The Pyramids of Giza
Exactly one week after landing on Egyptian soil (or more appropriately, desert!) we ventured back in time to the Age of the Pyramids. Let’s be honest: this is one of the main reasons we bid Cairo at the top of our list for this post. The history and culture of this city leaves one curious, thrilled, exhausted. There’s so much to take in, and we were ready. So off we went on our first grand adventure. Little did we know getting there would be as thrilling as the pyramids themselves. It was a day of fusing modern day Egypt with its ancient past. Giza is about 30 minutes from our neighborhood. On a clear day, you can see the pyramids off in the distance across the other side of the Nile River. Toofi, our driver, told us that early Friday mornings are the best time to visit to beat the crowds. It’s the start of the weekend (which is Friday & Saturday, not Sunday!) and a time of religious observation for Muslims. We loaded into his car, picked up some pastries from our favorite bakery in the neighborhood and set off outside of our quiet little pocket of Cairo. Our eyes were glued to everything going on outside the car windows. Motorcycles flew by with families packed on like sardines. Pedestrians dodged between cars on the busy streets. We crossed over the Nile River headed toward Giza. Sky high, concrete and red brick apartment buildings lined the outskirts of the river, many of them left unfinished. There was a strange sense of abandonment except for the occasional laundry waving in the wind some ten stories high. Cars merged between one another, horns honked boldly, and I unconsciously released my anxieties in the firm grip upon my boys’ legs. It was a feast for all the senses. My youngest asked, after hearing the continual honking, “Are we in a party right now?!” Why yes, son. Perhaps not the kind you’ll be in ever again. Keep your buckle on tight, and take it all in!
We arrived to the pyramids, and Toofi was right about getting there early. We nearly had the entire thing to ourselves for the first hour or so. I was a history major and yet somehow couldn’t remember the details from my middle school studies on Ancient Egypt. Thankfully, Toffi knew everything from the history of the site to the spots to hit before the crowds piled in. What was most surprising to me was that these were the oldest lands we’d ever walked on. To see one of the original Seven Wonders of the World. It made me feel very small in the most humble way. Most of our time was spent watching the boys climb on the ancient ruins and relearning all the details about the historical site. My boys were living their best Indiana Jones’ adventures. That was a win in my book.
A few fun facts about The Great Pyramids of Giza:
The pyramids were built as burial tombs by Pharaohs Khufu, Khafre, and Menkaure over 4,500 years ago
Khufu is both the tallest and the oldest of the three. It is called The Great Pyramid and historians note that some 2 million blocks of limestone were used to construct it. Each block weighed around 2000lbs. (think about the engineering and man power this took…in 2580BC!)
You can climb inside to the burial chamber of Khufu’s pyramid. But if you are claustrophobic (like me) beware…it’s a tight squeeze!
The Great Sphinx remains a mystery as to who and when it was built although many historians believe it was part of Pharaoh Khafre’s necropolis. They do know it was created from a single mass of limestone and sits directly facing east to west, towards the rising sun. (again, the engineering and skill…unreal)
There are actually hundreds of pyramids all around Egypt, some dating back further than the ones here!
