Egypt |
Giza, the Pyramides,
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| If you hear "Egypt" you think of them first: The three Pyramides of Giza. They are located about 10 km southwest of Cairo in the Libyan Desert. The biggest is ascribed to the pharaoh Cheops and is supposed to be built in the 4th dynasty about 2690 B.C. It is made from limestone from the Mokattam Mountains near Cairo. Its height is 140 m and its lateral length 230 m. The second is suppost to be built by pharaoh Chefren about 2650 B.C. and its height is 136 m. The smaller one with a height of 63 m is supposed to be built by pharaoh Mykerinos about 2600 B.C. |
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A hole in the side of the
Cheops Pyramid
through which we today get into it of course was not made as this.
It was broken by force to obtain an admission.
The stuffy air inside made the stay not pleasant.
Through different tunnels and corridors we reach the
"king's chamber". The sarcophagus made from stone was
and is empty.
In contrast to the other buildings of the Old Egypts in and at the pyramides you can find no relief, no fresco and no inscription. This fact made Erich von Daeniken speculating that the pyramides are not built by the Old Egypts but they are very older. He doesn't take in earnest by the scientists but the origin of the pyramides is not proved very sure. |
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The
Sphinx of Giza,
a statue with the body of a lion and the head of a human
is just as mysterious as the pyramides. It has a height of 20 m
and a length of 70 m and is supposed to be built about
2500 B.C.
For the sphinx Erich von Daeniken offers an interesting explanation, too: The creature, half lion - half human, is the result of genetic experiments done by the extraterrestrials which (perhaps) built also the pyramides! |
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Egyptian Museum in Cairo
Here you can find the greatest treasures of the Old Egyptians in a rich collection:|
Probably the most well-known objects are those of
Tutankhamun's Tomb
in the Valley of the Kings near Luxor.
The Englishman Howard Carter found it in 1922.
In contrast to others it was not yet striked by sepulcher thiefs
The sarcophagus and the death mask are made of gold. The shrine is made of wood and gilded and was found in the treasury of the tomb |
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Golden statuettes of Tutankhamun, with the crown of
Upper- and Lower-Egypt.
One of the both life-sized statues of guards, positioned originally left and right hand near the entrance of Tutankhamun's sarcophagus |
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A wooden chest, gilded and painted
The God Anubis on a shrine |
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Tutankhamun's Throne
On the backrest he is depict with his wife Ankheseamuen. Head of the king's bed with Thoueris as a hippo. |
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Pince Rahotep and Princess Nofretete
Bust of Echnaton Cheikh el Balad |
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| May I recommend the following interesting books and other informational material: | ||||
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Egypt Home |
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Land and People, the Nile |
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Aswan, the dam, Abu Simbel |
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Luxor, Karnak, the Valley of the Kings |
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Giza, the pyramides, the Egyptian Museum Cairo |
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The acutal weather in Egypt |
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Links and Webrings |