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| The
Great Pyramids |
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| How
the Great Pyramid was built is a question that may never be
answered. Herodotus said that it would have taken 30 years and
100,000 slaves to have built it. Another theory is that it was
built by peasants who were unable to work the land while the
Nile flooded between July and November. They may have been paid
with food for their labor. The flooded waters would have also
aided in the moving of the casing stones. These stones were
brought from Aswan and Tura
and the water would have brought the stones right to the pyramid.
This pyramid is thought to have been built between 2589 - 2566
BC. It would have taken over 2,300,000 blocks of stone with
an average weight of 2.5 tons each. The total weight would have
been 6,000,000 tons and a height of 482 feet (140m). It is the
largest and the oldest of the Pyramids
of Giza |
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Chephren
is the son and successor of Khufu and Hensuten. Khufu's other
son and also successor, Ra'djedef, started constructing his
own pyramid at Abu Rawash, which is north of Giza. Chephren's
pyramid is designed more modestly than Khufu's. The Chephren
pyramid originally was 10 feet (3m) shorter and 48 feet (14.6m)
more narrow at the base. The estimated weight of all the stones
in the pyramid is 4,880,000 tons. Because it is built higher
on the plateau, it looks taller from most angles than Khufu's
pyramid. The slope of the angles is higher, 53 degrees compared
to Khufu's 51 degrees.
The
Pyramid of Menkaure' (Mycerinus) is the smallest of the three
Pyramids of Giza and
shows the beginning of the decline in workmanship in the Egyptian
pyramid building. The attention to detail is not as it is
on the earlier pyramid.
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Location
: Cairo, Egypt
Description
: The Egyptian museum
was first built in Boulak. In 1891, it was moved to Giza Palace
of "Ismail Pasha" which housed the antiquities that
were later moved to the present building. The
Egyptian museum is situated at Tahrir square in Cairo.
It was built during the reign of Khedive Abbass Helmi II in
1897, and opened on November 15, 1902. It has 107 halls.
At the ground floor there are the huge statues. The upper
floor houses small statues, jewels, Tutankhamon treasures
and the mummies.
The
Museum also comprises a photography section and a large library.
The Egyptian museum comprises
many sections arranged in chronological order
- The
first section houses Tutankhamon’s treasures.
- The
second section houses the pre-dynasty and the Old Kingdom
monuments.
- The
third section houses the first intermediate period and the
Middle Kingdom monuments.
- The
forth section houses the monuments of the Modern Kingdom.
- The
fifth section houses the monuments of the late period and
the Greek and Roman periods.
- The
sixth section houses coins and papyrus.
- The
seventh section houses sarcophagi and scrabs.
A
hall for the royal mummies was opened at the museum, housing
eleven kings and queens.
More
than a million and half tourists visit the museum annually,
in addition to half a million Egyptians
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One
of Cairo's most popular tourist
attractions is The Citadel,
located on a spur of limestone that had been detached from
its parent Moqattam Hills by quarrying. The
Citadel began it's life not as a great military base of
operations, but as the "Dome of the Wind", a pavilion
created in 810 by Hatim Ibn Hartama, who was then governor.
These early governors, not realizing it strategic importance,
simply used the pavilion for its view of Cairo.
In 1176, Salah ad-Din fortified the area to protect it against
attacks by the Crusaders, and since then, it has never been
without a military garrison.
In
1218 Sultan al-Kamil, Salah ad-Din's nephew moved his residence
to The Citadel, and until
the consturction of the Abdin Palace in the mid-19th century,
it was the seat of government for the Country of Egypt.
Most
of the fortification's enterior were built after Salah ad-Din's
rule, being added to by almost every invader including the
British, some of whom destroyed much of what existed before
them. Al Nasir Muhammad leveled most of Salah al-Din's buildings
and later Muhamad Ali did the same to the Mamluk structures.
