|
The
Wonders of the Near East
A Private Tour of Egypt Palestine , Israel and Arabia
A
Grand 28 -Day Tour of the Middle East A La Indiana Jones
We have even included the tips. No Hidden
Charges. No Additional Tax
.Our
deluxe tour of Petra , Jerusalem and the Holyland
Cairo and the Nile gives you an in-depth look at the wonders of the
Near East ,
Meet the locals, enjoy a home hosted meal
Petra
Entrance : a true " Indiana Jones Territory", come and live
the dream
Compare with the
Sonesta Cruise Version , or the one
week cruise version.
Add a foray into the Western Sahara and
camping in the White Desert
Add Abu Simbel Temple Tours ,
compare with the 22-day version
DAY
1 - USA/ JFK - Amman - The First Sunday of each and every Month - Year
Round
Your wide-body jet departs JFK - USA bound for Amman . Overnight across
the Atlantic.
Air fare add on is available from most major cities in the USA. For West
Coast Passengers : You need not to connect via JFK, you will fly LH, BA
or AF etc. non-stop to Europe , then connect to another non-stop to Amman
.Air fare is always subject to change, even on a last minute basis. Feel
free to handle your own air fare if you prefer to do so : Credit $ 600
to be deducted from any of the listed rates.
For business class upgrades from JFK ( roundtrip tax included ) :
Air France , Lufthansa or British Airways : Please add : $ 3050 tax included
.
For business class upgrades from LAX, SFO, SEA or SAN (roundtrip) :
Lufthansa , Air FRance or British Airways : Please add : $ 4300 tax included
.
DAY
2 - Amman / PETRA – Monday (L)
Upon arrival , your private air-conditioned vehicle
, private chauffeur and private guide will be waiting for you , we 'll
drive from Amman airport south under a towering ridge of mountains, we
will be driving along the King's Highway, an ancient caravan route, to
Madaba to visit the church containing the oldest known map of Palestine
and the Holy Land. Continuing to Mount Nebo, we enjoy the panoramic view
of the Promised Land the way Moses saw it for the first time. Further
on, at Kerak, we tour the ruins of its romantic Crusaders' castle of Renaud
de Chatillon, one of a line which stretched from Aqaba to Turkey. Finally,
we arrive to PETRA for the night. Movenpick or Marriott Petra hotel or
similar . Lunch is included enroute
Complimentary Jordanian visa fee (valid only for American , Australian,
NZ, Canadian , EU , Mexican , & Japanese citizens. Passports must
be valid for at least 6 month upon arrival).
DAY
3 - AMMAN- Tuesday -
(BD)
Enjoy a morning tour of Amman. Visit the Roman Theater, the Citadel, the
Archaeology and Folklore Museums, old and modern Amman and one of the
many art galleries in this enchanting capital city. Afternoon is free
for your leisure. In the evening visit Kan Zaman Village for dinner, a
Folklore show and a preview of the many handicraft ateliers.
DAY
4 - DEAD SEA / GALILEE - Wednesday (B)
After breakfast, drive down to the lowest spot on Earth and experience
floating in the waters of the Dead Sea. Continue northwards to Pella in
the Jordan Valley. Visit Um Qais, Gedara of the Bible (Matthew 8:28-34)
for a spectacular view of the Sea of Galilee, the Yarmouk River and
the Golan Heights. Return in the late afternoon to Amman
DAY
5 - JERASH / AJLOUN -Thursday (B)
A later morning tour of Jerash (Gerasa of antiquity), the best
preserved city of Roman times. Visit its theaters, temples, churches and
colonnaded streets. Then continue to Ajloun to tour the 12th century Saracen
Castle built by one of Saladin’s lieutenants in the campaign against the
Crusaders. Overnight in Amman.
DAY
6 - KERAK / PETRA - Friday (B)
We will drive southwards along the Kings’ Way to Petra, visiting Madaba,
the oldest map of the Holy Land, and its Mosaic School, Mt. Nebo and the
alleged burial site of Moses overlooking the Dead Sea and the Jordan Valley.
Then drive through the magnificent scenery of Wadi Mujib to visit the
Crusader Castle of Kerak. Stop for optional lunch. Overnight in Petra.
DAY
7 - PETRA - Saturday (B)
A full day to visit the many sites of Petra, the city that was caved into
the rose-red Sharah Mountains by the Nabateans and lost to civilization
until it was rediscovered by the Swiss Burkhardt. Walk through the Siq,
a narrow and winding fissure between the cliffs, to reach the treasury,
the Roman Theater, the Courts, Qasr Bint Pharaoun, Temple of the Winged
Lion and other monuments. A break for optional lunch, or you may wish
to climb up to the Monastery. Overnight in Petra.
