Viking Cruises

20 | Viking Explorer Society News THE VILLAGE OF ESNA A charming town off the beaten track that offers its own fascinating quirks. Along the waterfront sit quintessential 19th-century houses with traditional mashrabiya – wooden lattice screens. Esna was once the site of Latopolis, and its ancient temple remains, devoted to the guardian of the source of the Nile, Khnum. The temple is thought to be one of the last built by the Egyptians, and it is here visitors will find the last-known hieroglyphic inscriptions recorded by the Roman emperor Dios in 250AD. Towering columns are still adorned with intricate carvings that tell Khnum's story. DISCOVERING ASWAN The Aswan High Dam is a masterpiece of engineering that protects the Nile's surrounding fields. A modern undertaking finalised in the 1960s, its damming established the 300-mile-long Lake Nassar which now provides electricity and water for all Egypt. 7 KHAN EL-KHALILI MARKET Egypt's pulsating souks are feasts for all the senses where you'll find everything from crafts and intricate jewellery to aromatic and unusual spices and foods. A trip to Cairo isn't complete without a visit to the famous Khan El-Khalili market where visitors wander its narrow walkways on a quest for that ultimate souvenir. The souk sits on the site of what was once an ancient trade route and so today's atmosphere isn't unlike what it was during the times of the Berbers and Turks who would trade after journeying on camelback. OLD CAIRO Discover the narrow alleyways of Coptic Cairo – the final stage of ancient Egypt that can be characterised by its Christian faith. Visit the Christian Quarter of Cairo, the Coptic Museum, which holds the largest collection of Christian artifacts in the world and is built on the ruins of the Roman Babylon Fort. Old Cairo is also home to the Ben Ezra Synagogue, originally a Coptic church until it was sold to the Jewish community. 9

• Cover