We left for Sakkara at 8 a.m. to see some of the first pyramids ever built. The very first pyramid built in Egypt dates back to 2600-2700 B.C. and belonged to King Djoser. It is referred to as the "step" pyramid because it has 6 steps (the 7th step for the king's soul is heaven). The pyramid is in a complex where the King would participate in festivals every 10 years. He would fight a lion to prove he was a powerful king and then pray to the 27 gods in 27 different chapels. I found it interesting that the kings would plan and have their pyramids built during their lifetimes.
After visiting the complex, we went to a ruined pyramid near by so we could go inside. To access the inside chambers under the pyramids, where the coffins would be placed after the king's death, each individual must pass through a tunnel entryway which is downward sloping and one meter high. This is so the person is bowing to the gods as they enter the burial location of their king. Inside the pyramid that we first entered there were three chambers and thousands of hieroglyphics on the walls of each chamber. There is generally a chamber for the king's treasures and a chamber for the coffin. The hieroglyphics spell out the names of the king, names of the gods, and prayers for the king.
The sign for the pyramid and my group entering the pyramid. As you can see, it hasn't been able to be kept in the great condition that some other pyramids have been kept in.
Next, we traveled to the 2nd and 3rd pyramids build in ancient Egyptian history. The 2nd was constructed under Pharaoh Sneferu and was the first pyramid to try to implement the pyramid style that we know of today. According to our tour guide, King Sneferu was unsatisfied with how the pyramid turned out because the pyramid was bent. Thus, the pyramid is referred to as The Bent Pyramid.
The Pharaoh then had another pyramid constructed to his liking and was then buried there. We got the chance to go in this pyramid. Let's just say, it definitely puts the StairMaster to shame! If you want a good quad workout, come to Egypt and visit all the pyramids.
Following the pyramid visits, we drove to Memphis, the capital of Egypt during the Old Kingdom. We visited the museum here and saw the 2nd largest Sphinx found from the Ancient Egyptian times. There were statues that had been uncovered, and we also saw a giant statue of King Rameses II which was carved out of limestone; this is also the stone that most of the pyramids and statues were constructed out of. I bartered for some small gifts after the visit.
We had two lectures in the evening. The first lecture was a panel with the President of the second largest political party in the new Egyptian democratic government, The Nour Party. This political party was created after the 2011 revolution and believes in implementing Sharia law because of their Islamist ideology. The party is currently supporting Abdel Moneim Aboul Fotouh who is a liberal Islamist.
Sorry, It's pretty blurry. (Stolen from Facebook)
Our second lecture was by the Professor of Public Administration and Consultation at Cairo University. He taught us about local government in Egypt and discussed its problems and solutions. The Egyptian local government is very confusing, as are most governments. It is split into urban and rural governments, which are each divided into districts. The rural districts are then divided into cities and mother villages, and sometimes the mother villages are divided into subordinates. The President used to have the power to appoint positions in these tiers and caused a large amount of carelessness and corruption. The speaker insisted that, in order to reform Egypt, they must start from local villages and cities. His idea for a solution is to create an academy to teach and test future leaders and then match up which people would be best for which positions based on achievements in the academy, on-site performance, and the community's objectives.
To wrap up the evening, we headed to a restaurant to get bbq. Of course, it was delicious, and of course, I was super full; especially after dessert! Ahh, what a way to end the day. I think I will be doing another post on What I Ate In Egypt: Day 4
Title: We had a wonderful bodyguard for the past 3 days. My new friend Matt (who I saw by on the bus all day) and I decided we should give him a good bodyguard name. Everyone on the bus started calling him Al, but we thought that Mike fit him more suitably, and not just Mike, but "Bodyguard Mike". Without the whole title, it just doesn't sound legit.
As you can see, Bodyguard Mike is doing a wonderful job while I hop on this probably very dirty, small man's donkey. Thanks Bodyguard Mike!
Alex got dragged onto this little guy. Note, the peace sign and Alex's hat. Priceless.
Sending love from Egypt!
Tess
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