Our arrangements for a driver and a guide covered both days of our stay in Giza so we once again found ourselves riding south after a leisurely morning with the company of the same guide as the day before. This drive brought us up along the Nile in an apt precursor to our upcoming train ride to Luxor, through some smaller neighborhoods of Giza and eventually to the surprisingly verdant country side, which is speckled with date palms and farmlands.
First on our list of sites came the Saqqara necropolis, home to the famous Step Pyramid of Djoser as well as several other, smaller pyramids, and a slew of tombs and ceremonial structures, most of which are now in crumbling ruin.
This former monument is notable for being the first true pyramid, constructed nearly 70 years before the Great Pyramid of Giza in the Third Dynasty. It is believed to be an extension of the traditional mastaba, a rectangular tomb of one level and sloping sides. The Step Pyramid consisted of six of these structures of decreasing size stacked one upon the other, all encased with a smooth limestone covering which is now missing.
Visitors enter the complex through a colonnaded temple, consisting of original fragments and modern reconstructions. The early architectural nature of this structure can be seen from its columns, which are not free standing but joined to the exterior walls (the ability to create free standing columns not yet being in existence).
Upon entering the main courtyard we found the famous Step Pyramid to our left and the crumbling Pyramid of Unas to our right. Further to the left (north of our entry) are the remains of two more pyramids, those of Userkaf and Teti. All of these pyramids are merely fractions of the sizes of those at Giza, with Djoser's being comparable to the diminutive Third Pyramid of Menkaure and the others similar to those of the Queens.
Even further to the north (but south of the Giza Pyramids) is another cluster of pyramids which we did not visit. We believe these are the pyramids we saw in the distance from the Giza Plateau during our meander around that site on the previous day. The largest of these is the Pyramid of Neferirkare, a fifth dynasty monument slightly taller than the Third Pyramid in Giza.
These pyramids are easily visible from the Saqqara Necropolis, as are those at Dahshur to the south which we will describe presently. The Giza Pyramids were barely discernible through the hazy atmosphere in the distance.
Rather than heading straight for the Step Pyramid we first went to examine the closer Pyramid of Unas. Despite its exterior being a crumbling pile and sand and rubble, this monument had the finest looking interior we had yet seen. While nowhere near as grand in size as that of the Great Pyramid, the walls of the three small rooms at the heart of this tomb are covered in columns of dense hieroglyphics. The ceilings of each room are likewise (albeit less densely) covered in star shaped symbols which mean 'adoration'.
Much impressed by these intricate and beautiful markings, especially after seeing nothing but the plain interiors of the Giza pyramids thus far, we spent many minutes poring over the interior of this stately tomb, recognizing only the tiniest fraction of these diverse characters. With a small amount of baksheesh the guard permitted us to take pictures of these intricate markings for future appreciation and study. Also visible on the walls with the aid of a light are the dim silhouettes of figures which appeared to have been formerly carved there in bass relief. Evidently these were written over with the hieroglyphics, leaving only the faintest indentations to show their forms (a little more baksheesh demonstrated our appreciation to the guard for revealing these hidden figures).
Upon exiting this tomb we ventured over to the Step Pyramid, which unfortunately does not permit visitors do to the uncertain nature of its structural stability. Beyond the Step Pyramid we saw the remains of more tombs and small temples as well as the aforementioned pyramids, one of which (Pyramid of Teti) we later entered to find an interior decorated similarly as that of Unas.
Before leaving Saqqara we strolled through the small but informative Museum of Imhotep located near the entry (the pyramid complex was a short drive away up a winding uphill road). Imhotep is the architect credited with designing the Step Pyramid as well as some of the adjoining structures, and the museum named for him contains a variety of artifacts recovered from the site, including funerary equipment as well as ancient tools. The former category mainly consisted of statues and protective amulets, but several canopic jars and even a whole mummy were also displayed. The latter items included those for carving stones and even some medical implements (slender pieces of metal with sharp points). Unlike the Egyptian Museum, these exhibits were clearly labelled in multiple languages, but we were unfortunately not permitted to take pictures of the exhibits.
