Cairo and Nearby
Tuesday, October 15, 2002
This is a statue of Ramses II at Memphis, an important early city.
Modern Cairo is about 20 miles to the north.
Driving in Cairo is a challenge, as pedestrians are in the streets. Being a pedestrian is a challenge, too.
After a visit to the Egyptian museum with the King Tut artifacts and the mummy room, we visited the Kahn el Khalili bazaar, the Muhammed Ali Mosque, the Gayer-Anderson Museum, and other sites.
This is the earliest pyramid, known as the Step Pyramid. It is in Saqqara, not far from modern Cairo. The stones with which it is made are much smaller than the giant blocks used to build the pyramids at Giza. Construction took place about 2600 BC.
We also saw a tomb at Saqqara (built about 2500 BC—4,500 years ago) with nicely painted carvings showing all aspects of domestic life.The art is old enough that it was created before Egyptians had domesticated the chicken. It was in very good shape, and is about 1,000 years older than the tombs located in the Valley of the Kings.
Afterward we saw the three large pyramids at Giza, below, along with the Great Sphinx and the Solar Boat, all overlooking Cairo.
This area is a Unesco World Heritage site.
We visited Giza and Saqqara on a day trip from nearby Cairo. We also visited the Egyptian Museum in Cairo, which is well worth a visit. Tut is there.
Next—a flight up river to Luxor to see Karnak and Medinet Habu.
