Our last day in Cairo was dedicated to seeing the Pyramids of Giza. We were really looking forward to seeing such a world renowned place and had been looking forward to this day for quite a while. At the same time we had heard stories from fellow travelers and our guide book about the local hustlers and vendors and as such entered with a healthy amount of caution.
Giza is a smaller town on the outskirts of Cairo which has been gobbled up by the sprawling suburbs that continue to expand out from the sprawling mass of Cairo. It is possible to take a local city bus from downtown Cairo (4 blocks from our hotel) to the entrance of the park. The bus was a bit dirty and crowded and the windows small but eventually it got us there ok.
Walking into the park our first impression was that we were taken back by the immensity and beauty of the place. But we had seen it so many times in pictures or on television that it felt familiar, like we had been there before. We were also impressed by the fact that the city backed right up to the park on one side and views of the skyline of Cairo spread out from the hills next to the pyramids. The site itself was sandy desert and sand dunes continued into the horizon on the other side.
The park has 3 “major” pyramids and then a bunch of smaller pyramids in addition to tombs, other ruins and of course the Sphinx. We spent the next couple of hours exploring the site and taking pictures. In addition to the entrance pass to the park I also purchased an entrance pass to the interior of the Great Pyramid. There is a limited amount sold per day and once you purchase the pass you can only enter between certain times. No cameras were allowed inside.
You enter the Great Pyramid through the opening that faces the principal entrance and walk through a hallway made of huge stone blocks that are perfectly cut and stacked. Then you start climbing up through a narrow passageway which leads to the heart of the pyramid. At times I had to walk completely bent over as the passageway was so low. Finally I arrived at the main burial chamber. It was a big room made of more perfectly cut stone blocks and was devoid of ornamentation. It was so hot and lacked oxygen that I grasped for air. I got light headed and felt faint.
After leaving the Great Pyramid we walked down to the other park entrance and watched the sun set over the Sphinx and the 3 pyramids.
What an amazing place!
After the sun had set we took a taxi back to downtown Cairo. As we cruised back on the elevated highway and looked down over the fields and then the city we took everything in. It was a great way to end our time in Egypt and finish our Istanbul to Cairo by land leg.
Steve
Giza is a smaller town on the outskirts of Cairo which has been gobbled up by the sprawling suburbs that continue to expand out from the sprawling mass of Cairo. It is possible to take a local city bus from downtown Cairo (4 blocks from our hotel) to the entrance of the park. The bus was a bit dirty and crowded and the windows small but eventually it got us there ok.
Walking into the park our first impression was that we were taken back by the immensity and beauty of the place. But we had seen it so many times in pictures or on television that it felt familiar, like we had been there before. We were also impressed by the fact that the city backed right up to the park on one side and views of the skyline of Cairo spread out from the hills next to the pyramids. The site itself was sandy desert and sand dunes continued into the horizon on the other side.
The park has 3 “major” pyramids and then a bunch of smaller pyramids in addition to tombs, other ruins and of course the Sphinx. We spent the next couple of hours exploring the site and taking pictures. In addition to the entrance pass to the park I also purchased an entrance pass to the interior of the Great Pyramid. There is a limited amount sold per day and once you purchase the pass you can only enter between certain times. No cameras were allowed inside.
You enter the Great Pyramid through the opening that faces the principal entrance and walk through a hallway made of huge stone blocks that are perfectly cut and stacked. Then you start climbing up through a narrow passageway which leads to the heart of the pyramid. At times I had to walk completely bent over as the passageway was so low. Finally I arrived at the main burial chamber. It was a big room made of more perfectly cut stone blocks and was devoid of ornamentation. It was so hot and lacked oxygen that I grasped for air. I got light headed and felt faint.
After leaving the Great Pyramid we walked down to the other park entrance and watched the sun set over the Sphinx and the 3 pyramids.
What an amazing place!
After the sun had set we took a taxi back to downtown Cairo. As we cruised back on the elevated highway and looked down over the fields and then the city we took everything in. It was a great way to end our time in Egypt and finish our Istanbul to Cairo by land leg.
Steve
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