Egypt's Lost Cities

20th May 2011

A century ago, people said the Valley of the Kings was exhausted, that there was nothing left to find. Suddenly Carter discovered Tutankhamen. Then they said, now there’s definitely nothing left to find. Then we found KV5, and now we have KV63. "I wouldn’t be surprised if we find more" was the famous quote by Dr Kent Weeks, a man who has devoted his life to exploring the Valley of the Kings.

There have been huge advancements in archaeological techniques since the days of Howard Carter, and the new BBC programme, Lost Cities of Egypt, shows just how far, with 17 pyramids identified and over 3000 different settlements coming to light.

As sad as it may seem, the reality is it is often best to visit a country after it has had a turbulent time such as Egypt’s recent uprising. Many Egyptian livelihoods rely on tourism and the lack of visitors to this most welcoming country is a huge body blow that will affect many families.

The archaeological sites are devoid of visitors. Recently an Easyjet flight to Luxor had 8 people on board (I hope nobody had paid for speedy boarding). A friend of mine has just returned from Hurghada and said the service was outstanding and the locals could not be more welcoming or friendlier. I am certainly looking forward to my trip in the autumn.

It is critical your guide brings the archaeology to life; otherwise you will be ruined out before you can say Baksheesh.

This is why with local guides such as our Khaled, in his 15th year of leading trips, you are in the best possible hands. Khaled is a fully qualified archaeologist from the University of Cairo and an authority on all things Ancient Egyptian. Blessed with the wonderful knack of engaging his audience and being able to paint a clear picture of the complexity of Egyptian history it is a privilege to spend time with him.

Andrew Appleyard
International Sales Manager

Related Links:

BBC Programmes

BBC World News