DAY
8 - WADI RUM DESERT / AMMAN - Sunday (B)
Visit the Wadi Rum Desert (with a short ride in a 4 Wheel Drive vehicle)
and its awesome moonlike landscape, where the film “Lawrence of Arabia”
was shot. Return to Amman on the Desert Highway. Overnight in Amman.
DAY
9 - Amman / Cairo - Monday (BD)
Our local rep. in Amman will have the air ticket for you Amman Cairo in
economy class ( tax included). Private transfers at all times. After breakfast
in Amman we head for the airport and off to Cairo , where
our Egypt-based local rep. greets you in bustling
Cairo airport and escorts you to your hotel .
Transfers in Egypt are always provided to our guests on a private
basis , private air-conditioned vehicle, private chauffeur .
On arrival, our local rep. will escort you to your comfortable hotel.
Our local representative greets you at the airport and whisks you to your
hotel. Visa may be issued upon arrival at Cairo Airport for a limited
number of citizens such as : American, EU , Canadian , EU Singaporean
and Japanese citizens. For Americans , please pay the $ 15 USD fee in
cash upon arrival . You are responsible for having your passport in order
valid at least for 6 month beyond the date of your arrival in Cairo. Our
local rep. meets with a sign that carries your name you after you clear
the passport and customs formalities . After exiting the terminal, our
local representative will escort you (private vehicle) to the hotel .
Dinner is included upon arrival at the hotel.
DAY
10 - CAIRO - Tuesday (BLD)
Today we see Cairo's major sights: the Egyptian Museum including the
" Mummies Room ", and King Tut's gold treasure room , then
off to tour Saladin's Citadel, the Alabaster Mosque , Sultan Hassan
Madrassa ,and the legendary Khan El Khalili Bazaar district including
a stroll through the newly restored Muizz Le-deenallah street .
Lunch is included at a charming local restaurant ( Abu el-Sid or similar
) . Buffet dinner is included at the Zeitouna restaurant at the Four Seasons
Hotel .
DAY
11 - GIZA and OLD CAIRO - Wednesday (BLD)
In the morning, we visit the majestic pyramids of Giza, Cheops
Royal Barge Museum and the timeless Sphinx, including that famous
shot on the camel with the Pyramids in the background, this is a PHOTO
OP. Not a camel ride, as time is very limited. ( entrance ticket is included
for the Great Pyramid , yet please read the note below , as guests must
be in good health and physical cndition to climb ) in the afternoon we
tour Old Cairo: the Coptic museum, Church of Abu Sarga, and Ben Ezra Synagogue,
where we will visit the spot at which, tradition says, Moses was found
by the banks of the Nile. Lunch at a local restaurant. Evening Whirling
Dervishes performance at Wekalet El Ghouri.
The
King's Chamber in the Great Pyramid was not meant to be visited:
Getting to it is challenging, and once you enter, it is very difficult
to turn back. The stone passage is only wide enough for one person. You
must be in good physical condition, able to climb several flights of stairs,
bend double, crouch and duck-walk for short distances. The King's Chamber
itself is the world's most claustrophobic place, with dim light and heavy,
hot, oxygen-poor air. There is no ventilation. If you are at all sensitive
to claustrophobia or confinement, or if you have any sort of respiratory
condition, for your own safety and the safety of others, you must not
enter the pyramid because it is impossible to remove a person or to bring
aid to them quickly . Dinner is included at Zeitouni at the Four Seasons.
DAY
12 - CAIRO- Home Hosted Dinner - Thursday (BD)
Today Cairo is yours to explore (or to shop!) as you like, guidebook in
hand; or ask about our optional tours.
Dinner
is included at a local home: Meet the locals,
you may wish to bring token gifts to exchange with the host family ( T
shirt , small souvenirs of your home town): This
evening we'll venture where few ordinary visitors ever tread . . . right
into the homes of some of the people of Cairo ! You'll be invited to a
family dinner, and while you enjoy wholesome home-cooked specialties,
you'll learn about and appreciate the outlook, aspirations, and way of
life of your hosts. Be assured, as curious as you may be about your new
friends, they're sure to have questions about your own background. Once
the ice is broken, you'll enjoy a lively evening, and find that you have
more in common than you ever suspected. Of course, you may enjoy dinner
in a quiet restaurant with your travel companions, by letting us know
your preferences.
