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North Africa's Mediterranean Coast: A Voyage from Spain to Cyprus
There is a single itinerary that allows you to follow the arrow of time backward, from the Renaissance through the Moorish Middle Ages, then further back to the height of the Roman Empire, the Egypt of the Ptolemies, the legacy of Alexander the Great, and the sacred outposts of Hellenistic Greece. It’s this one. Spanning seven nations and more than 2,500 years of history and culture, our voyage to North Africa’s Mediterranean Coast is a grand springtime tapestry of interwoven artistic and cultural traditions of Christian, Muslim, and ancient societies. Very appropriately, we begin in Seville, the cultural capital of Andalusia, a 2,000-year-old city where Baroque dances a flamenco with the Arabesque. We then sail to Tangier, where a vibrant new artistic culture is emerging in the Arabic, French, and bohemian alleyways. In Algeria, Tunisia, and Libya we survey the incredible Greco-Roman ruins astonishingly well-preserved in the North African desert, including legendary Carthage, St. Augustine’s Hippo Regius, and Leptis Magna, the 3rd-century “Rome of the South.” We enjoy a day in the metropolis of Alexandria, and then wander among serene ruins in Cyprus.
Itinerary
Day 1 • USA
Day 2 • SEVILLE, Spain | EMBARK
Day 3 • SEVILLE
Day 4 • TANGIER, Morocco
Day 5 • AT SEA
Day 6 • BEJAIA | DJEMILA | BEJAIA, Algeria
Day 7 • ANNABA | HIPPO REGIUS | ANNABA
Day 8 • TUNIS | CARTHAGE | TUNIS, Tunisia
Day 9 • SFAX | EL DJEM | SFAX
Day 10 • TRIPOLI | SABRATHA | TRIPOLI, Libya
Day 11 • KHOMS | LEPTIS MAGNA | KHOMS
Day 12 • AT SEA
Day 13 • DERNA | CYRENE | APOLLONIA | DERNA
Day 14 • TUBRUQ
Day 15 • ALEXANDRIA, Egypt
Day 16 • ALEXANDRIA |CAIRO | GIZA | ALEXANDRIA
Day 17 • AT SEA | LIMASSOL, Cyprus
Day 18 • LIMASSOL | DISEMBARK | USA
A WORD ON THE LIBYA CALLS
The calls in Libya are dependent on the Libyan authorities issuing the required visas. Even though Libya has not yet been granting visas to American travelers, we are pursuing several channels to secure the visas. Should the visas not be granted, the itinerary will be altered to eliminate the calls in Libya. Instead, we will visit for two days the celebrated Siwa Oasis, one of Egypt’s most remote and memorable sites. Located in the waterless Western Desert, Siwa is set amidst huge palm groves and surrounded by fresh water springs and salt lakes. Its traditional villages have remained unchanged for centuries. Throughout the ancient Mediterranean world, Siwa was famed for its Oracle of Amun. Countless leaders and others sought the oracle’s advice, among them Alexander the Great, who visited the site in 331 B.C. Some archaeologists believe that Alexander was buried in Siwa. During our visit we will explore Siwa’s ancient remains, including the well-preserved Temple of Amun; the Gabal al-Mawta, a low ridge with tombs from the 26th Dynasty to the Ptolemaic and Roman periods; traditional villages, and the fantastic surrounding desert sand dunes.
View Detailed Itinerary
On this program as on all Travel Dynamics International voyages, a guest lecturer will present lectures and lead discussions that will enhance your educational experience. At this time, the guest lecturer who will accompany the program has not yet been confirmed. All Travel Dynamics International lecturers share a love for both teaching and travel. Their presence ensures that our journeys are not only pleasant travel experiences but also intellectually rewarding.
Day 1
USA
Fly from the U.S. to Seville, Spain.
Day 2
SEVILLE, Spain | EMBARK
Upon arrival in Seville, transfer to Corinthian II. Overnight aboard ship, docked in port.
