The Trip That Keeps Growing

Day 14 20 October 2021 Cairo – The Giza Pyramids and the Sphinx

The Pyramids of Giza (built by Khufu, Khafe, and Menkaure), located on the outskirts of Cairo, were built during the 4^th Dynasty of the Old Kingdom. Two of pyramids, Khufu and Khafe, are the largest built by the ancient Egyptians. Today they stand as emblems of the ancient Egyptians. Although we only think of these three pyramids at Giza, there are actually 9 pyramids located here – smaller satellite pyramids that were built for the kings’ wives. And while most pictures of the pyramids appear to show them isolated in the desert, they now actually abut up to the southern suburbs of Cairo. While these are the most famous, a total of 142 pyramids have been found so far in Egypt.

The Great Pyramid of Giza (4500 years old) was built by King Khufu (Cheops) around 2650 BCE. About 2,500,000 stone blocks were used in the building of this pyramid, which took 20 years to complete, whose base is 754 feet long and stands 449 feet high. It actually took the architect 8 years to plan the building. And the French (with possibly too much time on their hands) figured out that the blocks from the Great Pyramid would create a wall 6’ high by 3’ wide that would encircle all of France! Located on the eastern side are the three smaller pyramids of his wives or family members. This is the only remaining wonder from the original 7 Wonders of the Ancient World. It was also the tallest man-made structure in the world for more than 4,000 years. Khufu’s father Sneferu established the standard for future pyramids with his Red Pyramid, with its above ground burial chambers, a mortuary temple, and a causeway leading down from a valley temple. When his son built his own Great Pyramid, he included all these features. Egyptologists speculate that round logs were placed in a row from the Nile to the pyramid site to help move the large blocks of stone. Milk was also poured on the logs to keep them from being destroyed and also to help move the blocks more easily over the logs. It is estimated that it took 100,000 men working daily for about 30 years to build the Great Pyramid.

In addition, the pyramids of Giza were linked to the Nile by a canal or causeway so that the body could be transported to its pyramid for burial. Next to Khufu’s pyramid, archaeologists, in 1954, discovered King Khufu’s solar boat, the oldest and largest wooden boat discovered in Egypt. Built around 4600 years ago, it is 138 feet long and weighs 20 tons. The boat is believed to have been built to take Khufu to the afterlife. In August 2021, the boat was painstakingly moved from its old Solar Boat Museum near Khufu’s pyramid to its new home in the Grand Egyptian Museum in Giza. Along either side of the causeway that leads from Khufu’s pyramid to the Sphinx is the mastaba cemetery. Three of these beautifully decorated structures are open to the public (but we did not visit them).

The Second Pyramid was built by Khufu’s son Khafre (Kephen) around 2500 BCE and is located south-west of the Great Pyramid. It measures 446 feet high and 707 feet meters long and is the second largest pyramid in Giza. While it looks higher than his father’s pyramid, that is only because Khafre built his pyramid on a higher elevation than his fathers. (When built his father’s pyramid was 483’ high, while Khafre’s was 471’.) The pyramid was built with locally quarried limestone and then covered with white, polished Tura limestone from across the Nile. On the top of the pyramid are the remains of the limestone.

The Third Pyramid was built by Menkaure (Mycerinus), the son of Khafre, and is located to the south west of the Great Pyramid. It is the smallest of the three – 203 feet high. Unlike the other two, granite slabs still cover the lower sides of the Pyramid.

The three pyramids are in perfect alignment with one another and face true north, as if to portray the three stars of Orion’s belt.

While we had visited the pyramids on previous trips, there was something new this time. Archeologists are just now excavation the homes and temple of the workers who built the pyramids. The newest excavations is just in front of Khufu’s pyramid. Contrary to some who suggest the workers were just slaves, Egyptologists say there new excavations show that the pharaohs too very good care of the workers, providing them with housing, food, and a salary.