The
Citadel actually consists of three main sections, surrounded
by their own walls with towers and gates. These consist of
the Lower Enclosure (El-Azab), the Northern Enclosure (El-Ankishariya)
and the Southern Enclosure which is The
Citadel proper (El-Qal'a). The two main gates are on the
north (Bab el-Gadid) and south (Bab el-Gabal). Particularly
when viewed from the back side (from the north), The
Citadel reveals a very medieval character
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| Much
of the red granite used for ancient temples and colossi came
from quarries in the Aswan
area. Around these quarries are many inscriptions, many of which
describe successful quarrying projects. The
Unfinished Obelisk located in the Northern Quarry still
lies where a crack was discovered as it was being hewn from
the rock. Possibly intended as a companion to the Lateran Obelisk,
originally at Karnak but now in Rome, it would have weighed
over 2.3 million pounds and would have been the worlds largest
piece of stone ever handled. However, a crack in the stone occurred,
which caused it to be abandoned. Tools left by it's builders
have given us much insight into how such work was performed.
The site has recently been renovated and equipped with tourist
facilities. Nearby is the Fatimid Cemetery |
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Tombs of the Pharaohs
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The Egyptian belief that "To speak the name of the dead
is to make him live again" is certainly carried out in
the building of the tombs. The king's formal names and titles
are inscribed in his tomb along with his images and statues.
Beginning with the 18th Dynasty and ending with the 20th, the
kings abandoned the Memphis area and built their tombs in Thebes.
Also abandoned were the pyramid style tombs. Most of the tombs
were cut into the limestone following a similar pattern: three
corridors, an antechamber and a sunken sarcophagus chamber.
These catacombs were harder to rob and were more easily concealed.
Construction usually lasted six years, beginning with the new
reign. The text in the tombs are from the Book of the Dead,
the Book of the Gates and the Book of the Underworld. |
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Entry to the Valley of the
Kings |
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Ramesses
IV
Three white corridors descend to the sarcophagus chamber. The
chambers ceilings depict the goddess Nut. The lid of the pink
granite sarcophagus is decorated with Isis and Nephthys, which
were meant to serve as guardians over the body. Their duties
fell short, however, as the tomb was robbed in ancient times.
Originally the priests placed the sarcophagus in Amenhotep II
II's tomb in order to hide the body, which was a common practice. |
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Ramesses IX
Two sets of steps lead down to the tomb door that is decorated
with the Pharaoh worshipping the solar disc. Isis and Nephthys
stand behind him on either side. Three corridors lead into an
antechamber that opens into a pillared hall. The passage beyond
that leads to the sarcophagus chamber.
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Merneptah
The steep descent into the tomb is typical of the designs
of the XIX Dynasty. The entrance is decorated with Isis and
Nephthys worshipping the solar disc. Text from the Book of
the Gates line the corridors. The outer granite lid of the
sarcophagus is located in the antechamber, while the lid of
the inner sarcophagus is located down more steps in the pillared
hall. Carved on the pink granite lid is the figure of Merneptah
as Osiris.
Ramesses
VI
Originally built for Ramesses V, three chambers and a 4th
pillared chamber was added by Ramesses VI. Complete texts
of the Book of the Gates, the Book of Caverns and the Book
of Day and Night line the chambers. Portions of the Book of
the Dead are located in the pillared chamber, along with scenes
of the skygoddess, Nut
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The Burial Chamber in the Tomb of Ramesses VI |
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Ramesses
III
The tomb is sometimes referred to as the "Harpers Tomb"
due to the two harpers playing to the gods in four of the chambers.
Ten small chambers branch off of the main corridors. These were
for the placement of tomb furniture |
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Mortuary Temple of Ramesses III at Medinet Habu |
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Seti I
The longest tomb in the valley, 100m, contains very well preserved
reliefs in al
l of its eleven chambers and side rooms.
One of the back chambers is decorated
with the Ritual of the Opening of the Mouth, which stated that
the mummy's eating and drinking organs were properly functioning.
