Today we awoke to clear blue skies, the
wind of the preceding day having died down during the night. This came
as a pleasant surprise to all, especially during our breakfast which we
enjoyed on the terrace, the pyramids crisply visible in front of us.
Our
Airbnb host had arranged a car and a guide for our trip to the
necropolis, an arrangement which we had decided to take advantage of
after some debate the previous day. We all departed at the civilized
hour of 9:30 this morning, with the tourist throngs already well in
transit to the site. To some amusement we discovered that Friday, the
predominant local Holy Day, is particularly busy, with especially large
numbers of school groups and the like visiting. The entire schedule for
our trip had revolved around placing our day at the pyramids on Friday,
as some dubious research had indicated that this is the least busy day
to go, with the majority of the locals occupied with religious
devotions. Despite this unfortunate turn of events, we found the pyramid
plateau bustling here and there with activity but not overbearingly
crowded. The large size of the complex seems to be more than spacious
enough to dissipate the throngs which we had previously witnessed
heading towards the site.
Our
guide proved to be a worthwhile investment, handling the purchasing of
our tickets and leading us to some of the notable areas.
While burdening us with some trivia, his presence was not
overbearing and we frequently found ourselves meandering around at our
whim while he waited at a designated rendezvous. Indeed, his warnings concerning the swarms of devious and
often aggressive peddlers, who feign benevolent donations of Chinese
trinkets to the unwary only to subsequently demand an exorbitant
payment, were greatly appreciated.
Our visit began on the northern extremity of the complex with the Great Pyramid of Khufu. The 2.5 million blocks of granite and limestone of this impressive monument tower into the sky, casting a cool shadow over the visitors at its base even with the sun near its zenith. Around 4,500 years old, this worn tomb is the oldest of the seven wonders of the ancient world.
Our visit brought us into the heart of this stony behemoth, through what is known as the Robbers' Tunnel situated below and to the right of the main entrance. This former entry was battered out in 820 AD and meets up with the passage leading from the original access point. The violent creation of this relatively modern entryway is evident in its rough hewn nature, which actually resembles a rocky cave more than anything else.
The original passageway is quickly reached after a leisurely stroll through the Robbers' Tunnel. Known as the Ascending Passage, this portion of the route branches up at a 26 degree angle and is so low that one must crouch while traversing it. Some ways along this uncomfortable climb you enter the Grand Gallery, a 30 ft high chamber which continues for 150 ft beyond the Ascending Passage while maintaining its slope. The interior walls of this spacious cavity are corbelled, with each layer of stones extruding slightly over the ones of the layer below to better distribute the above weight. Scattered over the surface of these ancient stones are modern reinforcements, staple like metal clamps wedged in the crevices. Here and there thick bars spanning the width of the passage near the ceiling can also be seen.
Beyond the Grand Gallery is a bare room known as the King's Chamber, about 20 ft x 35 ft across and 20 ft tall. Now empty but for a plain granite sarcophagus situated on one side, this room once held the mummy of Khufu. Supposedly a more ornate container was intended for the chamber, which may have been lost in transit on the Nile. This prompted the need for a plain sarcophagus to be hastily made before the chamber was closed over in construction, as the sarcophagus is too large to fit through the narrow interior passages.
The Great Pyramid is home to two other chambers, but these are closed to the public and we merely saw the barred off entrances to their respective passages.
The interior of the pyramid is surprisingly warm and smells slightly of ammonia (not sure why yet). We were all welcomed by the relative coolness of the shady desert on our exit, quite the opposite of what I expected.
Our visit next brought us along the southern edge of the Great Pyramid, between its bulk and its three smaller satellite Queen Pyramids. We entered one of these, and found it similar to the interior of the Great Pyramid but on a smaller scale and missing a corbelled gallery.
We next passed several great pits, one made as a reservoir and another, larger pit in the shape of the boat from which the so called Solar Bark was excavated. The precise function of this large wooden vessel is unknown, but it appears to have served a ritualistic function. There is some debate as to whether it was ever meant to be used practically, although some say that it would float.
The reconstructed vessel itself is preserved in a museum located near the south west corner of the Great Pyramid. This we entered, after first covering our shoes with cloth bags to keep out the dust. Here we had another reason to appreciate our guide, for he somehow inserted us at the front of a large line of tourists waiting to enter.
The Solar Bark is surprisingly large, measuring 143 ft long and 20 ft wide. Like the Great Pyramid, it is 4500 years old. Two large oars in the stern steered the vessel and 10 oars near the bow powered it. A large cabin for the Pharaoh occupies its center.
In addition to the boat we saw several miniature reconstructions, bits and pieces of the old chords and cabin shroud, and the large granite blocks which sealed it in its pit. Interestingly, the vessel was disassembled when buried, but the pit clearly has the shape of a boat (as if the vessel would fit snugly). This may have been so that the afterlife spirits would know what to make from the individual pieces, which were placed in some sort of logical order.
