Encountering History in Giza, Egypt - Sawdust and Wanderlust

The Giza Necropolis (also known as the Giza Pyramid Complex) has come to be synonymous with ancient Egypt, so it was definitely on my list of “Must Sees” while visiting the country. Located less than 15 miles from central Cairo, the Giza Necropolis is a large compound that is home to three main pyramids (Khufu (aka the Great Pyramid), Khafre, and Menkaure), along with The Great Sphinx, various temples, cemeteries, an industrial complex, and a village for the workers that built the pyramids. It’s a lot to take in, but well worth the effort for anyone interested in encountering history.

FIRST LOOK:

Upon checking into our hotel in Giza, the very friendly and helpful young man working at the front desk happily arranged for a guide to pick us up the following day for a tour of Giza. We later found out the guide was his brother and was every bit as friendly and helpful as his sibling. With tour arrangements in place, we headed to the hotel’s rooftop restaurant for dinner and an unexpected first glimpse of the ancient pyramids. We enjoyed a long dinner that ended with a spectacular sunset view of the oldest of the Great Wonders of the World, which only made me more excited for my next day’s visit.

*Sunset view of the Giza Pyramid Complex.*

GETTING AROUND:

The Giza Pyramid Complex is a pretty large area that can be experienced in one of several ways. Some people choose to walk, but taking in the entire complex is a lot of walking. Fortunately, there are also options to ride in a horse-drawn carriage, on a horse, or on a camel. When I saw the herd of camels elaborately adorned with their colorful saddles, blankets, fringes, & pom-poms, I quickly decided camelback would be my transportation of choice. My camel-riding experience was a memorable event which I wrote more about in a separate post.

WHY PYRAMIDS?:

*Taking in the view of the three main Pyramids of Giza.*

I didn’t know all the details about why there are pyramids in Egypt, but I learned that ancient Egyptians strongly believed in the afterlife and the Eternity of the Soul. When one of their kings (pharaohs) died, the soul would briefly leave the body, then return after burial and become gods in the afterlife. In order for this to happen, the spirit needed to be able to reunite with the body. Early rulers were originally buried in flat mounds called mastabas. Over time, there was a trend towards larger and larger mounds to help the pharaoh’s spirit find their bodies and to commemorate the grandeur of the pharaoh’s reign. The mounds continued to grow in size until 2670 BC when Pharaoh Djoser built the first stepped pyramid at Saqqara. The economic growth of Egypt’s 4th dynasty spurred the construction of the Giza Pyramid Complex starting in 2580 BC.

In addition to being a place to bury a body, the pyramids were also a place to house all the luxury items the pharaoh would want in the afterlife.

THE THREE MAIN PYRAMIDS:

*The Great Pyramid (left), The Pyramid of Khafre (center), and The Pyramid of Menkaure* *(right)*

The three main pyramids of Giza are named after the three pharaohs for whom they were built. Pharaoh Khufu’s pyramid (also called The Great Pyramid) is the oldest and largest of the three. Built over 4,600 years ago, it was originally 481.4 feet tall. For reference that’s about the height of a 50-story skyscraper! However years of erosion and the removal of it’s white outer limestone casing has left the pyramid with a current height of 451.4 feet. I was surprised to learn that for 3,800 years, The Great Pyramid was the tallest man-made structure on Earth!

The three smaller pyramids in front of The Great Pyramid are the tombs of Pharaoh Khufu’s three wives.

The second largest is The Pyramid of Khafre (Khufu’s son). Of the three, Khafre is the only pyramid that has a small portion of its outer limestone casing still in place at the top. When seen from certain angles, Khafre (located in the middle) appears to be the tallest of the three. However, it is actually 10 feet shorter than Khufu and only appears taller because it sits on higher ground.

*Hanging out at the base of The Pyramid of Khafre.*

The smallest of the three main pyramids is The Pyramid of Menkaure. Although it is the smallest, when originally built, it was the most ornate of the three pyramid. Because much of the limestone in the area was depleted building the first two pyramids, the outer skin of Menkaure was pink granite brought in from 500 miles away. Menkaure also contained some the most elaborate statues and carvings.

*The Pyramid of Khafre* (left) *and Pyramid of Menkaure (right).*

THE GREAT SPHINX:

The Great Sphinx is massive! By massive I mean 240 feet long and 66 feet tall. The limestone statue with the body of a lion and the head of Pharaoh Khafre is the largest single-stone monument in the world. It’s hard for me to imagine the effort it must have taken to carve. Yet as impressive as the Sphinx currently is, it was once even more spectacular. When originally built, it was elaborately painted in bright colors to stand in stark contrast to the beige desert.

The Great Sphinx was built to stand guard and protect the pyramids and has the following inscription:

“I protect the chapel of your tomb. I guard your death chamber. I keep intruders away. I throw enemies on the ground and their weapons with them. I expel the wicked from the chapel of your tomb. I destroy your opponents in their hiding places, blocking them so that they can no longer leave”.
-Translation of hieroglyphics inscribed at The Great Sphinx

FINAL THOUGHTS:

Prior to visiting Egypt, I did a good bit of research on the country and its history. In the process, I read some travelers write about how they were not impressed with The Pyramids of Giza. But that was not my experience at all. Even though I’m not a big history buff, I found Giza fascinating. The rich culture and abounding heritage of Giza made me feel like I was truly experiencing history.