It was time to visit the Pyramids, the most famous of Egypt’s historical structures. Our local guide picked us up from our hotel shortly after breakfast and we were off. When people refer to the pyramids of Egypt, what they usually have in mind is the Great Pyramid. Well, there are many more pyramids in Egypt than just that. We were going to visit many of them. We planned to visit them in the order that they were constructed. It was something like doing a time travel😀.

Saqqara Complex

The first site were the ones at Saqqara. The main one here is the Pyramid of Djoser also referred to as the Step Pyramid. This is considered as one of the most iconic monuments of Egypt. Building it marked the turning point in ancient Egyptian funerary monuments. It is the very first pyramid that ancient Egyptians built and also the oldest known ancient Egyptian stone structure. It was built in the period 2667 – 2648 BC!

Here are some more visuals as we explored the complex around the pyramid:

Dashur Complex

Next site was the Dashur complex. It is roughly 40 kms outside of Cairo. It is part of ancient Memphis, the capital of the Old Kingdom of Egypt. There are three pyramids here.

The Bent Pyramid

This pyramid captures the transition from stepped to smooth-sided pyramid. Why is it called the Bent Pyramid? Well, look at it. Don’t you think the name is apt?

Why it was made like so will stay a mystery. One theory is that the first angle was too steep thus compromising the structure’s stability. This lead the builders to adjust the top to prevent collapse. Another theory is that it was a time-saving decision when the Pharaoh’s reign was nearing its end.

The Red Pyramid

This was the first one that really looked like a pyramid that we know today. It paved the way for the Great Pyramids of Giza. This is believed to be the first successful try at constructing a true smooth-sided pyramid. It is popularly referred to as the Red Pyramid owing to the reddish hue of the limestone blocks.

One can also go into this pyramid, all the way to the burial chamber. Here is the shaft going down which one has take to do so.

Make sure you are not claustrophobic before attempting it. It also quite deep. So be prepared for a bit of exercise too 😁.

The Black Pyramid

Sadly this structure has not weathered well over the centuries and is almost in ruins. So we only saw it from afar.

Giza Pyramid Complex

This holds the most famous structures commonly known across the world; the Great Pyramids and the Sphinx. They were all built in the period 2575 – 2465 BC.

The Great Pyramids

It constituents of three of them. The largest in terms of sheer dimensions and the oldest is the one built for Khufu. This one is actually called the Great Pyramid.

The second one is that built for Kafre. Our guide told us about an old tradition. The son’s pyramid cannot be taller than his father’s if built close by. Though it is slighter smaller then the Great Pyramid in sheer dimensions, visually it looks taller. So did Kafre break the tradition? This is because it is built on a slighted elevated part of the complex. See what I mean?

Smart chap, hey? Here are some more visuals of it.

The third one is that was built for Menkaure.

The Great Sphinx

This is a statue of a mythical creature with the head of a human and the body of a lion. The face of the Sphinx is supposed to represent the pharaoh Khafre. It is a majestic structure. Sadly, its nose has been broken. No, it was not Obelix who broke it (for those who have read the Asterix comic series) 😄. It has been done deliberately, most likely by the subsequent invaders who wanted to impose their ideologies. Here are some visuals.

Summary

So did it live up to our expectations? Well, it certainly did. They are an engineering marvel I would say. The Great Pyramid is massive. One block of is almost as tall as me and weights roughly 2.5 tons (2267 kgs). I felt small standing against it. How did they manage to gets blocks, then move it along to each of its positions. There are around 2.3 million of such blocks in it! Just do the math. Mind boggling isn’t it 😳?

Here are my recommendations based on our experience visiting the pyramids.

  • If you plan to visit the main pyramids, do not limit yourself to just the ones in Giza. I highly recommend visiting them all. Follow the order that we did. The Giza complex is the most visited by tourists since it is closer to Cairo. But this also means more crowds. So getting there in the second half of the day will give your slightly lower number of visitors. The sun will also be slightly less hash. And the evening sunlight is more magically. Have I sold it enough 😉 ?
  • Take a hat and water wherever you go. There is no shaded area anywhere near them.
  • Engage an English speaking Egyptologist. It will change your experience getting to know the history and the back stories. You will also be supporting the locals who depend on tourism for their livelihood.