Egypt Journal #2

JOURNAL: November 18, 2006 - Saturday - Later that evening

We just finished seeing the pyramids and the Great Sphinx at Giza. Incredible. I got some good pictures to show Emily. It has been a beautiful, relatively cool day, and we were there as the sun began to set. Some interesting things that Samir, our guide (and an Egyptian Coptic Christian) mentioned:

- There are actually 9 pyramids on the Giza plateau - the 3 big ones and 6 smaller ones (which are still visible).
- The Great Pyramid was built with approximately 2,300,000 blocks of stone, over the course of 20 years.
- The pyramids all used to be covered with 'casing stone,' which made them smooth on the sides. That was removed by the Muslims to build their buildings in the medieval period, according to Samir.

Today has just been remarkable. When we were at the step pyramid at Sakkara, we could see the green, irrigated strip on either side of the Nile. I never would have guessed that the lush area would be so narrow. You can literally see across it to the desert on either side.

In Memphis, we saw the ancient ruins of a temple of Ramses II. There was a large, alabaster sphinx and a famous statue of Ramses, lying on its back because of collapsed legs. This, like Sakkara and the pyramids at Giza, is on the west bank of the Nile. All the ancient burial places were put on the west bank of the Nile because of the symbolism connected with the setting sun.

Another aspect of the day that was surprising to me is the close proximity of all these sites to one another. Giza is just opposite of Cairo on the west bank of the Nile - not out in the middle of the desert as I had always assumed. Sakkara and Memphis are just south of these, and our guide Samir mentioned that Sakkara and Giza are only 12 miles apart. It is all really part of the greater Cairo area.

Two other parts of our day were of interest. We stopped at two shops where traditional Egyptian trades were going on - carpet making at one and papyrus making at the other. Both of these are done by hand, largely as they have been for centuries. The carpets could get very expensive - into the thousands of dollars. The papyrus was painted and was less expensive; I bought a painting of the Holy Family along the Nile that resembles an icon.

Too much to tell, and now I am back in the Ambassador Hotel and simply exhausted. It is 10:30 p.m.