Egyptian Experience - Day Three

 

Day Three

Day 3 began even earlier than yesterday. We checked out of the hotel at 0710. Top of the day’s agenda was the Great Pyramid at Giza, the only survivor from the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. 30 minutes later, we were at the entrance to the complex of the Giza Pyramids.

Giza Pyramids

As I positioned myself in front of the Great Pyramid, I didn’t go WOW. The first thing that hits you is its size. It is too massive to be captured in the camera. What I saw before me was a pile-up of weathered limestone blocks, not the perfect geometrical figure my mind has been conditioned to perceive from films and photographs over several years. For that to happen, you need to step back. Not just a few steps, but a few hundred meters. The base of the Pyramid is more than its height; the ratio is 1.57. It is a disconcerting scale. The pyramid looks easier on the eye from afar than up close. "Don't look a gift horse in the mouth" is the idiom that came to my mind. Distance lends enchantment to viewing the Pyramid.

Perceptions aside, the Pyramid is an engineering marvel. It is estimated to be made out of 2.3 million limestone blocks each weighing 2.5 tons. It boggles the mind to imagine how they were dragged into position in 2600 BC (4600 years ago!). It took 20 years to construct and required 500,000 tons of mortar. The engineering statistics and antiquity provide a greater sense of wonder than the aesthetics of the structure.

There are 3 Pyramids in the Giza complex, built by the 3 successive generations of Pharaohs of the 4^th dynasty. While Khufu’s Pyramid is the tallest, the Pyramid of his son Khafre appears taller as it is built on higher ground. Khafre’s Pyramid bears a deep scar due to a quarrying attempt by a 12^th C ruler. The top of Khafre’s Pyramid still retains some of its original casement giving it a polished look. How much more beautiful the Great Pyramid would have looked had the casement been intact! The Pyramid of Menkaure, Khafre’s son is the smallest in the complex with a height not even half as much as that of his grandfather’s mausoleum.

We did not enter the innards of the Khufu Pyramid based on the considered advice of the tour curator. It doesn't provide bang for the buck and is a waste of time and effort. 

We moved a couple of kilometres to see the panorama of all 3 Pyramids. A popular pastime of tourists is to get themselves photographed by appearing to pinch the apex of the Pyramid. There are 3 tiny apology of Pyramids dedicated to the queens. The vast stretch of land encompassing Saqqara, Dahshur and Giza Pyramids is called the Memphis Necropolis and is one of the seven UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Egypt.

The Great Sphinx

The best photo-op of the Pyramids is from the Sphinx. The Great Sphinx, carved out of a limestone boulder, is associated with Khafre’s Pyramid. It is believed to be a guardian but with its inscrutable face remains an enduring enigma of the Egyptian civilisation. As I leave the site, many questions popped up in my mind. The uppermost question was as to why the other 2 Pyramids were lacking a similar guardian.

Grand Egyptian Museum

Words fail me to describe the splendour of the Grand Egyptian Museum. Construction began in 2005 and it has had only a soft opening with 12 galleries. The full inauguration is slated for early July. The plan is to have all the artefacts of the Egyptian Civilisation under one roof. Built at a cost of $1 billion, it is located barely 2 km from the Giza Pyramid complex. A walkway from the Pyramid complex to the museum in under construction.

The entrance to the museum is shaped like a Pyramid. And in the courtyard, there is a hanging obelisk, the only one of its kind. We went underneath it and looked up at the cartouche bearing the inscription of Ramses-II, the Pharaoh with the 2^nd longest reign of 66 years. Inside the lobby of the museum, visitors are greeted by a colossal statue of the omnipresent Ramses-II.

The Grand Staircase is undoubtedly the best feature of the museum. It is architecturally majestic with brilliant metaphorical overtones. The massive staircase can be ascended either by steps or flights of escalators. As we go up, we see superb statutes of Egyptian Gods and Pharaohs, and Queens. Reaching the top, we get a panoramic view of the Pyramids. It is a brilliantly conceived idea executed with great panache. And the lighting is just so perfect!

Reaching the top, we browsed through scores of exhibits in the 12 galleries. There is so much to see, savour, appreciate and understand.

Papyrus

Papyrus has long been synonymous with Egypt. Sandwiched between the Pyramids and the Museum was an hour-long visit to a Papyrus Emporium, where we were treated to a demonstration of how the papyrus plant is transformed into writing paper. Papyrus held great spiritual and practical significance to the ancient Egyptians. Boats made of Papyrus reeds plied along the Nile transporting goods and people and according to a widely held myth had the magical powers of warding off crocodiles, a major threat in the river.

Citadel

After lunch, there was a dramatic shift in landscape as we entered a fortress, known as “The Citadel”. It was built by Salah al-Din of Ayyubid dynasty in 12^th C. It became the seat of Egypt’s rule during the Ayyubid, Mamluk and Ottoman eras. In 1811, it witnessed the infamous massacre of the Mamluk leaders by Muhammad Ali Pasha. The Citadel contains many interesting buildings, the chief one being a mosque built by Muhammad Ali. Built in Byzantine style, it is reminiscent of the Blue Mosque of Istanbul. The Citadel is part of “Historic Cairo” that has been accorded World Heritage status by UNESCO.

Flight to Aswan

The flight was inordinately delayed and the long wait at the airport was a good opportunity to reflect on the impressions of the past 60 hours. I was overwhelmed by the information and sensory overload. Yet this was only a tip of the iceberg. Much more exciting experiences were in store for us in Upper Egypt, which interestingly is the southern part of the country, since the Nile flows from south to north. The flying time to Aswan is an hour. Many hoardings at Aswan airport reminded me that I was in the land of Gold. From the airport we reached our hotel through a complex set of logistics involving a bus and a ferry. Our hotel was on an island in the Nile. It was midnight by the time we wrapped up our dinner.