The Pyramids and the Sphinx
Friday, February 6, 2026
Giza, Egypt
The size is overwhelming. Here is the great pyramid, Khufu’s tomb:
Looking up:
The blocks of limestone are enormous, and it took 2.3 million to build the pyramids. This will give a sense of scale:
The tomb entrance is here; the tunnel to the tomb room is 300 feet long and 4 feet tall. We didn’t do it, as there’s nothing but an empty space there, although the space where the sarcophagus was is lined with granite which was brought 400 miles from the upper Nile:
The entire pyramid once was covered with polished limestone; just a bit remains:
The blocks were hand-hewn, but fit together incredibly tightly:
Adjacent to the pyramid is an excavation where an enormous boat was found to carry Khufu’s soul into the afterlife. We’ll see the boat itself tomorrow in the museum:
We then drove to the Sphinx, not far away, carved from a monolith arising from the desert floor:
This photo of the head has a bird in it which can help with the proportions:
One can hire a buggy or camel for a ride; we did not (we’ve both ridden enough camels to know that it’s unpleasant):
We had lunch at a truly lovely restaurant attached to a hotel complex adjacent to the pyramids:
The oldest pyramid which remains is the so-called “Step Pyramid” built earlier, in the third dynasty, when they didn’t have the knowledge or ability to build one with straight sides. There are collapsed pyramids reflecting the efforts. The step pyramid is third dynasty and about a 30-minute drive from the Khufu pyramid complex:
Here, because there are wonderful wall decorations, we did walk into the tomb:
We were right next to these 5000 year-old painted wall carvings—there was no protection nor any security there! Here is the depiction of a fishing boat:
A hippo giving birth with a crocodile waiting to eat the newborn:
A member of a procession, each man carrying a cow leg:
A portrait of a princess who was part of the royal family:
It was all overwhelming. I have so many photos; this is just a small sample. We returned to the hotel exhausted and exhilarated. Tomorrow the new Grand Egyptian Museum and, late in the day, we fly to Luxor. More when I can.
Astonishing! I have long been in awe of the technological mastery of the ancient Egyptians, and the elegance of their art. But I learned much more from what you just said and showed us. Amazing, as you say, that people are allowed into the innards of a pyramid, with detailed wall decorations, yet with no security agents making sure that people don't do any damage while they're there!
ReplyDeleteThanks for taking the time and trouble to share a small selection (as you say) of your wonderful photos with us--and I look forward to what the famous new Museum holds.
I'd be interested in hearing also about how well you can communicate with tour guides and other local people--is English generally workable in interchanges? and is the food similar to what some of us know from food in Israel and in, say, Turkish and other Middle Eastern restaurants in the US? Or are there specific traditions, in part because of what is available there (say, from the Nile vs. from the Mediterranean)?
Stunning, just hard to imagine the Egyptians were able to do all this (art and architecture and all done without any modern equipment)so very long ago. Simply amazing! Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteWe did make the climb inside the pyramid to the empty chamber. It was quite an experience. At your height it probably would have been quite unpleasant. Carol was able to walk almost upright. I have a picture or two from the interior and it is pretty bleak.
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