Saqqara , Memphis, and the Pyramids at Giza
After a quick, light breakfast at the hotel, we met Mayer in the lobby at 7:30 for a long day of pyramid visitation. As we drove thru Cairo on our way out of town, we saw some things we hadn’t noticed before.
In particular, it was interesting to see so many buildings that were partially torn down and/or rebuilt but were clearly not finished being constructed, yet businesses or residents were occupying the space in that building that was finished. As it turns out, this is a strategy that saves money for the owners. Leaving the building unfinished means that taxes are not due. Taxes are only levied against “finished” buildings.
SAQQARA
Saqqara is a place about 30 kilometers south of Cairo, but of great pyramidal importance. In earlier times than the third dynasty, most kings, or pharaohs, had been buried in a deep shaft that was covered with a building built of mud bricks called a Mastaba. We visited a Mastaba, the tomb of a high official named Meriruka. Even though he wasn’t a king, his status in the sixth dynasty was high enough to rate him a burial with a Mastaba. The actual burial shaft goes down about thirty feet and is blocked off, but the rooms in the Mastaba above are covered with beautiful reliefs and hieroglyphics. These beautiful works of art give a snapshot into Egyptian life in this era, probably about 2650 BC or 4,600 years ago. I’m sure interested parties can find more online about any of today’s sites, should they care to explore.
We also went down a very steep, narrow tunnel where you had to stoop over to avoid hitting your head on the ceiling (which I did three times) into the small pyramid and tomb of the first king of the sixth dynasty named Teti. The walls had beautiful reliefs on a couple of different chambers and held the empty sarcophagus of the king, around which the pyramid was built because it was so large that it could not have fit thru the entrance.
Interestingly, in both these cases and generally true in most cases, the relief art work on the walls of the chambers was not on the granite used to build the structure. Instead, once the walls were constructed, plaster was spread over the walls as a medium in which the artists could work. The art was first drawn, then carved into the plaster, and then finally painted. This gave some room for error because if they had tried to work on the granite itself, it would have been far less forgiving if the need arose. This way, if a mistake was made, it was covered with more plaster and the work started over.
Finally, the crown jewel of Saqqara, the Step Pyramid, took the idea of a Mastaba covering the tomb to greater lengths. It added five more levels to the basic Mastaba, each correspondingly smaller, thus acquiring a loose version of the shape that we call a pyramid. So it was six Mastabas laid on top of each other without any attempt to smooth the sides into straight lines. It is part of a large complex with lots of aspects, but you’ll have to settle for my photos below or continued research online.
MEMPHIS
Memphis was the first capitol of Egypt and there are two main items in the antiquities park there. The first is the remains of a HUGE statue of Ramses, now sheltered from the elements by a building constructed around it.
There is also a beautiful sphinx in that park, smaller than, but in much better shape than the more famous one in Giza.
GIZA
Upon our arrival in Giza, we stopped for lunch at a very nice restaurant there. The menu price was fixed and included the tax and tip. The meal included all kinds of Egyptian appetizers and bread. I ordered the chicken plate which had been marinated and was delicious, if slow to arrive. A dessert of rice pudding and a banana followed with the bill getting paid (370 Egyptian pounds, about $12 US) and heading out the door to tackle the crowds wanting to see the Great Pyramids of Giza.
Falafel (Delicious)
It was interesting to note that once you’re there in front of the pyramids, you’ve seen them. Except for a few hardy adventurers that went down another long tunnel to see the empty chambers of the second pyramid, we were satisfied to walk around, take a few pics, and get back on the bus. The highlight, though was driving past the pyramids up a large hill, where most of us shelled out a few bucks (just over $12) to go on a twenty-minute group camel ride together. Originally, I (and a few others) wasn’t going to participate, but in the spirit of the group, I caved in and took the ride. HIGHLIGHT OF THE DAY!
Finally, we had a kind of a rushed stop for a view of the great Sphinx with the sun behind it, which left me wanting. But then nothing’s ever perfect, is it.
The last stop of the day was at a shop that makes papyrus and sells paintings on papyrus. Definitely not my thing. I watched the demo of how it’s made, then made my way back to the bus while others shopped for their treasures. In my mind, it was too long a stop late in the day when everyone was a bit worn out and still making adjustments for jet lag.
Tomorrow will be a full morning at the Egyptian Museum followed by a relaxing lunch along the Nile and a late flight to Aswan where the next adventures await.
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