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Where To Go Cairo
Founded where
the Nile valley widens into the flat, fertile delta,
Cairo has been at the centre of Egyptian life for
1,000 year. It's the largest city in Africa (pop.13
million), and one of the most densely populated places
on earth. Here, by the side of the slow,
silent-flowing Nile a bewildering multitude of people
live together in an intense bustle of activity. The
heart of the modern metropolis lies on the east bank
of the Nile and extends onto the two island of Gezira
and Roda . large Luxury hotels rise on the river's
bank in this area , and Garden City's cooling greenery
stretches a long the waterfront no less than four
bridges span the water between the towering landmark
of television building to the north and Roda Island in
the south. One of the busiest of these is Tahrir
bridge, which crosses the main branch of the river
from Gezira Island to enter the very heart of the city
, Tahrir Square.
Microcosm
of Cairo's daily life, Tahrir Square throbs and
rumbles all day long and half the night as well. The
tremendous traffic roundabout is a rabbit warren of
under ground tunnels connecting pedestrian walkways
and the metro system (built by the French and still
being extended ). In the square, pedlars and vendors
take up time – honoured battle –stations each morning,
waiting for the day's army of potential customers to
hurry by . in open spaces here and there, long queues
of Cairenes with endless patience wait phlegmatically
for overstuffed busesin which there's often no room
for them – to arrive and depart. Tahrir Square is
surrounded by several of Cairo's prestigious
institutions: the Egyptian Museum (see p.38), the
American University , the Ministry of foreign Affairs,
and the Nile Hilton. Leaving the square, Talaat Harb
street leads you to the beginning of Cairo's chic
shopping and business street Kasr EL- Nile. Cinemas,
Café, restaurants and tea – shops a bound in these
thoroughfares, providing refuge from the bustle of
daytime commerce. At night the main streets are
brightly lit and thronged with strollers,
window-shoppers, and young people on their way to the
theatre or cinema. if the excitement becomes over
powering, escape to the Nile–side promenade of Cairo's
Corniche, due west of any point in the city centre.
Islamic Cairo
Wherever you go in Cairo ,a bove the
jumble of rooftops rises the fantasy architecture of
mosques, domes and minarets. The city preserves arich
tradition of Islamic artistry, and even the darkening
caused by time cannot rob these imaginative structures
of their charm go east from Tahrir Square, passing by
the Iarge 19th – century Republic (Abdin)
palace to get to Bab EL- Kealk Square, and thence
through a busy market area to the massive cylindrical
bastions of Bad Zuweila, an imposing gate in Cairo’s
medieval city walls. Many a condemned criminal or
opponent of the ruler was hanged from this gate in
times past. the two minarets on top of the gate
actually belong to the adjoining mosque, finished in
1420 by the Mameluke Sultan EL-Moayyad. This Sultan’s
political enemies had him held prisoner in Bad
Zuweila’s in famous prison while he was there he swore
to build a mosque if he ever got free of them. When he
did, he designed a particularly beautiful one which
has outstanding stonework and a pretty garden in its
courtyard. Have the caretaker show you the segn
(prison), and the stairway to the top of Bad Zuweila-
there’s a marvellous view.
Continue
north on Muizz lidini-llah to Madrassa of Al Ghuri
and the Tomb of Al Ghuri. This splendid Group-
madrassa, mausoleum and wakala-was built by the
last-but-one Mameluke sultan, Qansuh Al-Ghuri. The
madrassa on the west has a covered cruciform plan and
anunsual rectangular minaret with fine ”chimneypots”
on top. The mausoleum opposite has lost its dome and
is now used as a local cultural centre.
