While making plans and reservations for my next trip, I decided to take a break and write and share some photographs of one of the places I had traveled to a few months ago. I can remember a time when I was in High School and decided to do a history report on Egypt. I remember using modelling clay to make a Sphinx and a number of pyramids for the assignment. I chose Egypt, because architecturally the construction of both the pyramids and the Sphinx amazed me.
Egypt for me, has always been a place of wonder and mystery. Im sure a lot of people share this same sentiment. It "has one of the longest histories of any modern country" according to Wikepedia and is a destination that almost anyone in the known world is familiar with.
The most notable attractions, and the sites I primarily wanted to see during my visit were the Pyramids of Giza and the Great Sphinx. Aside from that, there were other sites to see such as the Necropolis and the Valley of the Kings, but those were secondary on my list.
During a time when machines like the one's we use today, did not exist, it is amazing to see what was accomplished from an engineering and architectural standpoint. The manual construction and layout design of the entire region is alone an amazing feat.
Pyramids of Giza
These series of pyramids were built for 3 of the 8 kings of the 4th Dynasty. The largest one, known as The Great Pyramid was built for the 2nd king, known as Khufu, over a 20 year period during the 3 months when the Nile's annual flood happened, when farming was not possible.
The sides are oriented to the four cardinal points of the compass and the length of each side at the base is 755 feet (230.4 m). The faces rise at an angle of 51º 52’ and their original height was 481 feet (147 m). (They currently rise 451 feet [138 m].) It was constructed using around 2,300,000 limestone blocks, each weighing an average of 2.5 tons. Some blocks weigh as much as 16 tons [Source]
The 2nd pyramid, which is smaller, was built for Khufu's son Khafre who was the 3rd king of the 4th Dynasty. The 3rd pyramid, which is half the size of The Great Pyramid (belonging to Khufu) was built for Menkaura (Khafre's son) and the 4th king of the 4th Dynasty.
Although much of the pyramids have decayed over time, the structures themselves are still intact. There are several other pyramids, however none are a s grand as the 3 mentioned above. Khufu's father Sneferu who was the first king of the 4th Dynasty perfected the design of the pyramids we see today through a couple failed designs. The surrounding areas of the pyramid are the burial grounds for the relatives and the officials of the kings and are identified by flat-top structures which surround the pyramids.
You can read more about the origins and history of the pyramids themselves in the following article: Pyramids of Giza
I would have loved to go inside the tombs, however at the time of my visit, ongoing excavation and restoration were in progress.
The Great Sphinx
One of the most notable figures of Egypt aside from the pyramid's is the the Sphinx, which has the body of a lion and the head of a human. The head is said to be that of the 2nd king Khafra. The reason for which it was built is unknown, although there are different hypothesis that lead to it relating to various constellations. Nonetheless, it was amazing to see it in person.
The Sphinx has seriously deteriorated over time and is constantly in a state of renovation. The one distinguishing feature is the distinguished face and missing nose which was lost when Napoleon's men used it for target practice.
Getting the chance to see one of the oldest places in history is an opportunity of a lifetime. The many mysteries and the history embodied in the structures themselves are something I have always been interested in and to be able to see them up close and to touch them was an experience I'll never forget.
I hope you enjoyed the photo's and content of this post. Please comment below and follow me to read my future travel posts.
Photos taken using: GoPro Hero 4 Black
To read my previous posts from my Travel Log series, please click on the links below:
My Travel Log : Beijing - Great Wall of China
My Travel Log : Beijing - Forbidden City
My Travel Log : China - Terracotta Army
