Wednesday – Cairo – ancients & pathways to the sky
▲ ▲ ▲ After a leisurely breakfast we once again board our bus. First up Memphis. A very small site but very interesting and we had to buy yet another photo ticket – that said ‘One tomp’. I think I am just about photo ticketed out. We have it lucky though – plain cameras – prices range from LE5.00 to about LE10.00. Which with the exchange rate is about AUD2.00 = LE 5.00.
Video cameras are about LE 100.00 plus you have to declare them at customs where they make a note of the number and then when you leave you have to show them that it is the same camera.
HISTORY LESSON: Memphis is the ancient capital of the province of Lower Egypt. This city has known centuries of great splendour culminating in the 6th dynasty when it was the principal centre of the cult of Ptah. It was also the site of chariot factories. It is incredible that of all this great splendour there should be left almost nothing except a few ruins. During excavations in the 19th century a little chapel in hour of Ptah, built by Seti I was brought to light. In front of the temple there once stood a series of colossal statues of Ramses II, only two remain today. One in red granite can be seen in the square by the railway station in Cairo. The second lies in all its glory on the ground in front of the temple in a specially constructed hall. Originally 13 metres high, it bears the name of the great pharaoh engraved in the cartouche on his right shoulder.
Statue of the mighty Ramses II. The hall has been constructed around it to protect it from the weather. There is a walkway around the hall and the statue is so huge it is difficult to get all of it in the photo. I had to lean over (at great risk I might add) to get this shot. You can also walk around the perimeter of the statue downstairs but you can’t see much of it because of its size. After walking around and around and looking upon that serene face and wondering about life in those times we go outside and discover that there are lots of sarcophagus and other artefacts of well known pharaohs.
We see the sphinx of Amenhotep III carved from a single block of alabaster. It is four and half metres high and eight metres long and weighs, it is believed, at least eighty tonnes. Together with others it once flanked the entry to the temple of Ptah. It is nigh on impossible to believe that humans actually carved these things let alone moved them to where they wanted.
Next stop - the Pyramid of Zoser at Saqqara. A very large complex – but no drawings and colour. Nevertheless full of history and excitement because this is the very first pyramid built.
HISTORY LESSON : The necropolis at Saqqara which stretches for eight kilometres is the largest in the whole of Egypt. In the middle of the necropolis is the funerary complex of Zoser, the pharaoh who founded the 3rd dynasty. The whole area is dominated by this huge step pyramid. It was designed by the pharaoh’s architect – Imhotep – and it was the first funerary pyramid to appear in the world. It is a large mustaba and then over it he built a pyramid with four large steps. The pyramid in its final form has six steps. Sixty two and a half metres high, this pyramid was originally covered with a façade of smooth stone which today has completely disappeared.
On our way back – we make Mohamed stop the bus for a Kodak moment. Everyone is off the bus and snapping away until a horde of youngsters come at us from inside the palm trees on the right. There is a little commune down there and they want money from us because we are taking photos – so everyone back on the bus quick smart. We head off to the highlight of the day –the Giza Plateau and that means the pyramids and sphinx.
Let me tell you – when I come face to face with the pyramids I nearly fall over backwards – they are so big! You can read all you want and see as many pictures and movies of them and you think to yourself ‘yeah they are pretty big’, but until you actually stand before them you don’t realise just how big they are. They are truly a Wonder of the Ancient World.
HISTORY LESSON : There are three huge pyramids on the Giza plateau – the great pyramid of Khufu – on the left; Khafre in the centre (the one with the top) and the smallest of Menkaure on the right (or if you prefer greek - Cheops, Chephren and Mycerinus). Personally, I reckon that because they were contructed by Egyptians for Egyptians – let’s stick to the Egyptian names please. The three pyramids are built in such a way that none of them hides the sun from the other two. Typically each pyramid consists of a funerary temple in the valley. The smaller pyramid – that of Menkaure – has three smaller satellite pyramids. The great pyramid of Khufu (2600-2480BC - 4th dynasty) was built as a tomb for the pharaoh. It was originally 153 metres high but it has lost the smooth top and is now only 137 metres. The base covers about 13 acres. It is believed that 2.3 million blocks of stone each averaging 2.5 tonnes was used in the construction. Today the pyramid has completely lost its external facing, thus revealing the enormous internal blocks of stone. The pyramid always looks smaller than that of Khafre – that is because it is built on a lower part of the plateau.