DAY
13 - DAHSHOUR - Friday (cBL)
A half-day tour takes us to Dahshour, the newly-opened pyramid
field south of Cairo: DAHSOUR - we'll motor to the edge of Cairo,
to Dahshour, the newly-opened pyramid field south of Cairo. We
visit the great pyramid of Senfru, father of Cheops, and other structure:
The "Discovery" of Dahshour:
For almost half a century, the great field of huge pyramids near the desert
village of Dahshour, 25 miles south of Cairo, has been off limits to the
public. Confined within the perimeter of a military base were many pyramids,
including the great 4500-year-old pyramid built by Senfru, father of Cheops.
Senfru's pyramid, the largest in Egypt until his son built Giza's Great
Pyramid, is rhomboidal in shape: it tapers more distinctly on its upper
half. All the pyramids were coated in thick plaster at one time. Most
have lost these protective, decorative sheaths, but Senfru's--miraculously--is
still in place.
DAY
14 - LUXOR & KARNAK - Saturday- NILE CRUISE (BLD)
An early flight takes us to Luxor, where we settle in aboard our Nile
cruiser. Morning tour of the charming Luxor Museum . Upon check-in your
crew will receive you with a complimentary welcome drink, a basket full
of fruits will await you in your cabin with our compliments . Following
lunch aboard, you have the afternoon at leisure. In the Evening your guide
will call on you for a horse-drawn carriage ride throughout Luxor souks
and water front.
DAY
15 - VALLEY OF THE KINGS - Sunday - on board your Nile cruise (cBLD)
We tour the Valley of the Kings including Tut-Ank-Amon's tomb, temple
of Queen Hatshepsut at Deir el Bahari, the Ancient
Workers Village at Deir El Medineh, the first known "Workers Village"
these were the true creative heroes who built the temples & tombs for
the mighty Pharaohs of the Nile Kingdom. Deir
El Medinah is on Luxor's west bank you get a totally different perspective
on ancient Egyptian life, at the ancient workers' settlement of Deir el-Medinah.
While most of the imposing stone monuments and sites of Egypt honor the
lives and after-lives of royalty, Deir el-Medinah gives us unique and
surprising insights into the ordinary citizens who constructed and decorated
the tombs.
Here
we'll see the excavated homes shared by laborers with their domestic animals.
These quarters were surprisingly large, with three good-sized rooms, courtyard,
kitchen, and even storage cellars. While ancient Egypt might not have
been a workers' paradise, we'll see that artisans and builders were highly
regarded in their community. We are proud to be the only operator to offer
regular visits to this singular ancient settlement in its tour and cruise
programs.
Today's
tour include as well a visit to the Valley of the Kings including
Tut-Ank-Amon's tomb , temple of Queen Hatshepsut at Deir el Bahari, and
Colossi of Memnon, returning to our Nile cruiser for lunch. Following
lunch aboard, we visit the great Temple of Luxor, and the gigantic
Great Temple of Amon at Karnak, returning to our vessel in time
for tea.
DAY 16 - ESNA & EDFU - Monday- Nile Cruise
(cBLD)
We cruise to Esna during the night and pass through the locks.
After breakfast we cruise to Edfu and board horse-drawn carriages
to get to the fine Temple of Horus. In the evening, we have a jolly
galabia party.
DAY
17 - KOM OMBO & ASWAN - Tuesday- Nile Cruise (cBLD)
We explore Kom Ombo's twin Temples of Haroeris, the sun god, and
Sobek, the crocodile god, before cruising south to Aswan. After
lunch aboard, we board a graceful felucca for a cruise among the Nile
islands .
DAY
18 - Disembarkation from your Nile Cruise - ASWAN - CAIRO - Wednesday
(cB)
The mighty Aswan dams and the Nubian Museum are our first goal this morning,
followed by a trip by motor launch to : the
Island temple of Philae , dedicated to the Ancient Goddess ISIS :
The
Mystery of Isis : Two millennia ago the Mediterranean world was enthralled
by the mystery of Isis:
"I,
Isis, am all that has been, that is or shall be; no mortal man hath ever
seen me unveiled."
Called
Aset by the ancient Egyptians, the goddess was a Madonna in the Mediterranean
tradition that stretches far, far back to the primitive Mother Goddess
from Anatolia, home to some of the oldest human communities on earth.
Because of her wisdom and skill at protection, she was admired as a good
magician capable of healing the sick and protecting the dead in their
journey to the Underworld.
