making offerings.
Hathor was also revered as a goddess of healing, which is evident in a sanatorium within the temple complex. Here, individuals seeking the goddess’ assistance would come to be healed. Sacred water, made holy by pouring it onto statues inscribed with religious texts, was used for bathing, while the priests of Hathor dispensed unguents. Sleeping quarters were also available for those hoping the goddess would appear in their dreams and provide them with aid.
Structure
Dendera Temple, the temple complex at Dendera, is quite large, boasting a basilica, two birthhouses, a sacred lake, and numerous other temples and shrines. Structures at the site hail from various ancient Egyptian eras, with monuments from the Middle Kingdom, the Ptolemaic Era, and the Period of Roman provincial rule.
Evidence shows that the first building on the site went up around 2250 BCE, but the vertical structures mostly date from the Ptolemaic Era forward. In 1995 BCE, construction likely began on the Mentuhotep II monument, the oldest existing system, when the site was rediscovered. The Mentuhotep monument has since been moved to Cairo. The oldest form is from Nectanebo II, built ca. 345 BCE. It may be more accurate to say the structure as we know it began in 54 BCE when construction started on the Temple of Hathor, the most prominent structure at the Dendera complex.
The Temple of Hathor is one of Egypt’s best-preserved antiquity sites today and an excellent example of traditional Pharaonic architecture. It was built primarily during the Ptolemaic Dynasty, a period of Greek rule in Egypt. However, the Temple was completed under the Roman emperor Trajan, who is depicted on the walls of the complex making offerings to Hathor. The temple complex also includes a monumental gateway constructed by Trajan and Domitian, another Roman emperor.
Cult of Hathor
This site was the centre of the cult of Hathor. According to ancient beliefs, Hathor would embark on a journey from her Temple in Dendera to unite with her husband, Horus, at his Temple in Edfu during the Happy Reunion period. This was an annual event, and the conclusion of the festivities marked the start of the Nile’s flood season as Hathor returned to Dendera.
Zodiac of Dendera
The Temple originally housed the famous Zodiac of Dendera. This bas-relief with human and animal figures represented a night skyscape. It was found on the ceiling of a chapel in the Temple of Hathor, where the mysteries of the resurrection of the god Osiris were celebrated. Egyptologists determined it should be interpreted as a map of the sky rather than a giant horoscope or a perpetual astrological tool.
The particular configuration of the planets among the constellations shown in the Zodiac of Dendera occurs only about once every thousand years. Two astrophysicists dated it between June 15 and August 15, 50 BCE. Two eclipses are represented on the Zodiac exactly where they occurred at that time.
The representations of the signs of the Zodiac as we know them today did not appear in Egypt until the Greco-Roman Period. This monument reflects how Egyptian cultural elements merged with Babylonian and Greek astronomical and astrological theories due to the Assyrian and Babylonian deportations of the eighth and sixth centuries BCE and the Persian and Greek invasions of the sixth and fourth centuries BCE.
The Zodiac of Dendera was transported to France in 1821 with the permission of Mohamed Ali Pasha, the Turkish ruler of Egypt at the time. It is currently on display at the Louvre in Paris. The Egyptian government has asked for its return.
Temples of Abydos:
The Abydos Temple Complex is in Abydos Village, in the modern Egyptian town Al-Balyana, south of Sohag governorate. It lies about 11 kilometres west of the Nile River at latitude 26° 10′ N. During ancient Egypt, Abydos was the capital of the eighth Nome.
The sacred city of Abydos is widely regarded as one of the most significant archaeological sites in Ancient Egypt. This revered site was home to numerous temples, including Umm el-Qa’ab, a royal necropolis where early pharaohs were laid to rest. The tombs in this area were considered highly valuable in later times, increasing the town’s importance as a cult site.
Temple of Seti I
Today, Abydos is renowned for the memorial Temple of Seti I, which features an inscription from the nineteenth dynasty known as the Abydos King List. This chronological list showcases cartouches of most dynastic pharaohs of Egypt from Menes until Ramesses I, Seti’s father. The Great Temple and much of the ancient town are buried beneath modern buildings north of the Seti temple. Unfortunately, many of the original structures and artefacts within them are now considered irretrievable and lost, with some potentially destroyed by new construction.
Located approximately 2.5 hours by car north of Luxor, Abydos was a central religious site to ancient Egyptians. Similar to modern-day Muslims who seek to complete a pilgrimage to Mecca at least once in their lifetime, ancient Egyptians aspired to visit Abydos, which was strongly associated with entry into the afterlife. While several temples were constructed here, the largest and most significant is the Temple of Seti I. Seti I was the father of the great Ramesses II, who completed the construction of most of the Temple after his father’s passing.
Chapels of the Temple of King Seti I
Coming to power only 30 years following the upheaval associated with Akhenaten’s heretical rule, known as the Amarna Period, Seti I was intent on reestablishing faith in the pantheon of Pre-Amarna gods that Akhenaten had sought to destroy. The Temple he erected features small chapels dedicated to each significant god: Ptah, Re-Harakhte, Amun-Re, Osiris, Isis, Horus, and one to Seti himself. Although much of the temple complex is no longer present, including the tower and the first two courtyards, visitors can enter through a doorway into the hypostyle hall, where many wall reliefs are well preserved. The reliefs toward the back of the Temple, completed during Seti’s reign, are considered among the finest in any temple throughout Egypt. Since Abydos is more difficult to reach than many sites, it is not heavily visited.