The whole
group appears in the 1839 painting by David Roberts,
“The Silk Bazaar”. The Tomb of Al Ghuri, known as “Al
Ghuri Palace” has been restored and is open to the
public, with art exhibitions and a free folklore
evening every Wednesday and Saturday, featuring a
Whirling Dervish. It is popular with tourists and
locals a like. From here, walk north a few steps and
turn right to reach the Wakalat AL Ghuri
,a merchant’s hostel built in the 16th
century, which is open to the public and has arts and
crafts on show and on sale. Shortly afterwards, turn
left to come to EL-Azhar Mosque and university,
Islam’s most prestigious place of learning. Its Arabic
name means “The Splendid” and there can be little
doubt that its lofty gates and fairytale minarets
capture the essence of Islamic architectural bravura
Begun in 970, the original Mosque of Fatima ez-Zahra
was later expanded with Libraries, hostels for
pilgrims and students, gates and minarets. Pass
through the sunny court-yard, lined with hostel rooms.
Slender minaret thrusts heaven-wards, marketing a
Cairo mosque. When visiting, remove your shoes.
(rwak) to the Great
Chamber in order to look at the two prayer niches. EL-Azhar
is still a university as in medieval times but today
some 30,000 students from all over the Islamic World
come here to study medicine and Law as well as
theology.
Cross the
tumultuous traffic in El-Azhar street to reach Cairo's
renowned handicraft bazaar, Khan el-Khalili. A
shopping trip to Khan el- Khalili is a must for any
visitor to Egypt (see also page 84), and yet this not
a tourist market in a strict sense. The tiny shops,
selling everything from priceless oriental Jewellery
to cheap gimcracks and house-hold items, are thronged
with Cairenes as well as visitors. Of course, like
everywhere, good items have to be sought after; there
are plenty of Worthless What would your friends say if
you brought a hubble-bubble pipe home? Articles,
fakes, forgeries and factory-produced items.
Many of
the shops are them-selves works of art, boasting
ornate doorways of carved wood and delicate traceries,
floors covered in oriental carpets, and interiors
perfumed with the scent of cedar, sandalwood or
incense. Ask the shopkeeper for a tour of his
workshops , and he will lead you on a labyrinthine
chase to a crumbling room at rooftop level where men
and boys are hard at work. Intricate inlay work,
pounded copper, or jeweled arabesques in sliver or
gold are produced before your eyes. When you see what
is in involved in making one of these handicraft
items, you'll realize the prices are quite moderate.
Return to
Muizz Lidini-llah to get to imposing Kalawun Mosque
complex, including a Maristan (hospital), madrassa
(theological seminary), the mausoleum of Sultan
Kalawum, and the mosque itself. The complex was
finished in 1293. Its façade is richly worked in the
Islamic style, but somehow curiously reminiscent of
crusader architecture brought from France. Be sure to
visit the Sultan's Mausoleum At the end of a
dingy passageway, a right turn reveals a magnificent
towering portal leading to a great chamber of
breathtaking beauty. The carved and glided ceiling is
particularly fine, an outstanding example of the
Moslem craftsman's art.
In the
adjoining building rivaling Sultan Kalawun's pomp, is
the Madrassa of Sultan Berquq dating from 1386.
As you pass the finely worked bronze doors, follow a
hallway and turn right through another set of bronze
doors. You'll find yourself gazing up at a canopy
covered in gold arabesques on azure background. Give
the caretaker a small tip, and he'll open a door for
you to see the nicely decorated tomb of Sultan
Berquq's daughter.
Though
it's only a short stroll from Berquq's Madrassa to
your next shop, the Musafirkhana, a guide is essential
to lead you through the maze of narrow streets. Ask
any neighbor-hood child he'll be only too pleased to
help Musafirkhana (from the Turkish for "guest
house") is a well-preserved mansion built in Mameluke
style towards the end of 18th century. The
intricately carved ceiling in the main salon is
strikingly attractive.
Find your
way back to Muizz lidini-llah to see the restored
El-Aqmar Mosque (1125), with its unusual façade. A
few steps north and to the right is Bayt es-Suheimi,
home of a sheik who was rector of El-Azhar two
centuries ago. His house was divided into the
traditional sections of salamlik, where male guests
were received, and haramlik, the private family
quarters in which his wife and daughter s lived. Off
the main reception room is a chamber with huge chairs
symbols of the sheik's importance. Upstairs in the
haramlik, stained glass, Turkish tiles, and the turned
wooden screens (mousharabiyeh) change the women's
"prison" into a palace.
