Until the 19TH century, the Nile was Egypt’s artery, transporting goods, effigies of gods, mummies, and people. But cruising the Nile for leisurely purposes was perhaps most famously endeavored in 47 BC, when Julius Caesar and Cleopatra VII, Egypt’s final and most illustrious queen, are said to have gone on a sightseeing tour up the Nile. Equally enamored with Cleopatra and the sumptuous riches of her kingdom, Caesar ensured that Egypt would remain sovereign for the rest of his tenure at the helm of the Roman Republic.