OUR FAMILY HOLIDAYS

9989 Cairo -- 1990 

After the food poisoning on the Nile Cruise, I eventually pulled myself back to some semblance of health and was able to catch the plane up to Cairo.  We stayed there in the Cairo Hilton, which was very comfortable.  In Cairo itself we visited the bazaar and various mosques; much as we did wherever we went.

Of course, though, the highlight was a visit to the pyramids on the plateau of Ghiza.   

 Another tourist trap

They are incredibly impressive, though going into the tunnels underneath them to see the kings burial chamber is much less impressive.  The highest one, or rather the tallest one, is that of Cheops, the father.  It was completed by his son, Kefron, whose own pyramid is next to it - the one with the facing stones still remaining at the top. In deference of father, his is somewhat shorter, albeit by only 50 feet or so.  On the other hand, as it is on a higher part of plateau, its top is actually slightly higher than that of his father! 

Even so, I was even more fascinated by the visit to Sakkhara. The step pyramid at Sakkhara was one of the original precursors of the main pyramids.  It was, literally, built in steps. 

 The step pyramid at Sakkhara

The most fascinating part of it, though, was the ceremonial compound built around it by the architect.  It was built at a time when they were trying to understand how to build high columns.  They were still nervous about how these worked, so the columns were still attached to the walls.

On the same site were number of other pyramids, many of them collapsed, and also the underground caves where the mummified royal bulls were buried, along with thousands of mummified cats.

In Cairo itself we also visited Cairo Museum, which is stuffed to the brim with wonderful treasures from the time of the Pharaohs. Everyone knows about the treasures of Tutankamen, and these were indeed fascinating, but I was even more fascinated by the carved statues, much more realistic, from a thousand years earlier.

It was incredible to see something that had been carved 6,000 years ago and yet was so perfect.

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