Approaching
the northern wall a medieval Cairo, the great
Mosque of El-Hakim stands out on the right. The
mosque was finished in 1013 by the infamous mad
caliph, El-Hakim . It has recently been largely
rebuilt and restored by the Bahari Moslem sect, and is
still a vast and impressive building. Nearby, the
gates of Bab Futuh and Bab en-Nasr were part of the
city walls constructed at the end of the 11th
century. These early walls have been much mended and
rebuilt over the years, but principally by Napoleon's
troops less than two centuries ago. The names which
soldiers carved into the stones of the towers and the
bastions can still be read. A guide will appear from
nowhere to sell you a ticket, lead you up to the top
of the wall, and show you where the town's defenders
performed devilishly effective task of pouring boiling
oil down on the heads of attackers.
The Citadel
From the centre of Cairo, the approach
to the citadel is between two very note-worthy
mosques. Sultan Hassan Mosque was a triumphal
achievement for its royal builder who finished it in
1362. The extreme height and austere grandeur of the
main portal are matched inside by four cavernous
liwans (raised prayers areas) inspired by the Persian
Turkish tradition. The tomb of
Sultan Hassan,
behind the mihrab (prayer
niche), has pretty stained glass windows a band of
inscription along its walls, and striking squinches
supporting the dome. The tom itself is of Egyptian
alabaster. Important restoration is underway, which
does not facilitate visiting.
Across the
road, the Rifai Mosque was finished in 1912 and
used as a final resting-place for scions of the house
of Mohammed Ali. Sultan Hassan Mosque: fountain
providers for ritual ablutions.
Take the road up
to the citadel,
a crusader-style for-tress
dating from the time of Saladin (1207).
As you
pass through the mammoth walls think of what it must
have been like for the Mameluke notables who came to
"dine" at Mohammed Ali's invitation in 1811. The night
the pasha sat down to dinner alone knowing full well
that all his rivals had been quietly and efficiently
dispatched as a few hours earlier(see p.21).
The most
eye-catching of the citadel's building is the
Mosque of Mohammed Ali ("Alabaster Mosque"). The
style is Ottoman Baroque, with a few dashes of Louis
Philippe. The mosque's plan is Turkish with a large
open forecourt surrounded by a colonnade. Even the
pharaohs did not use alabaster as lavishly as Mohamed
Ali did: the whole interior is covered in the creamy
stone, though the Pasha and his own tomb (to the right
as you enter) made from carrara marble. Go around
behind the mosque when you leave it for a panoramic
view of Cairo and the Nile. If it's not too hazy,
you'll see the pyramids in the distance, poises at the
edge of the desert. Before leaving this observation
spot, search the jumble of city blocks for the large
square court and ziggurat minaret of Ibn Tulun Mosque
a short distance west of the Citadel. It's your next
stop. Though a few Cairo mosque may be older, Ahmed
Ibn Tulun's is the best-preserved the city's very
early(879) Islamic structures. Its court is the
largest in Cairo. Enclosed by a deep porch held up by
five arcades. Next door to the mosque is one of
Cairo's most fascinating museums, Gayer-Anderson
House, a pair of traditional Arab houses joined
together and filled with works of art both oriental
and western. Major Gayer-Anderson, a British officer,
bought these two houses (which date from 1540 and
1631), restored them, and lived here between the
worlds Wars.
Besides
being splendid examples of traditional domestic
architecture, the museums are a good place to see
Persian, Turkish, Arabic, European, and even Chinese
decorative arts. The Islamic Museum administers
Gayer-Anderson House, which is open during normal
museum hours (see p.116).
Old Cairo
Old Cairo is a few miles south of the modern
city's centre, reachable by taxi or if you don't mind
a bit of crowding by Nile River Bus from the jetty
between Television Tower and Ramses Hilton to the
terminus at Masr el-Qadeema(old Cairo).