Day 3
SEVILLE
Occupied by the Romans, conquered by the Moors, and ruled by a succession of Catholic monarchs, Seville is one of Europe’s most important and affluent maritime cites. Visit the Alcazar, with its charming Murillo Gardens, and the Gothic Cathedral.
Day 4
TANGIER, Morocco
Founded by the Phoenicians in the 7th century B.C., Tangier was subsequently held by the Romans, Vandals, Byzantines and Visigoths, followed by the Arabs in 709, who used it as the base for their invasion of Spain. Spend the afternoon exploring the medina, a classic Moroccan town of narrow alleyways and stepped passages, dominated by its old citadel or kasbah. Also visit the Dar el Makhzen, the former palace of the sultans, now a museum of antiquities and crafts, and the Old American Legation, a former palace given to the U.S. government in 1777 to house America’s first embassy (Morocco was the first overseas country to recognize the independent United States).
Day 5
AT SEA
Enjoy a relaxing day at sea.
Day 6
BEJAIA | DJEMILA | BEJAIA, Algeria
Disembark in Bejaia for an excursion through impressive countryside to the remarkably well-preserved Roman ruins of Djemila. The site includes the Triumphal Arch to Emperor Caracalla, built in A.D. 216; the Grand Baths; the market; and the Old Forum, featuring stunning friezes and a 3rd-century altar. Also visit the museum with its collection of superb mosaics and other artifacts.
Day 7
ANNABA | HIPPO REGIUS | ANNABA
From Annaba, visit the ancient site of Hippo Regius, which bears the marks of Phoenicians, Berbers, and Romans. St. Augustine was a bishop here from A.D. 396 until his death in A.D. 430. Explore the Roman Forum, the largest and oldest in North Africa, and the Baths, dedicated to Septimius Severus. Also visit the modern-day Basilica of St. Augustine, which crowns the hill overlooking the site. Sail along the rugged Algerian coast in the afternoon.
Day 8
TUNIS | CARTHAGE | TUNIS, Tunisia
From Tunis, travel to storied Carthage, founded by Phoenicians in the 9th century B.C. The site includes several Phoenician remains, such as Tophet, the sanctuary of the gods Tanit and Baal, as well as many monuments from the Roman period. Also tour the Bardo Museum, world-renowned for its spectacular collection of Roman mosaics, and enjoy time at leisure visiting the Medina and its souks.
Day 9
SFAX | EL DJEM | SFAX
Arrive in Sfax and drive to El Djem to explore its great Roman amphitheater, built in the 3rd century A.D. to house 35,000 spectators. Many of the amphitheater’s stones were used to build the village of El Djem in the 17th century. Continue to the Museum, with its fine collection of mosaics.
Day 10
TRIPOLI | SABRATHA | TRIPOLI, Libya
Tripoli was settled by Phoenicians, colonized by Greeks, and conquered by Romans, who erected the impressive triumphal arch honoring Marcus Aurelius. Later, Tripoli grew wealthy from the Saharan caravan trade. Explore the Medina, the medieval walled town built on the site of the Roman settlement. Also tour the Jamahiriya Museum, housed in the massive medieval Citadel, and the city’s colorful souks. In the afternoon, travel to nearby Sabratha, the ancient city that began as a Carthaginian trading post, became a permanent settlement in the 4th century B.C., and flourished in the Roman period. Located by the sea, Sabratha’s ruins include temples, public baths, fountains and a museum noted for its collection of mosaics.
Day 11
KHOMS | LEPTIS MAGNA | KHOMS
This morning, call at Khoms on Libya’s Tripolitanian coast. Nearby are the ruins of Leptis Magna, one of the Mediterranean’s most compelling ancient sites. Leptis Magna achieved its prominence in the 3rd century A.D. under the Severan emperors, who launched an unprecedented, lavish building scheme, embellishing the city with extraordinary public buildings. Excellently preserved to the present day because of its burial under shifting sands, this glorious coastal city is a unique example of ancient town planning. Spend the day exploring the city’s magnificent buildings, monuments, temples and streets. Also visit Villa Sileen, a recently restored Roman residence with vivid mosaics depicting chariot races and gladiatorial combat scenes.
