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GIZA :
GIZA City
The Great Pyramid
The first stop on our tour of the Giza plateau is the Great Pyramid of
the 4th Dynasty King, Khufu. It was the first pyramid constructed on the
plateau and many consider that it represents the pinnacle of the pyramid
age. This pyramid contains ascending chambers and passageways not found
in any other pyramids. This is how it appears from the south face. On
the bottom right hand side is a special museum which contains a 5000
year old boat which we will also explore in another section. We will
also enter this pyramid and explore its unique internal arrangement:
The Pyramid of Khafre
Our next stop is the Pyramid of Khafre. Khafre was a son of Khufu and
his is the second largest known pyramid in Egypt, only approximately 10
meters shorter that the Great Pyramid. This is how the pyramid appears
from its eastern face with several tombs in the foreground. Remnants of
its original casing are still apparent at the top of the structure.
Although this pyramid boasts two entrances, only one is open and it is
through this opening that we will explore the interior of this marvelous
edifice to Khafre:
The Pyramid of Menkaure
Next stop, the Pyramid of Menkaure, son of Khafre. Although much smaller
than the other two pyramids on the plateau, the lower courses were
originally encased in granite. It has three subsidiary pyramids and some
of its Mortuary temple remains intact. We will enter this pyramid and
see its unique layout, which included a room possibly for the burial of
some of the king's family as well as the king himself:
The Great Sphinx
The famous Sphinx of Egypt is a site to behold. The head of a king, body
of a lion, this colossus is carved out of the very bedrock in which it
sits. Recently restored, you can see it up close and personal and
explore its mysterious presence. You'll see all sides of the Sphinx and
even between the paws.
The Giza Plateau
Situated west of the Nile, bordering the Sahara Desert, the Giza plateau
rises up in its glory to present its full authority. It is here that an
ancient King coordinated a mammoth undertaking exploiting the full value
of the looming plateau. Eternal life would surely be granted with the
precision and meticulous execution of King Khufu's perfect pyramid.
Other pyramids had been built before, but none would ever achieve the
genius, grace and competence of this Great Pyramid. Still standing
today, it stands a silent witness to the events that immediately
followed the kings decision to build his pyramid on this site.
Strangely, Khufu decided to build his pyramid just to one side of the
highest ground on the plateau. Perhaps this section would require less
work to lay the foundation, over 9 acres, of the pyramid. We can begin
to surmise how the pyramid was built by the abundant evidence at the
site. A project of this magnitude would require people, housing, food
and tools. Traces of all of this have been found, and a small village
has been excavated that would be sufficient to house the appropriate
number of people necessary to build the largest pyramid. The graffiti of
the original work gangs are scrawled across the upper most chambers,
chambers that were never meant to be entered, which may have only been
included to relieve the tremendous weight upon the main chamber.
Following the lead of Khufu, two of his successors also built their
pyramids on the plateau. His son, Khafre, exploited the higher ground,
and was able to achieve the illusion of his pyramid as being the
tallest. In actuality, his pyramid was shorter than Khufu's. Khafre is
assumed to have been responsible for carving the Great Sphinx which is
aligned to his pyramid. The smallest pyramid, that of Menkaure, was the
final attempt to pyramid the plateau. Menkaure's pyramid also suffered
the fate of other pyramids and tombs throughout Egyptian history, the
king died before his tomb was finished.
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Cairo
Bahariya Road
White Desert
Akabat Mountain
White Desert
White Desert
Camping
White Desert
White Desert
Crystal Mountain
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