Long before the
founding of modern Cairo, It was here that the Romans
had a fortress called Babylon. The entrance to the old
city is between two bulky Roman towers. Once inside
the walls, you are surrounded by the Coptic churches
and monasteries dating back to the time when Egypt was
a Christian country. El-Moallaqah, "The
Suspend Church", gets its unusual name from being
built on top of two towers of a Roman city gate with
its mid-part " suspended" between them. Its
foundations date from the 7th century but
evidence seems to suggest that there was a church here
even in the 4th century. It claims to be
the oldest church in Egypt, but then so does
Abu Serga church.
At the
latter, according to legend Mary, Joseph and the
infant Jesus took shelter during their flight into
Egypt. Abu Serga is deep in the back streets of old
Cairo which are lined with venerable doorways and
paved with big stone blocks smoothed by centuries of
wear. Glance upwards as you walk along , and behind
the mousharabiyeh screens on the windows you'll notice
at least a dozen pairs of eyes watching your every
movement with fascination and delight.
Just a few
steps from Abu Serga is the Church of Saint
Barbara, decorated in typical Coptic style. Next
door to it on the right is the small Synagogue
Ben-Ezra. The caretaker is proud of his
little-known house of worship, and will show you the
congregation's very old holy books if you contribute
to the upkeep of the synagogue.
Two Islands
To escape from the exhausting frenzy of the city's
busy streets, head for Gezira with its sporting
clubs, parks and the Cairo tower (El-Borg). A
pretty tea-garden at the tower's base is just right
for a rest and refreshing cool drink. Afterwards,
whisk to the top of the 600-foot tower for a marvelous
view from the observation deck, and perhaps a dish of
ice-cream at the snack bar on the floor below. Take
your camera, and pick a clear day for your visit.
Roda Island, slightly smaller than Gezira,
contains in its northern reaches the Manial
Palace, now a museum (see page 41). Also in the
north is the Meriden hotel, while at the southern tip
you'll be able to see the Cairo's Nilometre
(El—Miqyas), set up in year 715 to give a clear
indication of where the river would be a full flood.
Now, due to the Aswan High Dam's careful control of
the Nile's waters, the Nilometre has become obsolete.
Museums
Situated in the centre of Cairo, just north of
Tahrir Square, the Egyptian Museum is one of
the most important in the country. Constructed in the
middle of the 19th century by the Khedive
Abbas Helmi, its purpose was a house the wealth of
artifacts discovered as a result of the wave of
enthusiasm for Egyptology, started off by the French
military and cultural invasion. Today, the museums
preserve a scholarly character and Egyptologists love
it: every single piece is on display and bears a
catalogue number. The vastness of the collection is
such that, if time is short, it's advisable to
concentrate on the best items rather than trying to
see everything fleetingly.
Turn left
after handing in your ticket and walk between pairs of
colossal statues to the old Kingdom Room harboring the
most ancient statues and sarcophagi. A small funerary
chamber from Dahshur (Desheri, 6th Dynasty)
has colorful engraved walls on which are noted the
supplies provided for the dead man on his celestial
voyage, including a few jugs of beer to quench a
powerful Egyptian thirst.
Farther
along, you'll be struck by the stylized but still
intensely life-like statue (no.141) of a scribe from
Saqqara (5thDynasty). Its glass eyes
catching glints of light with startling reality. In
room 32, the realistic status of High Priest Ra-Hotep
and his wife Nofret (No.223) are plain evidence that
the ancient Egyptians were very beautiful, and knew
how to make the most of their gifts with cosmetics and
clothing. The artists magic was not reserved
exclusively for humans, an No. 446 (in Room 12)
proves: the beautifully serene cow effigy is a symbol
of the goddess Hathor. It was found "living" in the
shed behind it, which comes complete with its own
starry firmament. In room 8, the glided coffin lid set
with carnelians and blue glass was made for
Tutankhamen's brother. Room 3, devoted to the reign of
Akhenaton has two giant statues of the king in the
exaggerated naturalistic style of the period, showing
a distended belly and enormous effeminate thighs. They
are grotesque but impressive.