During our inspection of these antiquities, we were all swarmed by a group of school girls also visiting the museum. For several minutes it seemed like we were the most interesting exhibit, although we were barely able to communicate our names (Theodore is particularly challenging; nobody seems to be able to reproduce or even comprehend the interdental fricative).
Our next stop brought us further south to Dahshur, home to three more notable pyramids. These include the imposing Red Pyramid, the distinctive Bent Pyramid, and the crumbling Black Pyramid.
Of these, the Red Pyramid, named for the red hue of its underlying granite blocks, is the largest, being in fact the third largest pyramid in Egypt after the First and Second pyramids of Giza.
The Bent Pyramid is notable for changing the angle of its slope halfway up its height; the initial incline of 54 degrees (modeled after that of the smaller Step Pyramid, when it was in fact a true pyramid) proved to be too steep creating structural instability and was replaced with a gentler slope of 43 degrees (which was used in all pyramids thereafter). The Bent Pyramid is also remarkable for still having much of its original limestone casing.
The Black Pyramid is now a crumbled black ruin, its core having been built from mud brick and clay rather than stone. We merely saw this worn tomb from afar, focusing our attention instead on its sturdier siblings.
Of these, only the Red Pyramid is open to the public, through a solitary entrance high up on a steep hill of rubble. A brisk climb brought us up to this void, which reveals a long steep tunnel reaching down into the depths of the tomb. This tunnel we found to be similar to that of the Great Pyramid but much longer, stretching to the very bowels of the structure. The end of this tunnel leads to not one but two corbelled chambers, not sloping like the Grand Gallery but flat and level, with high ceilings. The second such chamber contains the entry to the sarcophagus room, not in line with the floor but high up near the ceiling. An aging staircase crisscrossing up beneath this door allowed our entry. This final room itself is bare with a crumbled floor strewn with large boulders.
The smell of ammonia permeated the air as in the other pyramids, but stronger, and wooden floors were placed over those of the two corbelled chambers, perhaps because the original floors were as damaged as that of the final burial chamber.
We ended the day with a brief visit to the ancient capital of Memphis, which now contains but a few statues and ruins. These include several large statues of Ramses II that are still standing and a damaged but otherwise rather fine looking sphinx. Additionally we saw many stone fragments covered with more fascinating hieroglyphics.
The highlight of the park is the top portion of a truly colossal statue of Ramses which was toppled in ancient times, broken below the knees. The statue now rests on its back in a dedicated museum, until only relatively recently being half buried prone in the sand.
-Theodore
I was surprised by the lush landscape surrounding the Nile
Cows on the move
These forests of palms and shrubs quickly gave way to barren desert as we entered Saqqara
Approaching the Saqqara Necropolis
An example of the non-free standing columns; note the segment of stones that extends away from them towards the exterior walls.
Tut 2 and Mummy beyond the colonnade
The whole crew in front of the Step Pyramid of Djoser with one of our fellow Airbnb guests and his guide, who we passed leaving the complex.
The sorry remains of the Pyramid of Unas
A portion of the hieroglyphics in the Unas' tomb. Note the many repetitions of his cartouche.
Another angle; note the stars on the ceiling.
Tut 2 with what may be old British graffiti
Imposing statue of Ramses II with leg stepping forward to show his kingship and power.
Thank you for your informative and erudite comments on the sights of ancient Egypt. Agatha Christie would love you guys!
ReplyDeleteYou may already suspect and would rather not verify what the ammonia smell is!
ReplyDeleteI don't think it is what you are insinuating; it was more of a dank smell that made me think of a stable.
ReplyDeleteSo, the ancient Egyptians used the same depiction of stars that is still widely accepted? That is very interesting.. I wonder if it came from them.
ReplyDelete