Chez Pharaohs

So - the pyramids. There is little I can say on the matter that has not already been written, documented, analysed and imagined in the past, except that none of the written evidence can prepare even the most moderate history buff for the sheer majesty and weirdness that is the structures in reality. Nevertheless, in a halfhearted attempt to learn or share something new, I listened intently to our guide (a recent graduate in Egyptology from Cairo) and discover the following:

• The pyramids were so huge, and so methodically built, not as a means of protecting the treasures within but because while the ancient Egyptians were certain of the eventual resurrection, they weren't sure exactly when it would take place. Hence the tombs had to be built to last. A long, long time.
• The sarcophagus was effectively the home of the spirit of the deceased until it reached the afterlife, and as such many of the intricate hieroglyphs found inside are in fact spells, or 'magic formulae, to render the food and drink provided useful to a non-human entity.
• The shape of the pyramids reflects the common ancient belief that the world began with just one mountain, and the sun.
• There are no more pyramids after Ramses II due to the threat posed by grave robbers, who would go so far as to steal the mummies themselves.
• The 'Curse of the Mummy' - the affliction suffered by a number of explorers - was probably largely due to having exposed an environment that had not been disturbed for thousands of years, and resultant bacterial infection.

The first site we visit is Dahshur, the location of the pyramid of king Snifru and the infamous 'bent pyramid' built for his father (bent on account of what we can only assume was a miscalculation on the part of the ancient Egyptians - the slope becomes abruptly steeper on halfway one side). The second structure stands right by the roadside and is to be frank highly confusing. It's impossible to tell even from a distance of about ten yards how big it is, or isn't. It is, however, possible to go inside. 

Up some perilous, winding steps roughly cut into the side of the pyramid that really ought to carry a health warning, we reach the entrance - our pyramids are given a cursory glance by a sleepy old man and then we duck inside a tiny tunnel, about one metre high and illuminated eerily by glowing strip lights. It's not a steep slope but I attempt to look down to the end - and then immediately wish I hadn't. It is certainly not the place for claustrophobics and you can feel the air thickening with each step, as well as a sharp but musty smell Vicky likens to bad hair dye. 

Finally we reach the bottom and the tunnel opens out into a large, cool room with a sloping ceiling, empty aside from a wooden staircase. This leads to another room only partially open to tourists; the rest has been reduced to jagged rocks and rubble. The silence is deafening. Retracing our steps back up we are all surprised at the amount of exertion getting out requires - it doesn't hit you until near the top, and you emerge with baby giraffe legs that continue to shake for several hours afterwards. Curse of the Pharaohs indeed.

Next we see the Step Pyramid of Djoser, a short drive away:

On the same site is a vast burial complex reached through an impressive roofed colonnade:

Finally we go to Giza. By the time we arrive it's around 3pm and stands in stark contrast to the other two sites, which were relatively quiet and look more or less the same as their counterparts in 19th-century black and white postcards. Even now, following the Arab spring and in the middle of October, Giza is churning with tourists from all over the world. Against our will our attention is drawn to cuddly 'crazy camels' (followed by a rendition of 'I like to move it move it' from an over-enthusiastic or possibly overtired stall owner), necklaces are jangled in our faces, and we are inundated with offers of rides on grumbling beasts of burden - apparently common practice is to divert the route away from the back of the pyramids into the desert and then charge tourists to return; that is assuming the animal survives the journey. Westerners trudge back and forth up the hill to the tombs, and take well-aimed photos so they appear to be kissing the Sphinx after regarding the queue of others hoping to do the same with the utmost disdain.

Nonetheless they are awe-inspiring, and we wish we had arrived sooner. If I lived in Cairo I would certainly pay the small price of a ticket to come here for a whole day, if only to sit in the shade of the five-thousand-year-old remains. Our guide explains that while from a distance the middle pyramid appears larger, it is in fact the one on the right hand side closest to the entrance that is the biggest - the very tip has been broken off but its true height is still clearly marked with a flagpole.

Below are the photos I was able to take before the whole site closed down for the night in preparation for the evening light show, which we unfortunately missed. Thankfully though, due to the rule that only 300 people may enter the Great Pyramid a day, we have vowed to return.