Isis
is portrayed regally, as a queen seated on a throne (which may be the
meaning of her name), often holding her son Horus as a baby. Other images
show her with broad, magnificent gilded wings able to protect the world.
Back on land, we tour of Kalabsha Temple dedicated to the ancient
god Mandulis, and the goddess Isis . Built during the reign of the
Roman Emperor Augustus , the small rock-cut temple
of Beit El Wali, built by Ramses the Great , and the small
yet charming Kiosk of Qertassi, before returning to Cairo
by plane
DAY 19 - Giza , Memphis , Sakkara - Thursday (BL)
In the morning, we visit the majestic pyramids of Giza and the
timeless Sphinx. Lunch is included at the Mena House .
The afternoon is for Memphis and Sakkara, including the Step Pyramid of
Zoser & Nobles tombs/Mastabas. In the evening, we return to the
Pyramids for an awe-inspiring sound-and-light show. For
your tours : Private air-conditioned vehicle, private chauffeur, and private
guide .
DAY
20 - CAIRO - Friday (BL) The Culture
of Cairo
Today
we’ll explore deep into the heart of Cairo, and get to know its
daily rhythms, its spirituality, its history, and its modern diversions.
We’ll start early, with a visit to a local market, with an immense
variety of seasonal fruits and vegetables on offer, both familiar and
exotic.
You’ll
see that shopping in Cairo goes far beyond a supermarket experience. Be
prepared for whispers, gestures, shouting, and controlled chaos. It’s
all part of the bargaining process, engaged in by women in traditional
modest garb as well as others in Western dress.
Then
it’s on to the Museum of Islamic Art, with its tapestries, textiles,
swords and other objects exemplifying one of the world’s great decorative
traditions. We’ll continue to the Gayer-Anderson House, a serene
and classic domestic oasis, right down to its central fountain and exquisite
furnishings. Our visit is also a journey into a vanished way of life—the
residence is actually two traditional medieval Cairo houses restored by
an English physician to a former king. We’ll stop for lunch at a
restaurant where Cairenes go, then visit the Bab an-Nasr, the Gate of
Victory in Cairo’s old walls. You’ll even see graffiti that
survives from soldiers of Napoleon and of the British Empire, among the
many who passed this way.
DAY
21 - Cairo - On Desert Safari for the Day - Fayoum Oases
- And you thought the Pyramids were old ,
Saturday (BL)
We leave Cairo by sunrise ( private air conditioned car/driver/guide):
Full day Fayoum Oases including:
Hawara Pyramid, El Lahoun Pyramid, Ruins of Karanis, drive by Lake Qarun,
lunch is included at a local restaurant.
The
wilds of the desert begin right on the outskirts of Cairo, and continue
for hundreds of miles to the east and west, through sands, rock, mountains,
oases, and a surprising variety of scenery and inhabitants.
Join
us for a day ranging across the desert like modern nomads. In place of
camels, we’ll travel in comfortable, reliable four-by-four Toyota
Land Cruisers. Your guide and drivers will meet you at your hotel, and
soon you’ll leave bustling Cairo behind as you undertake the drive
toward the Oasis of El Fayoum, 150 kilometers to the southwest. Hard as
it is to believe, a great inland sea once covered these sands. It was
a holy reserve of sacred crocodiles, symbolized by the god Sobek.
We’ll
visit the temple of Kom Oshim, drive over ancient lake beds, and alongside
the waters of today’s Fayoum Lake to reach the fishermen’s
village of Chak Chouk. There we’ll stop for a lunch of fish caught
fresh that morning. There will be time to wander the village lanes and
discreetly watch the everyday activities of baking flatbread, irrigating
crops from the lake’s waters, and bringing in the catch. We’ll
also include the craft and pottery museum where the best works of local
artisans are on display.
Then
it’s into our four-by-fours again, for an off-road adventure! We’ll
head alongside and across desert washes, between dunes, and over ancient
lake beds for 35 kilometers to the Valley of the Whales ( In Arabic :
Wadi-El-Hitan) . Incredibly, these great mammals once thrived - almost
forty million years ago- in waters surrounded by sands. We’ll stop
and gaze in amazement at their fossilized remains alongside smaller sea
creatures that remain in stone.
This valley was discovered in 1936 , by the German geologist George Schweinfurth
in the northwestern corner of Wadi El-Rayan.
The valley provides evidence of one of the major changes in this mammal
evolution has been declared by the UNESCO to be a World Heritage Site.
