BC Archaeology Travel

Name: BC Archaeology Travel
Address: PO Box 1236, Mittagong, NSW, 2575, AU
Telephone: +61405492946

Home
Australia
Mittagong, NSW
BC Archaeology Travel

BC Archaeology Travel Guided tours of ancient world sites

12/02/2025

Tues 11th Feb - we spent the morning at Giza exploring the area around the Great Pyramid. Three members of our group went inside to explore the Grand Gallery and burial chamber. We walked to a scenic view point and two of our group took a camel ride. We had a much needed coffee at the Khufu Restaurant complex. We then saw the Valley Temple of Khafre and the Sphinx. In the evening we flew to Aswan.

10/02/2025

Mon 10th Feb - in the afternoon we visited a number of painted tombs at Saqqara. We started with the superb golden images from the burial chambers of the tomb of the Treasurer Maya who held office during the reign of Tutankhamun. We also saw the nearby tomb of the General Horemhab which has lively scenes of captured enemies. Later on we explored the 6th Dynasty tombs of the Viziers Mereruka and Kagemni. These contain lovely scenes of daily life

10/02/2025

Mon 10th Feb - we had the first day of my tour of Egypt. We went to Saqqara, south of Cairo, to see a range of tombs. We started with a visit to the ruins of Memphis where there are colossal statues of Ramesses II. We then visited the Step Pyramid of King Zoser and for the first time I went down into the South Tomb, a massive shaft which contains an enormous granite room probably for the embalmed viscera of the king

10/02/2025

Sun 9th Feb - hi, this is Michael Birrell of BC Archaeology Travel. I'm in Cairo with a few spare days before my tour of Egypt begins. This morning I visited the Grand Egyptian Museum to see the newly opened 12 thematic and chronological galleries showcasing the culture of Ancient Egypt. They have done a superb job with excellent displays. There are so many objects I have never seen before. The last galleries, including the Tutankhamun rooms, open in July this year. Come with me in February 2026 to experience this remarkable place for yourself:
ANCIENT EGYPT: RAMESSES THE GREAT
A 3-week tour of Egypt led by Dr Michael Birrell
Includes: 3 night Nile cruise from Luxor to Aswan and a 4-night Lake Nasser Cruise from Aswan to Abu Simbel
27th January - 13th February 2026 (arrive Cairo 27th Jan - depart Cairo 14th Feb)
$8300.00 per person twin share (airfares not included), single supplement $1500 extra
Itinerary: https://www.bcarchaeology.com.au/ramesses.html
Contact me: [email protected] or 0405 492 046

09/02/2025

Sun 9th Feb - sunset at Giza

09/02/2025

Fri 7th Feb - our last visit for the tour of Oman was to the ancient site of Samhuram on the Khawr Rawri harbour. This settlement, housing about 300 people, was founded by merchants from Yemen in the 3rd Century BC and was the main processing point for frankincense until the 5th Century AD. The incense was sent by ship up the Red Sea or by camel overland to Petra and then into the Roman Empire.

09/02/2025

Fri 7th Feb - in the late morning we went up to the top of the escarpment to see the view over the coastal plain. On our descent we stopped to see the wonderful grove of baobab trees in the Wadi Hinna. We reached the coast at Mirbat where we saw the fishing boats.

09/02/2025

Fri 8th Feb - this was the last day of my tour of Oman. In the morning we explored the landscapes to the east of Salalah. We visited the little watch tower of Taqah, then saw the waterfalls in the Wadi Darbat. We had morning tea at the Tawi Atayr sinkhole which is 210 m deep.

06/02/2025

Thurs 6th Feb - today we left our desert camp in the Empty Quarter and headed back to Salalah on the south coast of Oman. From here we headed west of Salalah to explore the landscape along this beautiful coast. On the way we stopped to see some wild frankincense trees which have been scarred to produce the fragrant sap. We had a paddle in lovely clear blue water. On the way back to Salalah we saw many herds of camels heading home at the end of grazing.