Above the
west stairs you can visit the war-and-peace
Exhibition, artfully arranged in a large room. Some of
the most interesting artifacts come from the reign of
Ramesis 11, including a huge stone block repressing
the King's fist, a symbol of the weight of pharaoh's
authority. Other pieces include the finely painted
chest of Tutankhamen, the coffin of Ramesis 11,
treasure cases and some beautiful items from Amarna.
For a look
at the daily activities of ancient Egyptians, Rooms
22, 27, 32 and 37 are the ones to visit. The
delightful little wooden figures which fill these
rooms were made as "servants" for the dead, to provide
for the honoured departed in the next life. Soldiers,
boatmen ;with a funeral ship, craftsmen with toy
tools, even ducks, fish, dogs and cattle-whole
villages of wooden figures were found all together.
Daily life along the Nile in pharaonic times was
obviously busy and varied, whether in this world or
the next.
Prepare
yourself for a thrill when you enter the section
specially reserved for the display of the king
Tutankhamen's treasure. The king died mysteriously
at the tender ago of 19 years. His half-finished tomb
in the Valley of the Kings at thebs (Luxor) was filled
with an array of treasure unparalleled in its
variety, exquisite beauty, and sheer weight of gold.
Seeing this treasure of 1,700 buried with unimportant
kings, who can even imagine what the tombs of great
and long lived pharaohs such as Ramsises 11 must have
contained? But only Tutankhamen's escaped the ravages
brought by centuries of grave-robbing, to be found
intact in 1922 by a British archaeologist named Howard
carter.
In Room 4
are the best of the "smaller" pieces, including a
solid and coffin, much jewellery, and Tutankhamen's
famous mask, considered by many to be one of the most
beautiful objects in the world. The treasure fills the
corridors and galleries near room 4 as well;
gold-plated cases, one of them large enough to garage
a small car; the king's exquisite bejeweled golden
throne, bearing the sun-symbol of Aton (whom the king
later forsook, turning back to worship of Amon);
And a
large golden box surmounted by rows of sacred cobras (uraeus)
and guarded by four comely glided maidens. When you
visit Tutankhamon's tomb in the Valley of the Kings
(see p.72), you will marvel that all this treasure
could have been fitted into such a small under
ground-room.
Just of
Bab el-Kealk Square next to the Egyptian Library, is
the Museum of Islamic Art you will be surprised
at the variety of things made by Moslem craftsmen,
including fine prayer mats, sainted glass , inlaid
stone work, mosque lamps, faience and illuminated
manuscripts . The arms collection alone is worth
visiting to see rifles and siege guns worked in sliver
, daggers and swords set with the precious stones and
deadly- looking poignards, scimitars and yataghans.
Remember as you tour the collections that Moslem
artists were forbidden by the Koran to portray any
being with a soul. Obviously, there were lapses in the
strict observance of this rule.
Centerpiece of Old Cairo
is the Coptic Museum fine examples of Coptic
craftsmanship found in old churches and houses have
been assembled here, especially carved wood, stained
glasses , mousharabiyeh screens and sculpted works. At
first it look very similar to Islamic work: the same
delicate tracery used to illuminate Moslem holy books
is found in Coptic Bibles as well. But the difference
is soon apparent. Christain craftsmen were allowed by
their religion to portray men and beats. Coptic art is
Egyptian Islamic art with the prohibitions removed and
the artist unfettered
Prince
Mohamed Ali's palace on Roda Island became a museum
after the fall of the monarchy. In the Manial
Palace Museum, you'll find pavilions and salons
filled with the luxuries and curiosities of royal
daily life, from Iustrous Turkish tiles and carpets to
sparking jewels and chandeliers. With its beautiful
gardens, the Manial Palace complex is a pleasant
refuge from the noise and dust of the city. Its
ancient walls now shelter a hotel facility, where you
can get lunch or dinner for the price of a ticket.