Day 12
AT SEA
Spend the day at sea attending lectures and enjoying the ship’s amenities.
Day 13
DERNA | CYRENE | APOLLONIA | DERNA
This morning, Corinthian II docks in Derna on Libya’s Cyrenaican coast. Take a fullday excursion to Cyrene, one of North Africa’s great cities of antiquity. Founded by Greek colonists from Thera (Santorini) in the 7th century B.C., Cyrene was built on the side of a hill, facing the plain and the sea. Its substantial ruins and monuments testify to its wealth and power. Continue to Apollonia to explore the site and the Museum, which displays excellent mosaics from the region’s early Byzantine churches.
Day 14
TUBRUQ
Arrive in the naturally protected deep harbor town of Tubruq, once an ancient Greek colony named Antipyrgos. The town was of strategic importance through- out history, most notably during World War II, when it witnessed some of the most prolonged fighting in North Africa. Spend the day touring the WWII memorials and cemeteries.
Day 15
ALEXANDRIA, Egypt
Founded by Alexander the Great in 332- 331 B.C., Alexandria became the paramount city of the Hellenistic period and a great center of learning, culture and science. On the death of Alexander in 323 B.C., Egypt was entrusted to Ptolemy, one of his generals, who founded a dynasty that lasted until 30 B.C. The last Ptolemaic monarch was Cleopatra, whose life, beauty, prowess, and relationship with Mark Antony have fascinated writers and the public from ancient times to the present. In the morning, tour Alexandria’s ancient ruins, including the site of the famous lighthouse of Pharos, now occupied by a fort; the Anfushi tombs, a 3rd-century B.C. necropolis cut in the limestone; Pompey’s Pillar, a red granite column erected in honor of Diocletian, emperor of Rome (284-305); the Ptolemaic theater; and the Greco-Roman Museum, whose exhibits include many of the finds from the recent excavations in the city’s harbor.
Day 16
ALEXANDRIA | CAIRO | GIZA | ALEXANDRIA
This morning drive to Cairo, Egypt’s bustling capital. Visit the Egyptian Museum, a dazzling collection of antiquities from such fabled archaeological sites as the Valley of the Kings and others. Then, travel to Giza to tour the Pyramids of Cheops and Chephren, at the foot of which stands the imperious and enigmatic Sphinx, built between 2600 and 2530 B.C.
Day 17
AT SEA | LIMASSOL, Cyprus
Spend the morning at sea. This afternoon, after the ship calls in Limassol, visit Kourion, an ancient city set upon a great cliff. Visit the mosaics depicting Achilles and gladiators near the Paphos Gate, the ruined 5th-century Basilica and adjoining Baptistery and the restored Sanctuary of Apollo.
Day 18
LIMASSOL | DISEMBARK | USA
Disembark and transfer to the airport for return flights to the U.S.
A WORD ON THE LIBYA CALLS
The calls in Libya are dependent on the Libyan authorities issuing the required visas. Even though Libya has not yet been granting visas to American travelers, we are pursuing several channels to secure the visas. Should the visas not be granted, the itinerary will be altered to eliminate the calls in Libya. Instead, we will visit for two days the celebrated Siwa Oasis, one of Egypt’s most remote and memorable sites. Located in the waterless Western Desert, Siwa is set amidst huge palm groves and surrounded by fresh water springs and salt lakes. Its traditional villages have remained unchanged for centuries. Throughout the ancient Mediterranean world, Siwa was famed for its Oracle of Amun. Countless leaders and others sought the oracle’s advice, among them Alexander the Great, who visited the site in 331 B.C. Some archaeologists believe that Alexander was buried in Siwa. During our visit we will explore Siwa’s ancient remains, including the well-preserved Temple of Amun; the Gabal al-Mawta, a low ridge with tombs from the 26th Dynasty to the Ptolemaic and Roman periods; traditional villages, and the fantastic surrounding desert sand dunes.