Upon leaving the museum we went for a short camel ride of about half an hour, venturing away from the Great Pyramid on an arc that brought us back around to near the Sphinx. Our three camels were tied one to the next in a caravan like fashion, with my camel in the lead. Several times our guide trusted me to guide this troupe, which I eventually got the hang of near the end of the ride. It's mostly a matter of knowing how much pressure to apply to the lead to get the beast to respond without over reacting.
This ride and our subsequent walks brought us past some of the other ruins which litter the area. It is indeed a necropolis, with scores (if not hundreds) of worker tombs built in villages around the Great Pyramid. The ground is also rather hilly, with cliffs of rock everywhere.
After our camel ride we headed down to see the Sphinx, which is located in a separate compound east of the pyramids. In ancient times the Sphinx and its adjoining temple was located near the end of the causeway leading to the second pyramid of Khafre. A canal or lake branching from the Nile used to meet up with this complex, which is hard to believe in our current age when looking at the arid and dusty neighborhoods currently there.
Our meander through the remains of the Sphinx temple and along the length of its reclining body gave us a good view of the rough remains of this stoic beast which was carved from the living rock. The variable hardness of the limestone strata has resulted in some portions wearing more quickly than others, causing the head to be in reasonably good shape but the body to be more eroded. Repairs have been made (and indeed are ongoing today) with additional blocks of stone, particularly along the base of the statue.
After viewing the Sphinx we headed back up to the pyramid complex for closer views of the second and third structures. This actually proved to be a circuitous route, for our guide thought that we had seen what we wanted of the pyramids and had taken us down to the Sphinx with the intention of then ending the visit. After explaining more clearly what we wanted to see he happily lead us back up the trail towards the monuments.
The second pyramid proved to be currently closed to the public so we decided to satisfy ourselves with a circumnavigation. This route lead us into sight of the third pyramid of Menkaure, which we passed without entering (not having the appropriate tickets). This did not greatly dismay any of our party, for the interior of one pyramid is mostly like another with the exception of the scale and complexity. Here Khufu's Great Pyramid trumps that of his grandson Menkaure, being almost twice as big.
Our return walk brought us around the west sides of the second and third pyramids. This part of the complex is mostly free from people, and more closely matched what we had envisioned. Looking east between the two pyramids, the sprawling density of Giza and Cairo is visible until hitting rocky sand colored cliffs on the horizon.
Thus ended our visit to the famous Giza Necropolis.
-Theodore
Our visit brought us into the heart of this stony behemoth, through what is known as the Robbers' Tunnel situated below and to the right of the main entrance. This former entry was battered out in 820 AD and meets up with the passage leading from the original access point. The violent creation of this relatively modern entryway is evident in its rough hewn nature, which actually resembles a rocky cave more than anything else.
The original passageway is quickly reached after a leisurely stroll through the Robbers' Tunnel. Known as the Ascending Passage, this portion of the route branches up at a 26 degree angle and is so low that one must crouch while traversing it. Some ways along this uncomfortable climb you enter the Grand Gallery, a 30 ft high chamber which continues for 150 ft beyond the Ascending Passage while maintaining its slope. The interior walls of this spacious cavity are corbelled, with each layer of stones extruding slightly over the ones of the layer below to better distribute the above weight. Scattered over the surface of these ancient stones are modern reinforcements, staple like metal clamps wedged in the crevices. Here and there thick bars spanning the width of the passage near the ceiling can also be seen.
Beyond the Grand Gallery is a bare room known as the King's Chamber, about 20 ft x 35 ft across and 20 ft tall. Now empty but for a plain granite sarcophagus situated on one side, this room once held the mummy of Khufu. Supposedly a more ornate container was intended for the chamber, which may have been lost in transit on the Nile. This prompted the need for a plain sarcophagus to be hastily made before the chamber was closed over in construction, as the sarcophagus is too large to fit through the narrow interior passages.
The Great Pyramid is home to two other chambers, but these are closed to the public and we merely saw the barred off entrances to their respective passages.
The interior of the pyramid is surprisingly warm and smells slightly of ammonia (not sure why yet). We were all welcomed by the relative coolness of the shady desert on our exit, quite the opposite of what I expected.
Our visit next brought us along the southern edge of the Great Pyramid, between its bulk and its three smaller satellite Queen Pyramids. We entered one of these, and found it similar to the interior of the Great Pyramid but on a smaller scale and missing a corbelled gallery.
We next passed several great pits, one made as a reservoir and another, larger pit in the shape of the boat from which the so called Solar Bark was excavated. The precise function of this large wooden vessel is unknown, but it appears to have served a ritualistic function. There is some debate as to whether it was ever meant to be used practically, although some say that it would float.
The reconstructed vessel itself is preserved in a museum located near the south west corner of the Great Pyramid. This we entered, after first covering our shoes with cloth bags to keep out the dust. Here we had another reason to appreciate our guide, for he somehow inserted us at the front of a large line of tourists waiting to enter.
