A Trip to Egypt - The album of photographs that makes up this page is a momento of a
trip that was made in January and February 1933 by a Glasgow lady, Miss Newlands, with her
father who was a delegate to an international railway congress meeting in Alexandria and
Cairo. Also on the trip were her mother and sister.The text below is taken from the front
of the album which describes the visit and the
photographs.
Please click on the thumbnail images to enlarge.
Rawalpindi
Miss Newlands
Seaplane at Alexandria
We left Tilbury on Friday, 30th December 1932, on a P&O boat ,the Rawalpindi.
After calling at Gibraltar and Marseilles we landed at Port Said on the morning of
Wednesday, 11th January 1933. A motor drive through the town, including the Arab quarters,
afforded us our first impression of the near East. We took the train to Alexandria in the
afternoon . The L.M.&S Railway Co. Congress opened there on the Monday the 16th
January with a reception by the Municipality, which took the form of a tour of the
town by car, followed by a reception by the Governor of the town and a tea dance at the
Claridges Hotel.
Sheapheard's
The Foyer
Shoeshines King Faud's car
The next day (Tuesday) we went to Cairo where the congress meetings were held
.Here a wonderful programme was arranged for the delegates, their wives and families. In
the mornings the delegates attended the conferences, while their wives and families were
take to see the sights of the city. In the afternoons, excursions were arranged in which
everybody took part. We visited the Pyramids and Sphinx, Memphis, the Citadel, Museums,
Mosques, bazaars.
Memphis
Sphinx
Thebes
Sakkara
We also sailed the Nile down to the
barrages of the Delta. One evening we were the guests of the Minister of Transport at a
banquet and ball at the Heliopolis Hotel. Another evening there was a reception by the
Prime Minister at the Semiramis Hotel, which took the form of a ball and cabaret.
King Fuad I entertained the delegates and their wives and families at the Abdine palace
one evening, where we saw the performance of a scene from Strauss's Fledermaus and a
ballet in the theatre inside the Palace. The performers were a Viennese Opera
Company visiting Cairo at that time. The splendour of the supper for us after the opera
must be mentioned. Buffet tables lined three sides of an immense banqueting hall and these
were laden with every imaginable kind of savoury, meat, cake, sweet, fruit and drink. The
glass and china were magnificent, ices were served on gold shells, wine on gold goblets or
cut crystal glasses on carved gold stems. Another night a concert was arranged for
us at the Institute of Oriental Music in Cairo. The English delegates and their friends
were the guests for tea one day at the Residency. The Ambassador at that time was Sir
Percy Lorraine. The English Railway Engineers resident in Cairo were most kind in giving
cocktail parties for us in their houses.
Nubian Boys
Colossi of Memnon
Arabian Desert
On Monday the 30th January the Congress ended, but for those who wished trips were
organised to Luxor and Aswan. On Tuesday 31st January, we left Cairo by special train for
Aswan, a journey which took us from 3pm on Tuesday to about 9am Wednesday The quite
and beauty of Aswan were indeed a refreshment after the bustle of Cairo. The Cataract
Hotel stood just on the bank of the Nile We had a glorious day's sailing on the Nile
visiting the wonderful temple of Isis on the now submerged island of Philae and the Aswan
dam
Cataract
Hotel
Philae before and after the Aswan Dam
On Friday the 3rd February we left Aswan for Luxor which undoubtedly stands alone as far
as wealth of Antiquities is concerned. Here we visited the temples of Luxor and Karnak on
the eastern bank of the Nile.
We spent a whole day across the Nile from Luxor in Thebes (the western bank) where lies
the Valleys of the Tombs of the Kings and Queens . 40 Tombs of Kings have been discovered
7 are opened to the public. We visited 3 , those of Tutankhamun, Amenophis II and Seti I.
We also visited the tomb of Queen Nefertari wife of Amenophis II.
At Philae boys diving for money from the tourists, Temple of Isis
We returned to Cairo on February 5th (Sunday). On Wednesday 8th February we motored 80
miles across the Arabian desert to Suez and Port Tewfik, returning to Cairo that evening,
We left Cairo on Sunday, 12th February for Port said where we went on board the P&O
liner, Narkunda, bound for home .We sailed about midnight and our arrival at Plymouth on
Thursday 23rd February closed a chapter in my life, the intense interest, wonder and charm
of which will not be easily obliterated or surpassed.
Dated 8th July 1934, Glasgow.
Banquet menu
El-Ghuria,Cairo
Native transport
Darb-el-Ahmar
Hassan Mosque
Mohammed Ali Sqr
Blue Mosque
Arissus Seller
Mahmoudieh
Canal Cairo Museum
Rameses 11
Sphinx
Rameses 11
Luxor
Temple
Luxor
Temple
Luxor Temple
Oblsk Hatshepsut
Ramesseum
Medinet Habu
Tutankhamun's
Luxor
Rameses V1
Philae
Temple Pharaoh's Bed
Near Assuan
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e-mail me at gavin.egypt@ukonline.co.uk