After viewing the pyramids, Bill and I decided to give camel riding one last try. The first time we rode one, I was given a child’s saddle and I was so squished that I think the back saddle horn was pushing on the front one with my poor stomach squeezed between the two. This time the saddle was bigger. While the camel ride was okay and relatively smooth, the motion of the camel standing up from its kneeling position nearly threw me off the camel. All I had to hang on to was a tiny piece of the reins. And getting on was a chore – my legs are not as flexible as they once were and it took Bill and the camel driver to lift my leg over the saddle. Getting off was much easier (once the camel was kneeling again) as all I had to do was slide one leg over the saddle and slide off. I can now say that camel riding is finally (and forever) off my bucket list.

Located near the three pyramids is the colossal statue of the Great Sphinx of Giza. A sphinx, which originated in Egypt, was a mythical creature with the body of a lion and most likely the head of a male human adorned with a headdress. The Sphinx was carved from a single piece of limestone on the Giza Plateau. It measures more than 240 feet long and is the world’s oldest known monumental sculpture. It is believed by many archaeologists to have been built by Khafre to guard his pyramid. Khafre was a sun worshipper, and many believe that it was carved in the shape of a lion (the symbol of the sun). It may also have been a portrait of Khafre. Khafre’s pyramid, sphinx, and Khafre’s Valley Temple in front of the sphinx, line up exactly to the rising and setting sun of the vernal and autumnal equinox. The temple in front of the sphinx had 12 columns with sculptures of Khafre. Many believe it was built to help establish Khafre’s immortality. The statue of Khafre from the Temple is now housed in the Egyptian Museum.

Just recently discovered was a 5th-dynasty cemetery near the Giza pyramids that contain burial shafts and tombs of top officials from that era. It also uncovered a limestone statue from the Old Kingdom’s Fifth Dynasty (2465-2323 B.C.) Within the cemetery were a pair of perfectly intact sarcophagi. The men found inside the sarcophagi have been identified as members of the royal entourage, with their names and titles inscribed on the coffins. One was judge, priest and court justice, while the other was the Chief of State and settlements coordinator. Both had served as Purifier of the King. Egyptologists are in agreement that the cultic worship during the Old Kingdom treated Pharaohs like conduits to the gods. The job of the Purifier is believed to be the priest that prepared the pharaohs to enter sacred spaces of worship and to be worthy of the gods.

From the reliefs found on the sarcophagi, the duties of the Purifier included carrying statues of the gods, pouring holy water at the temple doors, and swinging incense, while other pictures depict figures playing music, singing and dancing. While none of these seem to show the duties of a Purifier, Egyptologists have gleaned clues from several paintings that show the image of a Pharaoh being greeted by the gods Horus and Thoth, who pour water over the pharaoh’s head. Many believe, although it has not yet been proven, that these images show the factual depictions of holy rites where a pair of priests wore masks of the gods to purify the Pharaoh by pouring water over him before the worship. Perhaps the answer will be found as more artifacts from that era are discovered beneath the layers of sand that for centuries have protected the secrets of the ancient Egyptians.

Following our visit to the pyramids, we had lunch at the legendary Mena House Hotel in the shadow of the pyramids. In addition to us, the hotel has been host to the likes of Winston Churchill, Charlton Heston, and Agatha Christie, who like us enjoyed looking across the beautiful gardens to Egypt’s iconic Pyramids.

After returning back to hotel, we rested for a while and then went up to a room where OAT had scheduled our Covid PCR tests for or return to the United States. The test took about 5 minutes total and we will have the results tomorrow evening. It was then time to rejoin our fellow travelers in the Ambassadors Lounge for more snacks (well really dinner) and drinks. Do you see the pattern here? Everyday we were at the hotel, it was snacks and drinks and lively conversation. When we went on the ship, we just transferred everything to the ship's lounge. A great way to end the day. But we also had to start packing as tomorrow was our last day on the tour.