It is believed that these land based whales once had feet that may have
helped them somewhat while ashore . A team from the University of Michigan
discovered in the late 80's that these Zeuglodon whales did have rudimentary
feet , this was a startling discovery , suggesting that whales of Wadi
-El-Hitan had recently started living in water as well , these whales
were not related to any of the whales we have today , rather a more slender
body and may grow up to 75 feet long. Several skeletons of whales are
exposed in the sand. George Schweinfurth named this extinct specie the
Zeuglodon Isis Whales .
In
the evening, you’ll return to your hotel in Cairo. Land
transportation in air-conditioned four-wheel-drive Toyota Land Cruiser
with the services of driver and English-speaking driver. Lunch is included
.
DAY
22 - Cairo / Tel Aviv - Sunday- (B)
Air fare ( economy class ) is included , ticket is issued & delivered
in Cairo .
Breakfast is included at the hotel. Our local rep will escort you to Cairo
Airport for your flight to Tel Aviv ,where
you'll be met and escorted to your hotel in Tel
Aviv l and overnight. Please make sure that you have your passport in
order and with visa ( if needed for Israel)
Day
23 - MONDAY - Tel Aviv - Beersheva - Arad - Massada - Jerusalem
(B)
Leave Tel Aviv - via Ashdod - Ashkelon - Beersheba. A short visit to the
Negev capital. Continue via Arad to Massada. Ascend by cable car to the
fortress, which was the last stronghold of the Jewish Zealots in their
war against the Romans. Visit the excavations, Herod’s palaces,
the synagogue, bathhouse, etc. Enjoy the breathtaking view of the Roman
camps and the Dead Sea. Descend for a possible “float” in
the in the salty water of the world’s lowest place. Via Ein Gedi
& Kalya, proceed to Jerusalem for overnight.

Day
24 - TUESDAY - Jerusalem - sightseeing of the new city
(B)
Drive to Mt’ Scopus for a panoramic view of Jerusalem. On to the
Garden of Gethsemane and Church of the Agony. Drive to Mt’ Zion
for a visit to the tomb of King David, the Room of the Last Supper and
Dormition Abbey. Sightseeing in the new city including the Israel Museum’s
Shrine of the Book with the famous Dead Sea scrolls, new Supreme Court
bldg. Mt’ Herzl and Yad Vashem (the memorial to the six million
Jews who were killed in the Holocaust). Then visit the model of the Herodian
city of Jerusalem dating back to the time of the Second Temple. Afternoon
visit of the Hadassah medical center in the synagogue with Marc Chagall
stained glass windows, then via Ein Karem (the birth place of John the
Baptist). Return to Hotel.
Day
25 - WEDNESDAY - Jerusalem - (Old City) – Bethlehem (B)
Walk through one of the Gates to the walled Old City: the renewed Jewish
Quarter; the Western Wall, the Temple area; the colorful bazaars; Via
Dolorosa, and the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. Continue to Bethlehem*
to visit Rachel’s Tomb and the Church of the Nativity and return
to your hotel in Jerusalem for the night.
Day
26 - THURSDAY - Jericho* - Tiberias - Galilee (B)
Leave Jerusalem, driving via Bethany to Jericho*, the oldest city in the
world. Visit the excavations and then continue northward via Jordan Valley
and the new settlements to Beit Shean. After a short visit proceed to
Tiberias . Drive along the shores of the Sea of Galilee to Capernaum to
visit the ruins of the ancient synagogue. Drive back to Jerusalem and
overnight. For your tours : Private air-conditioned vehicle, private chauffeur,
and private guide .
Day
27 - FRIDAY - MEGIDDO,
NAZARETH, TIBERIAS (B)
We drive north from Jerusalem to Nazareth to see the Church of the Annunciation,
then continue to cross the Sea of Galilee by boat to Tabgha. Traveling
overland again, we'll stop at Cana, and stroll through lively waterside
Tiberias. At Capernaum, we'll see the ruins of the synagogue and Church
of St. Peter. We'll return to Jerusalem via the baptismal site on the
Jordan River.
DAY
28 - DEPARTURE- Sunday (B)
Transfer to the International Airport and assistance with departure formalities.
