Eternal Nile Day 12
Eternal Nile
DAY 12 - Wednesday, December 8, 2004 - Explore Saqqara: Necropolis of King Zoser & Visit Pyramids of Giza & The Sphinx
We got up at 6:30 and joined our group at 7:45 for this morning's adventure. It is warm, very humid, and overcast along with the usual city smog that is typical of this huge metropolitan area. We were amazed at the number of high-rise apartment buildings that seem to be abandoned. Some, we are told, are left to look this way to avoid paying the high taxes of a finished building.
On our way out of the city we saw fields of cabbage, cauliflower, and other vegetables as well as rich gated villas surrounded by poor, mud-brick farm huts. Each little village has its own local mosque.
We drove south to visit Saqqara, about 16 miles south of Giza. This was the necropolis of the Old Kingdom pharaohs who ruled from nearby Memphis starting around 3,100 B.C. This sprawling complex of temples, pyramids, and funerary monuments was not explored by archaeologists until the mid-19th century, long after the Pyramids at Giza had been extensively cataloged.
Though its monuments span every period of Egyptian history, it is best known as the primary necropolis for the pharaohs and their families during the time of the Old Kingdom. The largest of these monuments is the Step Pyramid of King Djoser, built in the 27th century B.C., possibly the first pyramid constructed in Egypt.
More than 200 feet tall, it is the oldest stone structure of its size in the world. The tombs at this site house splendid murals that provide insights into everyday life in ancient Egypt. We peered into the serdab, a stone structure in front of the pyramid; within the stone, a stone box with two eye-holes allowed us to look deeper inside. When we did, we discovered a remarkably life-like painted limestone statue of Djoser looking back at us.
At 10:30 we went to the El Sultan Carpet School which was an official governmental school where some children learned a trade in carpet making and also provided a regular school education. The young children taught some of our group how to tie and cut the knots but we will never be as nimble fingered as these young people.
The children get a small percentage of the sale of the carpets. We were served a welcome drink and then a sales pitch about the difference in quality of the wool and silk carpets. We left the school and traveled along rural roads to get to our restaurant for lunch, a typical traditional family style outdoor meal.
At 1 PM we were back on the road and headed in the direction of Giza and the Pyramids. Once we arrived at the site we drove in and stopped by the Major Pyramid and the Solar Boat Museum. The museum contains an unearthed Solar Barque, an ancient boat that was used to carry the pharaoh's mummy across the Nile to Memphis millennia ago.
The boat was then buried at the foot of the pyramid to provide transport for the king in the next world. In 1954, the Egyptian archaeologist Kamal el Mallak made the exciting discovery of the world's oldest planked vessel, buried in a pit at the foot of the Great Pyramid.
Its near perfect preservation allowed conservators to reconstruct the 144-foot-long craft from more than a thousand surviving components, including cedarwood planking and oars, ropes of halfa grass, and wooden dowels and battens—but not a single nail.
The Great Pyramids of Giza stood before us and we were able to take many pictures. They were proclaimed by the ancient Greeks to be among the Seven Wonders of the World, and still one of the classic travel destinations on the planet. We saw the Great Pyramid of Cheops, built around 2,600 B.C., standing some 450 feet tall.
We were taken to several different overlooks where we were able to take photographs and marvel at the immensity of these structures. At times it was very difficult to get clear shots as they have erected other buildings in the area, the thousands of people trying to get a glimpse and of course the many vendors peddling their wares, animals and expertise.
Lastly we were taken to see the inimitable Sphinx, known in Arabic as Abu al-Hol, the "Father of Terror." This mysterious statue was carved almost entirely from one piece of limestone.
Arab scholars suggest that the Sphinx may have the face of King Cheophren, its builder, and that he appears to be in ritual costume honoring the Sun God. We discussed what may lie beneath its mighty paws. One theory has it that Atlantis may be found, another is that it is a passageway to the Great Pyramids in another.
More recent discoveries have found something but they are still exploring. As we left the enclosed area we had the opportunity to intermingle with school children. They waved at us, said hello, and tried to break rank with their teacher's demands. Gennie and I began to take their pictures, digital, and show them the results on the view screens.
This caused a pandemonium. They surged to us, all wanting their pictures taken and to see themselves. Their teachers then had to get them under control and back in line! OOOPs! I don't think they were too happy with us, but the kids sure were!
At 6 PM we had a lecture on Muslim religion and customs that raised some interesting responses and questions from some of our members. The speaker mentioned at the beginning that he was going to speak on faith and his opinions. He spoke to us for 90 minutes and then we broke to go to dinner at a local restaurant which specializes is seafood!
We walked there (about two blocks) and were escorted by several policemen and armed security guards. We were told that this has been in effect for Americans since the early 1980s. They did help us to cross the busy avenues by stopping traffic so we could cross.
There were many horns tooting - typical for all streets in Egypt and not just for Americans. The meal was quite good and we had a chance to discuss many issues between courses and over coffee/tea.
Accommodations: Mena House Oberoi - - - Meals: B, L, D
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Comments
Post a Comment!Now I'm really jealous... how cool that you got to see the Pyramids..
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