06/02/2025

Wed 5th Feb - we headed further north away from Salalah into a broad flat desert plain to see the ruins of the fortress of Shisr. This was built in the late 4th Century BC and was a major stopping point with water spring for the camel shipment of frankincense into Arabia and onwards to Petra. It has long been identified with the mythical Ubar, a fabulously wealthy city in the middle of the Arabian desert. From here we entered the great Empty Quarter desert which stretches north into Arabia. We drove up to an enormous dune and climbed to the summit to see the dunes disappearing into the distance. We stayed overnight in a desert camp.

06/02/2025

Wed 5th Feb - we are in southern Oman exploring the historical sites and landscapes. In the morning we visited the frankincense bazaar where different mixes of incense are available. We then stopped at the Sahlounout spring where warm water has created a little oasis at the base of the mountains. We then headed up onto the plataeu where we stopped to see a valley with wild frankincense trees, now joined by new plantings.

05/02/2025

Tues 4th Feb - in the afternoon we visited the Museum of Frankincense which has artefacts from the region, including altars for burning incense. We then saw the impressive ruins in the nearby site of Al Baleed (ancient Zafar). This was a major frankincense trading post from antique times to the arrival of the Portuguese in the 15th Century. We saw the 9th Century fortress and nearby mosque, as well as some of the numerous houses from the site. Marco Polo and Ibn Battuta visited the town on their journeys, describing it as very prosperous.

05/02/2025

Tues 4th Feb - in the morning we flew from Muscat to Salalah in the south of Oman. It has a different feel from the north, being greener and more tropical with coconut palms rather than date palms. We stopped to have some coconut milk and look at the exotic fruit in the area. We then stopped to visit the frankincense market which has bags of different types of incense.

03/02/2025

Mon 3rd Feb - in the afternoon we travelled north from Sur to Muscat. On the way we went for a walk in the spectacular Wadi Shab. The walls of the gorge are lined with palm groves and all around are the towering cliffs. Closer to Muscat we stopped to see the Bhima sinkhole, a collapsed limestone cave.

03/02/2025

Mon 3rd Feb - after breakfast we returned to the sealed road and headed to the coast of Oman. We visited the historic port city of Sur where we saw a dhow workshop which is producing two such boats using cedar and teak. The work is all done by hand and includes finely carved elements.

03/02/2025

Sun 2nd Feb - in the morning we left Nizwa in central Oman and headed south to the Wahiba Sands, a large desert area of dunes. We stayed overnight in en suite tents and had meals with great views over the desert. The Wahiba extends for 15,000 square km and was first explored by European explorer Wilfred Thesiger in 1949. We went for a drive into the desert to see some camels and saw the sunset over the dunes

01/02/2025

Sat 1st Feb - in the late afternoon we visited the very impressive mudbrick fortress at Bahla. It lies on an ancient tell mound which has been occupied for thousands of years. The main keep or qasbah was built around AD 1000, is five stories high and made entirely of mudbricks with walls 5 m thick. The rest of the fort was added in the 13th Century and in the following era it was the capital of Oman, used by the Yaruba Imams as their main residence. Adjoining the fortress is an ancient mosque built around AD 1000 and containing an impressive plaster mihrab and minbar.

01/02/2025

Sat 1st Feb - mid morning we headed north of Salut towards Ibri. We stopped to see the impressive medieval fortified town of Sulaif. Built on a rock overlooking the wadi, the fortress was a refuge against incursions by Wahhabi tribesman from Saudi Arabia. We then continued on to Bat, a UNESCO world heritage site known for its Early Bronze Age tower tombs. The tombs, used repeatedly over centuries, contained pottery, copper objects and imported goods. Some have been reconstructed, while others are in various states of collapse.

Address

PO Box 1236
Mittagong, NSW
2575

Telephone

+61405492946

Website

http://bcarchaeology.com.au/

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when BC Archaeology Travel posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.