Day
17 - Cairo : Giza Sphinx, Pyramids, Farouk Resthouse and Tombs of
Kar and Edu
The conductor woke us with a breakfast of sorts
and in time to get ready to get off the train at Giza the next
morning. We left Luxor at about 9:00PM and got to Giza at about
7:00 AM so it was about a 10 hour trip. Comfortable and convenient.
We were met at the station, another good thing, and taken to
check into our hotel Le Meridien.
At Le Meridien, we met our guide and driver. The Driver Ehab
had brought us from the station with the representatives from
Holiday Tours. Our guide was Eman
Massoud Hemida. She is working
on her Masters in Egyptology and speaks English well. She taught
herself English and is still working on the finer points, however,
I thought she was quite fluent. Her greatest strength was her
deep expertise in Egyptology and her extensive aquaintence
with the all the local Department of Atiquities employees.
She worked miracles for us in getting us in to see sites and
tombs as the diary will show. I really appreciated this, as
I wanted to see most things that weren't on the ordinary tourist
list and in Cairo, that takes some inside knowledge as the
sites are more tightly controlled than some in Aswan or Luxor.
We started the day explaining to Eman what we wanted to see
and do as our itinerary was a bit sketchy. She waited while
we got our luggage into the room and then we headed out to
the Sphinx and the pyramids.
We have a checkered history with the Sphinx. When we last
came, the Sphinx was covered with scaffolding so we were looking
forward to seeing it.
Eman started at the Mastaba cemetary around Cheop's pyramid. We
saw the boat pits and she led us around to the shaft of Hetephernes
burial goods. We also passed by the Rest House of King Farouk, and
because she spoke arabic, she got us permission to go into the compound
and we sneaked into the building which is generally unsafe. The
Guard found us and chastised us, but we did safely get up stairs
and saw the worderful art deco wall murals that King Farouk had
had created. One was the battle of Horus and Set at Edfu and the
other was a boating scene in the marsh. Upstairs a large room had
a replica of the Dendera Calendar made into the plaster ceiling.
The building could be quite a tourist attraction, but it would require
a lot of money to make it safe and to refurbish it and after all
there are more wonderous things to see at the Great Pyramids on
the Giza Plateau. But we were very pleased to get to see it, if
only briefly.
Eman contacted the keeper of the keys for the Nobles tombs
that are build in the sides of the large brick mastabas that
form the streets and alleys of the Cemetary. We went inside
the Tombs of Edu and Ka Em Ankh, we also got a peek at the
entrance to one of the more recently found tombs that is not
open to the public. There was also an interesting false door
that probably signals another unexcavated tomb. The large mastabas
seem to be riddled with intrusive burials, presumably they
were actually meant for one important noble. But maybe not.
Maybe the large structure was meant to be a unified structure
that contained many tombs, with burial space granted by the
Pharaoh.
Edu was a scribe and Supervisior for the building of pyramid of
Pepi, Chepheren and Cheops. The tomb contains reliefs of the funeral
services, a row of five large statues of Edu and a small statue
of his son. He was the probably the father of Ka Em Ankh. A striking
feature of this tombs is a false door that has a statue of the deceased
emerging from the offering table, being shown from the waist up.
at the entrance of Edu tomb is a small square recess or peephole
which displays a small obelisk inside.
Ka Em Ankh was Edu's son he was also a scribe and was associated
with the pyramid towns of Chepheren, Cheops and Pepi. There
is a seated figure of Ka Em Ankh, five standing statues. There
are detailed reliefs of the coffin being carried by bearers
and on a boat that is pulled by many mourners. (diagram page
209 Penguin Guide to Ancient Egypt)
The pyramids of the three queens of Cheops were in this area.
Nanut Sn, Merys Ankh, Htp Haras.
We went down to the town of Nazlet which is just at the base
of the Sphinx to have lunch at a restaurant that overlooks
the Sphinx. The restaurant is next door to the sound and light
show. While we were there they were building a pavillion between
the restaurant and the Sphinx, saying that it was temporary,
but it was still there three days later. I don't know if it
was connected with the ceremonies for the visiting dignitaries
or was connected with the aborted landing of the Queen Mary
II at Alexandria which caused cancellations of reservations
and events up and down the Nile. After lunch we walked among
the construction to get to the Mortuary temple of Chepheren
and to see the Sphinx.
Carved corners in the Valley temple of Chepheren
The Valley temple of Chepheren is a masterwork of stone carving.
The floor is made of alabaster and the walls are pink granite. The
stones in the walls are carved for their purpose. The stones at
the corners are not overlapped, the stones have the corner turning
carved into them One doorway stone has ten planes carved into it..
The Valley temple was situated on a canal that led from the Nile.
The rear entrance opens onto a causeway that leads up to the Pyramid
where it ended inside another temple. The Cult of the Pharaoh held
services in these temples for many centuries after the death of
the pharaoh. The Priests were supported by dedicated farms and taxes.
A village of the living temple workers must have existed close by
the "village" of the dead in the Mastabas beside the pyramids.
We had a look at the Sphinx from the side and went back outside
to try to gain entrance to the Sphinx precint itself. To get
between the paws of the Sphinx is a distinct priviledge and
the site is guarded to protect the antiquities and to limit
entrance. I don't think it is a regular ticket site, although
you probably have to have a Pyramids ticket to even get this
far. Anyhow, we have noticed that tours are advertising guaranteed
access to meditate between the Sphinx paws and we saw a group
leaving the Sphinx Compound. Our guide chatted with the guards
and noticed that Mamdouh Taha, Supervisor of the Workmen Tombs
Excavation was in the compound. Eman seemed to know everyone
and she asked if we might slip in behind the group that was
leaving. We were granted 10 minutes and we hurried to get down
to the Paws and to see the small restored temple of Amenhotep
III that his beside the Sphinx. There is a temple being restored
in front of the Sphinx as well, but I am not sure there is
tourist access or it is just used to support the sound and
light show equipment while it is being restored. Anyway, I
stood between the paws of the Sphinx and looked up into that
mysterious face. It was great, but I am not sure to tell you
how you, too, can get access. Enquire of your tour guide, it
certainly seemed limited in some way. On a humorous note, the
Sphinx was being infested by pidgeons who were migrating from
Africa up to Europe. We have taken them out of most of photos
with Photoshop, but here is a photo of the Sphinx complete
with pidgeon infestation.
After all this excitement, we went back to the hotel to unpack.
There are a couple of interesting quality shops in Le Meridien,
but they also have rented out glass display cases to a couple
of vendors who somehow mysteriously appear when you hover around
the glass cases. The sourvenirs are all top quality, and we
bought some ceramic and wooden boxes. The wooden boxes are
not traditional, but kind of kitch. The ceramic ring cases
featured Nefertari and Tutankamun. Later in the week we found
a time when the Silver shop was open. Ken bought a nice ring
and bought a beautiful reproduction bracelet for me. I also
bought some silver amulets. I don't wear yellow gold jewelery,
so the silver with lapis inserts was attractive to me. I bounght
a Hathor head, an Ankh, and a scarab. We bargained and the
owner was very nice to deal with. Here is a picture of his
shop.
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