Believing in the need for these functions in
the afterlife, this was a very important ritual. The sarcophagus
is now in the Sir John
Soane Museum, London. |
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Tuthmosis
III
The approach to this unusual tomb is an ascent up wooden steps,
crossing over a pit, and then a steep descent down into the
tomb. The pit was probably dug as a deterrent to tomb robbers.
Two small chambers, decorated with stars, and a larger vestibule
are in front of the sarcophagus chamber, which is uniquely
rounded and decorated with only red and black.
Amenhotep
II
A steep flight of stairs and a long unadorned corridor lead
to the sarcophagus chamber. Three mummies, Tuthmosis IV, Amenhotep
II III and Seti II, were found in one side room and nine mummies
were found in another.
Horemheb
This tomb's construction is identical to that of Seti I's
with the exception of some of the inner decorations.
Tutankhamun
Though small and unimpressive, Tutankhamun's Tomb is probably
the most famous, due to its late discovery. Howard Carter's
description upon opening the tomb in 1922 was, "At first
I could see nothing, the hot air escaping from the chamber
causing the candle flames to flicker, but presently, as my
eyes grew accustomed to the light, details of the room within
emerged slowly from the mist, strange animals, statues and
gold - everywhere the glint of gold. For the moment - an eternity
it must have seemed to the others standing by - I was dumb
with amazement, and when Lord Carnarvon, unable to stand the
suspense any longer, inquired anxiously, 'Can you see anything?'
it was all I could do to get out the words, "Yes, wonderful
things."' The royal seal on the door was found intact.
The first three chambers were unadorned, with evidence of
early entrance through one of the outside walls. The next
chamber contained most of the funerary objects. The sarcophagus
was four guilded wooden shrines, one inside the other, within
which lay the stone sarcophagus, three mummiform coffins,
the inner one being solid gold, and then the mummy. Haste
can be seen in the reliefs and the sarcophagus, due to the
fact that Tutankhamun died at only 19 years of age following
a brief reign. Though extremely impressive to the modern world,
the treasures of Tutankhamun must have paled when compared
to the tombs of the great Pharaohs that ruled for many years
during Egypt's golden age.
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From the Tomb of Tutankhamun |
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Nefertari |
There are between 75 and 80 tombs in the Valley
of the Queens, or Biban al-Harim. These belong to
Queens of the 18th, 19th and 20th Dynasties. These include
The Tomb of Khaemwese (Tomb 44): Scenes in Khaemwese's tomb
show him being presented to the guardians of the gates to
the afterlife along with his father. He is making an
offering in the scene, and is dressed in a robe, wearing a
necklace and the sidelocks of youth.
The Tomb of Queent Titi (Tomb 52): She is probably the queen
of a 20th Dynasty. She is depicted with the sidelocks
common to the Egyptian young of the period and in the presence
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of the gods Thoth, Atum, Isis and Nephthys. In the
next chamber the queen is shown making offerings to Hator
the cow, and in the last chamber the gods Neith, Osiris, Selquit,
Nephthys and Thoth.
The Tomb of Amenhikhopeshef (Tomb 55): Amenhikhopeshef was
a son of Ramses III and scenses show him with his father and
the gods Thoth, Ptah and others. He was probably about nine
years old when he died. Scenes show him being presented
to various gods, including Anubis, the Jackal-headed god of
the dead, by his father, Ramses III. A premature baby was
also found in to tomb. This belonged to this mother, who aborted
upon learning of Amenhikhopeshef's death.
The Tomb of Nefertari (Tomb 66): One of five wives of
Ramses II, Nefertari was his favorite and the tomb here has
been is said to be one of the most beautiful in Egypt.
The tomb is completely painted with scenes though out.
In most of these, Nefertari, known as 'the most beautiful
of them', is accompanied by gods. She is usually wearing
a golden crown with two feathers extended from the back of
a vulture and clothed in a white, gossamer gown. Be
sure not to miss the side room where one scene depicts the
queen worshipping the mummified body of Osiris. Near
the stairs to the burial chamber is another wonderful scene
with Nefertarti offering milk to the goddess Hathor.
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