At
professor Hassan Ragab's Papyrus Institute, in a
house-boat on the Nile near the Sheraton Hotel, you
can see papyrus being made and buy the finished
product bearing a painting or drawing. One Kilo-meter
further south is Dr.Ragab Paranoiac Village on Jacob
Island. A barge-like floating "amphitheatre" is towed
round a winding, papyrus-fringed canal, giving
interesting glimpses of agricultural and industrial
work being alone in the ancient Egyptian style.
Excursions
Pyramids of Giza
The route to
the pyramids of Giza lies along the appropriately
named Avenue of the pyramids. The road is usually
congested but Giza's wonders of the world soon come
into view behind hotels, offices and apartment
buildings. Empress Eugenie of France was the first to
admire this view of the pyramids when the inaugurated
the Avenue in 1869. She had come to Egypt for the
opening of the Suez Canal.
The
pyramids are right at the edge of the modern city, and
also right on the verge of the desert. The geometrical
shapes, so perfect from a distance, Yield their
secrets of construction as you approach them. Each is
made from millons of massive stone blocks , and their
faces are in fact like giant staircases, not smooth,
as they first appear to be. With no doors or windows
to give them scale, the monolithic form seems
deceptively small until you arrive at their bases.
Then, these man-made mountains completely over-power
you with their ponderous, precise majesty. the Great
pyramid of Cheops, largest of the three, is 450 feet
(137 meters ) high and is made of nearly 21/2 millon
gigantic stone blocks. Many visitors are tempted to
clamber to the top of this impressive monument for a
better look at the city and the Nile, but this
gymnastic feat is both extremely dangerous and
forbidden. As visit to the interior of the Great
Pyramid, only the fairly athletic and
non-claustrophobic should follow the guide into the
spooky depths for a look at cheop's funerary chamber,
complete with sarcophagus and ventilation shafts.
Camel-drives
in the area are ever-ready to hoist you onto their
ungainly beats-who-kneel obligingly for the short ride
between pyramids. For those who prefer comfort to
adventure, several horse-drawn carriage are also
available for hire.
The
pyramid of Chephren actually only a foot or two lower
than the Great Pyramid, but as it's built on higher
ground it looks taller from a distance. The covering
of smooth-finished stones, once a feature of almost
all the pyramids, can still be near to the top. You
can penetrate into the heart of this man-made mountain
too, but do so only with a guide.
Pyramid
The idea that first prompted the ancient Egyptians
to start burying their dead under mounds are shrouded
in the mystery of the time. But whatever the original
motives, from these first early piles of earth covered
in bricks, some of the most astounding structures ever
conststructed by man came to be developed. It's said
that 100.000 men laboured for 20 years to build the
Great Pyramid of Cheops.)The earliest tombs (mastabas)
were rectangular and flat-topped.
When
Imhotp put several mastabas on op of one another for
king Zoser's tomb, the idea caught on and the era of
pyramid construction began. Many of the mammoth
monuments seem uncomplicated in their basic
architecture (see below). In fact, the simplicity
conceals a whole world of intimately related to the
religious beliefs of the early Egyptians.
The third
and smallest pyramid of Menkure (Mykerions) is 204
feet (66 meters) high and was the last of the three
Giza Pyramids to be built. Notice the temples and
tombs called mastabas, built all around the three
great pyramids. They were put here so family, friends
and noble servants of the pharaohs could be near their
sovereign. All this impressive building was done in
the times of the Old Kingdom's 4th Dynasty,
about 2600 B.C. Other pyramid earlier and later, lines
the Nile, but those of Cheops Chephren and Menkure are
acknowledged as the finest.
The
Sphinx-Abu el-houl or "Father of fear" in Arabic was
sculpted in the image of pharaoh Chephren as a guard
for his pyramidal tomb. Some 1,000 years after the
Sphinx was made, the ever shifting desert sands had
covered it completely. Thutmose 1V (1425-08 B.C.)
cleared the sand away and restored the great beast,
according to an inscription on a stele which stands
between its paws. After another 3,000 years the
Mameluks used the monument as a target for a gunnery
practice , thereby carrying out the Islamic
prohibition against graven images while simultaneously
cannoneers. Recently, times have turned in the
Sphinx's favour, and it is very well of Antiquities.