The Solar Bark is surprisingly large, measuring 143 ft long and 20 ft wide. Like the Great Pyramid, it is 4500 years old. Two large oars in the stern steered the vessel and 10 oars near the bow powered it. A large cabin for the Pharaoh occupies its center.
In addition to the boat we saw several miniature reconstructions, bits and pieces of the old chords and cabin shroud, and the large granite blocks which sealed it in its pit. Interestingly, the vessel was disassembled when buried, but the pit clearly has the shape of a boat (as if the vessel would fit snugly). This may have been so that the afterlife spirits would know what to make from the individual pieces, which were placed in some sort of logical order.
Upon leaving the museum we went for a short camel ride of about half an hour, venturing away from the Great Pyramid on an arc that brought us back around to near the Sphinx. Our three camels were tied one to the next in a caravan like fashion, with my camel in the lead. Several times our guide trusted me to guide this troupe, which I eventually got the hang of near the end of the ride. It's mostly a matter of knowing how much pressure to apply to the lead to get the beast to respond without over reacting.
This ride and our subsequent walks brought us past some of the other ruins which litter the area. It is indeed a necropolis, with scores (if not hundreds) of worker tombs built in villages around the Great Pyramid. The ground is also rather hilly, with cliffs of rock everywhere.
After our camel ride we headed down to see the Sphinx, which is located in a separate compound east of the pyramids. In ancient times the Sphinx and its adjoining temple was located near the end of the causeway leading to the second pyramid of Khafre. A canal or lake branching from the Nile used to meet up with this complex, which is hard to believe in our current age when looking at the arid and dusty neighborhoods currently there.
Our meander through the remains of the Sphinx temple and along the length of its reclining body gave us a good view of the rough remains of this stoic beast which was carved from the living rock. The variable hardness of the limestone strata has resulted in some portions wearing more quickly than others, causing the head to be in reasonably good shape but the body to be more eroded. Repairs have been made (and indeed are ongoing today) with additional blocks of stone, particularly along the base of the statue.
After viewing the Sphinx we headed back up to the pyramid complex for closer views of the second and third structures. This actually proved to be a circuitous route, for our guide thought that we had seen what we wanted of the pyramids and had taken us down to the Sphinx with the intention of then ending the visit. After explaining more clearly what we wanted to see he happily lead us back up the trail towards the monuments.
The second pyramid proved to be currently closed to the public so we decided to satisfy ourselves with a circumnavigation. This route lead us into sight of the third pyramid of Menkaure, which we passed without entering (not having the appropriate tickets). This did not greatly dismay any of our party, for the interior of one pyramid is mostly like another with the exception of the scale and complexity. Here Khufu's Great Pyramid trumps that of his grandson Menkaure, being almost twice as big.
Our return walk brought us around the west sides of the second and third pyramids. This part of the complex is mostly free from people, and more closely matched what we had envisioned. Looking east between the two pyramids, the sprawling density of Giza and Cairo is visible until hitting rocky sand colored cliffs on the horizon.
Thus ended our visit to the famous Giza Necropolis.
-Theodore
Tut and Tut on the roof of our Airbnb with the pyramids in the background. We were delighted to be greeted with blue skies in the morning.
The whole crew in front of the Great Pyramid
Tourists winding up to the second entrance of the Great Pyramid (roughly in center of frame, people climbed up beyond it). The angled blocks above mark the original opening.
Tut 1 in the battered Robbers Tunnel
Descending into the tomb
In the Grand Gallery
Mummy and Tut 2 in the Kings Chamber
The view of the city from the entrance to the Great Pyramid
The ground around the pyramids is rocky like this. Two of the crumbling Queens Pyramids are in the background. Our guide is the man with the 10 on his shirt holding a scarf over is head.
The excavated pit of the Solar Barge
The Solar Bark
Mummy and Tut 2 with the pyramid of Khufu and the Solar Bark Museum in the background
The three travelers in front of the Sphinx and Menkaure's Pyramid
Plodding through the desert
Walking through the temple of the Sphinx
Tut and Tut in front of the Sphinx
The Sphinx's tail curls around up onto its right rear foot
The Sphinx with Khafre's Pyramid. The Dream Stele of Thutmose IV is barely visible between its paws.
Distant pyramids in Saqqara viewed from the Giza Plateau
Hieroglyphics carved into the side of a chiseled cliff
Circumnavigating the second pyramid
Mummy in the barren sands to the west of the pyramid complex
The third pyramid of Menkaure, with the cavity surrounding the original entrance clearly visible.
Wow, now you've seen the only remainder of the '7 Wonders of the Ancient World'! And do tell, why do you sometimes refer to the boat thing as the Solar Bark and sometimes as the Solar Barge?
ReplyDeleteI believe it goes by both names. It is also called the 'Solar Boat' and the 'Khufu Ship'.
ReplyDeleteI guess that answers your qvestion miss mary rose! Happy 21st birthday! I am so impressed by the photos of y’all by the sphinx and pyramids. I have to pinch myself to tell myself its for real!! Love the blog! Aunty Mary
ReplyDelete