Must Visit Pyramids in Cairo

Must Visit Pyramids in Cairo

Must Visit Pyramids in Cairo
Must visit pyramids not only Cheops, Chephren and Menkaure pyramids in Giza, but also the oldest of all pyramids the step one in Saqqara, then Meidum pyramid, then Dahshur bent and red pyramids, On case you want to visit more go to see Lahoon and Hawara in Fayoum oasi, there are also other small pyramids surrounding the step pyramid of Saqqara, and not so far from it there are Abu Seir

Saqqara Pyramids

There are many pyramids in Saqqara, but the most famous one is the step pyramid of king Zoserm There are a number of reasons behind the great significance of the Pyramid of King Djoser in Saqqara. It was the first real pyramid to be constructed in ancient Egypt; it is the most ancient surviving monument and the oldest stone building in history. Many tours to Egypt include a visit to the historical site of Saqqara, the royal burial site of the first capital of Egypt, Memphis.

The ancient Egyptians before the construction of the step pyramid used to burry their deceased in a hole in the ground and then add one layer of mud bricks over it. This was called the Mastaba tombs. There are many examples of Mastaba tombs in different places in Egypt. There are many travel packages to Egypt that could include visits to all the interesting pyramids and ancient sites. 

The brilliance of the supreme architect of king Djoser, Amenhotep, thought of an interesting idea, to construct six layers of Mastaba tombs above each other’s. The result was the step pyramid of Saqqara. It was in the 28th century BC, when King Djoser, who belonged to the 3rd dynasty, ordered the construction of the first real pyramid in Egypt. 

The Complex of the Step Pyramid of Djoser includes a mortuary temple, a huge entrance gate, and a number of other structures. The pyramid consists of six layers of stones positioned above each other’s. The Step Pyramid of Saqqara marks a very important landmark in the construction of pyramids in ancient Egypt. The pyramid today is the centerpiece of one of the richest archeological sites and touristic attractions included in almost in all classical tours to Egypt. 

The Step Pyramid of Saqqara is 200 meters in height. The base of the pyramid has the dimensions of 125 meters X 109 meters. The body of the pyramid used to be coated with a layer of white limestone that collapsed with time passing by.

During a tour to Saqqara step pyramid You can see also other pyramids surrounding it such as Userkaf pyramid, Teti pyramid, Unas pyramid and Pepi pyramid.

Saqqara is a big cemetery not only for kings but also for nobles, so there are a plenty of tombs (mastabas) such as mastaba of Mereruca, Kagemni, Meho and others

The Pyramid of Meidum 

The construction of the first proper pyramid in Egypt has to be credited to king Senfru, the father of king Cheops, the builder of the grand pyramid in Giza, who was the founder of the 4th dynasty of the Old Kingdom of ancient Egypt in the 26th century BC. Many travelers who visit Egypt who are interested in the Pharaonic architecture, would surly explore the pyramid of Meidum. 

The engineers and architects of Senfru had a more advanced idea. The first stage was building layers of stones above each other’s. They thought of the next stage. They found out that if they fill the gaps between the layers, they would construct a proper pyramid. 

The first attempt of Senfru was in Meidum located about 100 kilometers to the South West of Cairo, the Egyptian capital, about 40 kilometers to the South of the city of El Fayoum, west of Bani Suef. The king chose a location that would be near his capital. Moreover, his architects found that the rock formation of the soil there would be strong enough to hold the heavy weight of the pyramid. 

However, unfortunately, when the builders were working to fill the spaces between the different layers of the pyramid, a huge section collapsed and caused the death of hundreds of workers. This forced the king to end the whole project and begin a new one in Dahshur. The result of this incident was this cubic shaped pyramid that is still visited by many tourists who spend their vacation in Egypt for its historical importance. 

The Pyramids of Dahshur 

About 10 kilometers to the South of Saqqara, King Senfru started his second attempt to build a proper pyramid in Egypt in Dahshur. Many travelers who spend their holidays in Egypt would visit the Pyramids of Giza, Saqqara, the ancient city of Memphis, and perhaps Dahshur in a one-day visit to the whole area. 

The first attempt in Dahshur was much better than that of Meidum as the result was the famous bent pyramid of Dahshur. Due a problem in its architecture, the pyramid had this bent shape due to the erosion of some of its stones. The Bent Pyramid is about 100 meters in height and the length of each side of its square shaped base is 188 meters. 

The other pyramid constructed by Senfru in Dahshur was a great success. This was in fact the first proper pyramid to be built in ancient Egypt. The Red Pyramid of Senfru is the second largest pyramid in Egypt after the grand pyramid of Cheops in Giza. With its height being 100 meters, the length of each side of the base of the pyramid is 220 meters. This is only 10 meters less than the pyramid of Cheops.  The Red Pyramid was constructed with limestone and it is very well preserved until today. Even the burial chamber, the same as the pyramids of Giza, is still accessible. 

Do not forget to visit Memphis 

When King Menes unified Upper and Lower Egypt to establish the first kingdom that ruled all over the Egyptian lands, he founded a new capital that was situated maybe just in the middle between the two kingdoms. This city was Memphis that was founded in the 33rd century BC. 

Today Memphis has a wonderful open-air museum which hosts exhibits that belong mainly to the reign of the New Kingdom. The most important display is the huge colossi of Ramses II that is one of the largest and most impressive of this great builder in Egypt. 

Memphis is just 12 minutes by car from the Step pyramid of Saqqara, 25 minutes by car from Dahshur pyramids.