Near the
Sphinx, the Funerary Temple of Chephren is remarkable
for the size and smoothness of its granite blocks and
for its floor, made of alabaster. Another curiosity in
the pyramid complex is the solar barque, one of
several long-boats made of Lebanese cedar which were
buried in deep pits next to the Great Pyramid. The
boat, meant for use by Cheops on his celestial journey
to the other World, is kept in a small museum on the
southern side of the Great Pyramid.
Saqqara and Memphis
Skirting fields watered by canals from the Nile,
the road south from Giza leads to Saqqara, the largest
necropolis in Egypt, with hundreds of tombs and
monuments erected throughout ancient Egyptian history.
Activity here was especially intense during the Old
Kingdom, when pharaohs had their capital at Memphis
close by.
Look first
at the step Pyramid of Zoser (or Jeser, 3r Dynasty)
the very earliest of the great pyramids built perhaps
a century before those at Giza. King Zoser's
architect, a noble man named Imhotep, put all this
ingenuity to work when designing this memorable tomb
for this royal patron. Originally called mastabas,
Egyptian tombs were rectangles more or less modified
to suit the tastes and budget of the builder and
future occupant. But Imhotep stacked six large mastabs
of diminishing size on of one another to create the
step Pyramid. The idea was a great success and a later
king, seneferou (4th Dynasty ), also had a
pyramid constructed at Dahshur , visible from Saqqara
to the south Seneferou's pyramid abandoned steps in
favour of a standard based capped with a small,
roof-like pyramidal top. This combination produces a
bottom-heavy visual-effect making the pyramids sides
look "bent" when viewed from below. It was Seneferou's
son Cheops who perfected the design and constructed
the most impressive pyramid of all at Giza.
Of the
tombs surrounding the step pyramid, several are graced
with murals of exceptional beauty. The mastaba of
Princes Idut (6th Dynasty) is at the end of
the colonnade which you approach just after buying
your entry ticket. It's particularly rich in nautical
scenes. Next to it is the small pyramid of Unas (5th
Dynasty), and visible in the distance from this point
are the Dahshur pyramids including Seneferou's "bent"
once.
North-east
of the step Pyramid, the tomb of Mereruka (6th
Dynasty) has 30 rooms decorated with scenes of hunting
and fishing sp exact in their detail that zoologists
could use them to study the wildlife of ancient Egypt.
The tomb of Kagemni (6th Dynasty), next to
that of Mereruka, has a number of equally fine murals,
but with more of the colour preserved.
A short
drive or walk to the north-west of the step pyramid
brings you to the modest Rest-house named after
Auguste Mariette, the French Egyptologist who
discovered many of the monuments in this area.
Camel-drives will trot you from the Rest-House across
the sands on their beasts (or you can walk the short
distance) to the tomb of Ti (5th Dynasty).
This most
breathtaking beautiful of old Kingdom was buried by
desert sands for 4.500 years until uncovered by the
ever-curious Mariette. Lord Ti was a high court
official under several pharaohs, a powerful man who
chose the finest craftsman and artists to embellish
his tomb.
Just north
of Ti's tomb, you see the serapeium, also discovered
by Mariette in 1850-51. Sacred bulls were buried here
from the earliest period of Egyptian civilization
right up to the time of Christianity.
On the way
back to Cairo, you can detour to the ruins of Memphis
on the nil, though there is little left of the great
metropolis which remained the first city if Egypt
until the end of the 6th Dynasty (about
2200 B.C). A colossal, recumbent limestone statue of
Ramesis 11 and an alabaster Sphinx which actually date
from New kingdom times are all that recall ancient
Memphis. The gigantic statue of Ramesis 11 which once
stood here is now next to the railway station in
Cairo's Ramesis Square. |