I could not climb to the top of the great pyramid like you see people do in movies. The government has forbidden tourists to climb to the top because of too many accidents (I think the tourists fall off) so only got about 5 rows up. Still better 5 rows than none and I can still say I climbed the great pyramid. That’s me – the tiny white speck. I have finally got my shirt back from Sekhmet.
Could not go inside either as it was closed for restoration (just like about everything else). Most of Egypt is closed for restoration. However, we can go into the pyramid of Menkaure. Entry fee LE10.00. Very plain, very steep and yep, we had to pay more money inside to take photos. Mohamed could not come in with us and the guide that took us inside told us not to tell anyone but he would let us take photos for LE5.00. It was special deal just for us. What??? Definitely a gip but who are we going to tell anyway? I think the ‘Western Tourist Idiot’ sign was flashing again. But we pay the money. At least we can use the flash.
And anyway, who is going to argue with a guard that’s got a gun? Not this little black duck! It was very dark and very ‘close’ going into the pyramid. There was no colour or drawings. We saw where the pharaoh’s sarcophagus used to be. Come to think of it, on this tour we saw a lot of places where things used to be! The splendid sarcophagus of decorated basalt was lost off the coast of Portugal when the ship carrying it to England was wrecked. Where is Bob Ballard when you need him? Make a mental note to contact National Geographic on my return home. This pyramid is the smallest of the three, barely 66 metres high. In the 16th century it still had its granite facing which has now completely disappeared.
After our little journey inside the pyramid we had the obligatory camel ride that was supposed to be around the pyramids but ended up about 100 metres in a straight line and back. Kylie, in her best Sekhmet voice - said there was no way no how was she getting on a camel – so she opted for a horse. Well, on we get and off we go - and I had the head camel. He was really sweet – if you can call a camel sweet. He even smiled for the picture ! I did my bestest goodest impersonation of Lawrence of Arabia, galloping over the desert and after the ride we have to pay the camel guide (even though we were told this was included). If I ever decide to retire to Egypt I will either go into the camel ride business or the photo ticket business for sure. I will make a fortune.
The dreaded Britannica had the end camel – a fitting place for her, and she was not too pleased. Too bad. After all of this excitement we head back to the bottom of the plateau so that we can spend time with that inscrutable Sphinx.
HISTORY LESSON : The Sphinx is one of the best known monuments on Earth and together with the Pyramids part of the original Seven Wonders of the World. It dates back over 4,500 years to the Old Kingdom and the time of Pharaoh Khafre – builder of the second largest pyramid. Whilst there are a lot of theories about who built the Sphinx, the generally accepted one is that it probably depicts Khafre, while the body is that of a recumbent lion. 
The Sphinx is about 73.5 metres in length. It was originally sculptured from a limestone outcrop and for most of its history the Sphinx has been at least partly covered in sand. The first recorded clearing took place in the 18th Dynasty when a prince who was out hunting fell asleep in its shadow. He had a dream that the Sphinx spoke to him and asked for the sand to be removed and if the prince did this, he would become a great pharaoh. The prince did what was asked and later because the pharaoh Thutmose IV. He erected a huge stele in front of the Sphinx relating this tale. Unfortunately in recent centuries, the Sphinx has suffered greatly from the influence of man and numerous attempts have been made at restoration. In front of the Sphinx is its temple, while adjacent to it is the better preserved Valley Temple of Khafre. A causeway which can be seen behind the Sphinx connected Khafre’s Mortuary Temple next to his pyramid with the Valley Temple.
They have just finished a lot of major restoration work and they are getting ready for a performance of Aida. Now that would be great. We spend more time here walking around the sphinx and looking at the funerary complex. It has been a wonderful day.
Here’s Mohamed and me - - in a typical tourist shot. I wonder if he ever gets sick of this type of thing. He is always good natured and smiling; so – seems to me he loves his job. We arrive back at the hotel at 3pm and our room is still being serviced. Needless to say we are not impressed with that and Sekhmet has words to the staff and Hotel Manager. I reckon they will be glad to get rid of her. I’ll bet they are thinking that the plagues of Egypt have returned. I saw the Ten Commandments with Charlton Heston and Yul Brynner so I know what went on!
Highlight of the day : those H-U-G-E pyramids – and my sweet camel.