Giza pyramids:

The most famous and popular monument in the whole world, the most astonishing landmark of Egypt, and one of the oldest buildings in history, the Pyramids of Giza are the most magnificent evidence of the greatness of the Pharaohs.
Situated at the West Bank of the Nile in Giza, about 20 kilometers to the South West of the heart of Cairo, the pyramids of Giza are located on a high plateau at the end of a street that holds the same name; El Ahram or the pyramids in the Arabic language. The pyramids welcome a large number of tourists who visit Egypt.
The ancient Egyptians constructed pyramids in fact to be the royal burial chambers of their kings, queens, and some of the high-ranked royal family members. The pyramids of Giza were the last successful step in a complicated process that remained for hundreds of years.
However, why did the Pharaohs prefer the shape of the pyramid in particular? The shape of the pyramid represented the idea of the cosmogony or the origination of the world. They believed that the pyramid is the mean that takes the soul of deceased
use to reach the sky and the afterlife according to the Pharaonic religious texts. This is why we observe the shape of the pyramid at the top of some obelisks and even smaller tombs in Southern Egypt.
The Grand Pyramid of Cheops
King Cheops, the second Pharaoh of the 4th dynasty of the Old Kingdom of ancient Egypt, constructed the grand pyramid of Giza in 2560 BC.
The construction work of the pyramid took more than 20 years to be completed. The building of the Pyramid of Cheops still amazes the tourists who travel to Egypt.
The Pyramid of Cheops, or the Grand Pyramid in Giza is surly one of the most astonishing constructions in the whole world and one of the Seven Wonders of the Old World. This huge pyramid weighs approximately more than six million tons. Some of the stone that were used in its construction weighs from 3 to 25 tons. However, the pyramid was accurately built with exact measurements that you couldn’t find even a half- millimeter mistake. Maybe this is why many travellers visit Egypt to view the greatness of the Pyramid of Cheops.
The original height of the Grand Pyramid of Giza was 146 meters while now this remarkable monument is no higher than 138 meters. Each side of the pyramid is exactly 230.4 meters. To be accomplished in 20 years, the ancient Egyptian workers had to transfer, cut, and build more than 800 tons of stones every single day. The great pyramid of Giza; along with many other Pharaonic monuments attract travelers from all over the world to spend their vacations in Egypt.
Explored everyday by numerous tourists who spend their holidays in Egypt, the Grand pyramid of Giza remained as the highest building in the whole world for more than 3800 years. The pyramid became the second highest construction in
the world until the completion of the Lincoln Cathedral, built in England in the 13 th century AD.
The accuracy of the sides of the Pyramid of Cheops is extraordinarily amazing. The measurements of the three sides of the pyramid are: 230.252, 230.454, and 230.391. Another amazing fact about the Pyramid of King Cheops in Giza is that four sides of the pyramid are accurately parallel to the four directions of the compass; West, East, North, and South. Many travelers who tour Egypt would love to explore the wonders of the Pyramids of
Giza.
The original entrance to the Grand Pyramid of Giza is situated 17 meters above sea level in the Northern side of the pyramid. Above the original entrance, there are two layers of huge stones that are believed to be roofing the passageway from the entrance to the burial chamber down below.
Tourists who travel to Egypt enter the pyramid today through a tunnel that was established by the Fatimid Caliph, El Ma’moun, in 820 AD. This tunnel enters inside the pyramid horizontally for 27 meters until it meets the ascending passageway
inside the pyramid.
Some of the travelers who tour Egypt would like to go on an even wilder adventure by entering inside the Grand pyramid of Giza. They would walk for 27 meters in the passageway constructed By El Ma’moun and then walk again for around 37 meters to reach the royal burial chamber of King Cheops. This chamber is around 10 square meters with a roof that is around 6 meters in height. Many of the passageways and the chambers inside the grand pyramid of Cheops in Giza are still undeclared by hundreds of scientists and historians who studied the pyramid.
Other than the pyramid itself, each mortuary complex in Giza has a Valley Temple, a mortuary Temple, and corridor that links all these components together. The only remaining item of the mortuary temple of the Pyramid of Cheops is the basalt stones’ ground.
The Pyramid of Khafre
The second largest pyramid in Giza was the second to be constructed in this ancient necropolis. King Khafre who ruled Egypt from 2558 till 2532 BC established this pyramid. The Pyramid of Khafre, which still preserves some of its outer cast, is 143 meters in height and each of its sides is 215.5 meters long. Travelers who visit Egypt love exploring ancient monuments and pyramids while they are in the land of the Pharaohs.
The Mortuary Temple of the Pyramid of Khafre is located to the East of the pyramid. Historical records assert that this has been a magnificent construction that was made out of limestone and granite rocks. On the other hand, the Valley Temple consists of a passageway that leads to a large open courtyard that has 16 pillars with each of them about 4 meters in height.
The Pyramid of Menkaure
The smallest pyramid in Giza is that of Menkaure that ruled Egypt from 2532 until 2502 BC. The pyramid is only 66 meters in height and the base is around 109 meters. The first 16 layers of stones in the pyramid of Menkaure were covered with blocks
of light pink rocks.
The Sphinx
Among the most amazing elements to be viewed by travelers who spend their tours in Egypt while visiting the pyramids of Giza is the astonishing sphinx. This huge statue of a lion with a human head has defended the pyramid for years. Made out of limestone, the sphinx was constructed in the reign of king Khafre. The sphinx is 20 feet in its length and 70 feet in its height. These dimensions make it one of the largest statues in the entire globe.