airo ▁on ▁ 4 ▁September ▁ 1 8 1 2 . ▁ ▁After ▁sp ending ▁four ▁months ▁in ▁C airo ▁with ▁no ▁west bound ▁car av ans ▁across ▁the ▁Sah ara ▁available , ▁Bur ck hardt ▁decided ▁to ▁journey ▁up ▁the ▁N ile ▁River ▁to ▁Upper ▁Egypt ▁and ▁N ub ia . ▁He ▁just ified ▁this ▁to ▁his ▁employ er ▁with ▁the ▁argument ▁that ▁the ▁information ▁he ▁would ▁collect ▁on ▁African ▁cult ures ▁would ▁help ▁him ▁in ▁his ▁planned ▁journey ▁to ▁west ▁Africa . ▁In ▁January ▁ 1 8 1 3 ▁he ▁depart ed ▁C airo ▁trav elling ▁up ▁the ▁N ile ▁river ▁over ▁land ▁via ▁don key . ▁He ▁planned ▁to ▁reach ▁D ong ola ▁in ▁what ▁is ▁now ▁modern - day ▁Sud an . ▁He ▁was ▁eventually ▁blocked ▁by ▁host ile ▁people ▁less ▁than ▁ 1 6 0   km ▁from ▁his ▁goal ▁near ▁the ▁third ▁cat ar act ▁of ▁the ▁N ile ▁river . ▁J our ney ing ▁north , ▁he ▁came ▁across ▁the ▁sand - ch oked ▁ru ins ▁of ▁the ▁Great ▁Temple ▁of ▁Ram esses ▁II ▁at ▁Ab u ▁Sim bel ▁in ▁March ▁ 1 8 1 3 . ▁After ▁considerable ▁effort , ▁he ▁was ▁unable ▁to ▁exc av ate ▁the ▁entrance ▁to ▁the ▁temple . ▁He ▁later ▁told ▁his ▁friend ▁Giovanni ▁Bel z oni ▁about ▁the ▁ru ins ▁and ▁it ▁was ▁he ▁who ▁later ▁returned ▁in ▁ 1 8 1 7 ▁to ▁exc av ate ▁the ▁temple . ▁Bur ck hardt ▁continued ▁north ▁to ▁Es me .