Ultra
Deluxe - Private Guide and Private air-conditioned vehicle for
your
Flying Business class within Egypt
Nile Cruise portion- RATES per person in US$ From JFK
From
New York
in economy class |
Ultra
Deluxe
|
Triple |
US$
10,996 |
Double |
US$
11,511 |
Single |
US$
14,356 |
- Cairo
: Club Level Room - Nile View at the Grand Hyatt
-
Amman : Deluxe room Hyatt Amman or Sheraton Al-Nabil
- Petra
: JR. Suite at Movenpick Petra
- Nile
Cruise : Mozart Suite on Sonesta Star Goddess Nile Cruise ,
With private balcony, or similar
RATES per
person in US$ From JFK in economy class
From
New York |
Deluxe
Hilton Hotel
Category |
First
Class
Shepheard's Hotel
Category |
Triple |
US$
8788 |
US$
8353 |
Double |
US$
8856 |
US$
8491 |
Single |
US$
11,900 |
US$
10,294 |
- Air
Fare Supplement Notes :
Our airline partners for departures from New York are : Lufthansa ,
British Airways, Air France, or similar
From San Francisco, San Diego, Los Angeles, Seattle-Tacoma,
Phoenix, Denver and Dallas-Fort Worth please add an additional $350
From Chicago or Washington, DC's Dulles International
Airport, please ad an additional $300.
- Air
Fare High Season: ( doesn't apply
to Business class passengers)
In addition, for any departures from May 1 through Sep 30 , Dec 20
- Jan 2 , please add $450 high-season airfare surcharge to the rates
shown above. This doesn't apply when you handle
your own air fare.
If you choose to make your own arrangements for international airfare,
please deduct $500 per person from the rates.
Land
Arrangements High Season and Departure Notes:
For departures during Easter ( 2 weeks season ) , or : Dec 20 - Jan 2:
Christmas, New Year's , please add 10 % to the listed rates .
YOUR
TOUR INCLUDES :
Not
included:
- Expenses
of personal nature, such as phone calls, laundry , beverages, etc
- Travel
Insurance
-
The
King's Chamber in the Great Pyramid was not meant to be visited:
Getting to it is challenging, and once you enter, it is very difficult
to turn back. The stone passage is only wide enough for one person.
You must be in good physical condition, able to climb several flights
of stairs, bend double, crouch and duck-walk for short distances.
The King's Chamber itself is the world's most claustrophobic place,
with dim light and heavy, hot, oxygen-poor air. There is no ventilation.
If you are at all sensitive to claustrophobia or confinement, or if
you have any sort of respiratory condition, for your own safety and
the safety of others, you must not enter the pyramid because it is
impossible to remove a person or to bring aid to them quickly
Tha
Agha Khan in Egypt :
Darb
Al-Ahmar, one of the
poorest parts of Cairo, is the site for various AKDN social programmes
- including restoration of the decayed housing stock - which are designed
to help revitalise the historic district. Al-Azhar park, undertaken
by the Aga Khan Trust for Culture, has proven to be a powerful catalyst
for urban renewal in the neighbouring district of Darb al-Ahmar -- one
of the poorest districts in Cairo. Other AKDN agencies are now working
on social programmes in the neighbourhood, including microfinance, education,
civil society strengthening and health.
Darb
Al-Ahmar Social Programmes
Less than two centuries ago, Darb Al-Ahmar was one of the wealthiest
neighborhoods in Historic Cairo. Today, however, the 92,000 inhabitants
of the district are among the poorest. While featuring one of the richest
concentrations of Islamic architecture in the world, the district also
suffers from a lack of adequate basic infrastructure and services such
as water and sanitation. When the Aga Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC)
made a baseline study in 2003, the housing stock was crumbling, piles
of trash lined the streets, the historic monuments had come under increasing
stress, the neighborhood retained an unsavory reputation and hope among
its inhabitants for improvements in the quality of life had dimmed.
Since
2003, AKTC and its partners have created a number of social programmes
in Al Darb Al-Ahmar, each of them designed to address a development
challenge. Hundreds of families have benefited from improvements to
the water supply network, including the replacement of lead junctures.
Repair of the electrical systems began in 2007. Parts of the sewage
network have been upgraded and expanded into alleys previously not served
by these facilities. New drainage works are preventing the pooling of
water, thereby reducing the potential for water-borne disease. Environmental
programmes have stressed general environmental awareness as well as
focusing specifically on environmentally friendly solid waste disposal
practices. A programme to remove the trash and rubble that is strewn
across many roofs in the area and replace them with vegetable gardens
was undertaken. Another project installed water supply cisterns on roofs,
addressing a chronic lack of water and water pressure. In addition,
to tackle the lack of heating in 25 percent of the area’s homes,
a pilot project for affordable solar water heating systems was started.
|