The treasures of Egypt are vast and the stuff of legend. No trip to Egypt would be complete without expertly-guided visits of amazing collections. Tour the Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM), scheduled to open in early 2022, which holds an almost endless collection of some of the greatest masterpieces ever crafted, including the treasures of Tutankhamun, the brightly painted limestone sculptures of Prince Rahotep and Princess Nofret, the bizarre relief of Akhenaten, and pharaoh mummies including Ramses II. Note: If the GEM is not opened as scheduled, we will instead visit the Antiquities Museum which houses a grand collection of ancient marvels, and is scheduled to close when the GEM opens. After lunch, we travel to Saqqara to see the Step Pyramid of the pharaoh Zoser, a revolutionary design that initiated the art of pyramid-building. We will also see some of Egypt's most charming wall paintings and reliefs, showing scenes of harvesting, fishing, music making, and dancing, as well as the elaborate and exquisite mastaba of Mereruka, the largest in Saqqara. While not a royal, Mereruka (or Meri) was, among other things, "Chief Justice and Vizier" to Pharaoh Teti of the Sixth Dynasty, wealthy enough to build such a large and colorful tomb for his afterlife. (B,L,D) ...
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