The Ancient Wonders of Cairo
In the fifth century BC Herodotus wrote of Egypt that
"nowhere are there so many marvellous things...nor in the
world besides are to be seen so many things of unspeakable
greatness". The Sphinx, the Nile, ancient Luxor, the
pyramids - Egypt's scope is glorious.
Cairo
Cairo, Egypt's capital city, offers an effortless combination
of ancient and modern locations, monuments and atmosphere. Cairo
is considered to be the heart of Egypt, and one may find
almost every aspect of Egypt represented in the area, including
some of the most famous Pharaonic, ancient Christian and Islamic
monuments. The three major attractions are the Egyptian Museum,
the Great Pyramids and the majestic Sphinx.
The Egyptian Museum
The Egyptian Museum houses the greatest collection of
Egyptian artefacts in the world and the most sought after are
the treasures from Tutankhamen's tomb. The great pharaoh's tomb
contained four gilded shrines nested one inside the other and
all four are on display in this museum. The shrines are lined up
in order of size and the innermost shrine covers the mighty
pharaoh's sarcophagus. Inside the stone sarcophagus were three
coffins - the innermost being made of 110 kilograms of solid
gold - this is where the pharaoh wearing his famous gold mask
lies. Apart from the world renowned Tutankhamun exhibits
there are countless coffins, amulets, ushabtis and household
items from Ancient Egypt. The Mummy Room is another of the
museums highlights; this is where you can c
ome face to face with some of the great rulers of ancient
Egypt.
The Great Pyramids of Egypt
When we think of Egypt we think of the pyramids. One of
the greatest architectural wonders in history; the pyramids
represent life, death, struggle and celebration. Shrouded in an
air of mystery the pyramids have held mans fascination since the
time of their inception. Today many thousands of tourists travel
to Egypt each year to behold these magnificent relics of one of
the most celebrated and fascinating ancient civilizations in the
history of mankind. The ancient Egyptians built pyramids as
tombs for the pharaohs and their queens. There are over 100
pyramids in Egypt, most of which are grouped around and near the
city of Cairo.
The three pyramids of Giza, just outside Cairo, consist
of the Great Pyramid of Khufu, the Pyramid of Kafhre and the
Pyramid of Menkaura. Each Pyramid is a tomb to a different King
of Egypt and all three were built during the Third and Fourth
Dynasty. The Pyramid of Khufu, now known as the Great Pyramid,
has a base which covers roughly a nine acre area (roughly
392,040 square feet) and is one of the Seven Wonders of the
World. The pyramid of Menkaura, unlike the other pyramids, had
one tier of its base covered in granite and the pyramid of
Khafre had a two tier base encased in granite.
Many theories surrounding the origins of these astounding
structures have been proposed by scientist, Egyptologists and
conspiracy theorists alike. Some think they were built as
astronomic observatories, places of cult worship and even that
they were build by extra terrestrials. The bulk of scientific
and historic research supports the fact that they were built for
their magnificent Kings of Ancient Egypt as tombs from
which they could begin their mystic journey to the afterlife.
The pyramids of Egypt are a truly magnificent sight to behold
and a guided tour by an Egyptology expert will enable you to
truly appreciate the hard work that went into building them.
These huge structures are worth far more than the treasures
hidden inside; they are a gift from an ancient civilization
which has continued to give for thousands of years.
The Sphinx
The Sphinx, known as the Abu al-Hol (Father of Terror),
stands in front of the Great Pyramid and is thought to be older
than the pyramids themselves. No matter how many times you have
seen pictures of the Sphinx nothing will prepare you for the
sheer size and beauty of this desert creature. The body of a
lion with the head of a king or god, the sphinx has come to
symbolize strength and wisdom. The creature spent a long time
under the shifting desert sands, in 1905 the sand was cleared
away to expose the magnitude and beauty of the entirety of the
Sphinx. Due to the harsh forces of nature, erosion has taken its
toll on the structure yet standing in its presence you will
simply feel the mysterious beauty of its heyday. There
are many legends, mysteries and conspiracy theories surrounding
the Sphinx. It is said that in between the paws of the Sphinx is
a stela, now called the "Dream Stela", which is inscribed with a
story. The 18th Dynasty story tells of the time that Thutmosis
IV fell asleep under the Sphinx which was covered to the neck in
sand. Thutmosis had a dream that the Sphinx spoke to him and
promised that if he would free the Sphinx from the sand,
Thutmosis would be destined to become king of Egypt. Many
believe that under the creature lies a chamber which contains
the documentation which will reveal all of mankind's mysteries.
The Egyptian government has refused access to these underground
chambers which has promoted the theory rather than quell it. The
Sphinx's head is a mystery in its own rite, it has even been
theorised that the head is not the original one first craved
onto the body. The Sphinx has captured the interest of poets,
scholars, adventurers and tourists for centuries and has also
inspired a wealth of speculation about its age, its meaning, and
the secrets that it might hold. The Sphinx seems to radiate
something very mystical about it that tends to convey to the
observer that there is something metaphysical or spiritual about
it.
Though these are undoubtedly Cairo's greatest tourist
attractions they are not all that this mystic city has to
offer. A city of culture, Cairo is home to several art
galleries, museums and music hall, most notably the Cairo Opera
House. There are several fantastic restaurants and luxury
hotels. Whether you prefer to peruse the street markets or
leisurely shop in the modern centres you will come across the
most delightful finds. Particularly good buys are spices,
perfumes, gold, silver, carpets, brass, copperware, leatherwork,
glass and ceramics.