Day 1 Egypt with Ms.Sarah

Day 1–First Full Day in Cairo.

We started our tour with a visit to the Pyramid Complex which includes three main pyramids, the Great Sphinx, and various smaller pyramids of wives. It was chosen as the site for such large structures because the ground so hard and stable. Here we saw Khufu’s pyramid. His name is Cheops in Greek and his is the oldest pyramid on the Giza plateau, about 2680 BC. It’s the only surviving member of the Seven Ancient Wonders list. This is my third visit here and I decided to go through the passageway leading up to the top of this pyramid. My partner in crime was Cason Scheline, the 14 year old nephew of Sherry, my library director. It was a great adventure—very steep and very narrow which my quads are now reminding me! (Jean Keese—work pilates magic on my quads when I get back, please!)

Khufu’s son Khafre also built a pyramid which is next to his father’s but is smaller, reflecting the slight economic decline at the time and out of deference to his father. Finally, Kafre’s son Menkaure built his pyramid and is smaller still, also reflecting the further decline of the country.

We were not able to get as close to the Sphinx as last year because of dignitaries were visiting it. Built by Khafre in 2500

BC, it’s 66 feet high. Between its paws is the Dream Stele erected by the young Prince Tuthmosis who fell asleep near the Sphinx and dreamt that the Sphinx would promise him the throne of Egypt in return for Tuthmosis’ clearing the sand away from around it.

Our guide Beshoy showed us the remains of a canal from one of the seven branches of the Nile which flowed into the area and allowed for the transportation of heavy rocks from the south used to build the pyramids.

Our next stop was a perfume/oils shop which was lovely with deals for everyone, of course.

The ancient capital of Memphis was our next stop. It was the capital during the Old Kingdom up to most of the pharaonic period. Here is an outdoor museum with artifacts found in the area as well as a giant Sphinx. The truncated, recumbent and colossal statue of Ramses II is in the small museum there. Although he now almost completely gone now, Memphis was a large and prosperous city. It was founded by Menes in 3100 BC who is also responsible for uniting Upper and Lower Egypt.

Since today’s study was about necropolises and the Old Kingdom, we drove over to Saqqara to see Zoser’s step pyramid, which reflects the evolution of the development of the pyramid from mastaba to the the pyramids found on the Giza plateau. Saqqara was the original necropolis of Memphis but the ground proved too unstable for structures as heavy as the pyramids, and the blocks needed to be larger if the pyramids were to evolve to what we see in Khufu’s, Khafre’s, and Menkaure’s. Zoser was Khufu’s father. So we have a dynasty here which created the pyramids.

Our last stop of the day was a school for training children to create carpets. This school provides not only an elementary education but trains children for a profession and pays them for the work they do while making the carpets. The owner himself began training at 8 years old and coming from a poor family, had to work, but now from the skills he acquired he owns a carpet shop and is very successful and provides these opportunities to local children.

All pictures and blog by Ms. Sarah Roach, Donnelly Public Library

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