Step, Red and Bent Pyramids

We had a free day in Cairo and had booked a tour to the Step pyramid located about 30-40km South of the pyramids at Giza. The step pyramid, built by the chancellor to the pharoah (Imhotep) was, in my opinion, more impressive than the ones at Giza. It is considered the oldest pyramid and while not the size of the Great Pyramid, what was impressive was the complex itself. The entrance, built approx 4500 years ago was still in perfect condition with a hallway of 20 odd columns where guards would have stood between to receive the guests.

There was a burial chamber underneath the Step pyramid that Brad had a look at - I didn't bother. There was smaller burial chambers in the complex where the walls are covered in hieroglyphs. You had to descend backwards down a step ramp and then walk almost bent double for about 20metres. What I enjoyed the most was chamber of the daughter that depicted intricate scenes of everyday life. The detail and the colours were incredible.

Leaving the Step pyramid we went to the bent pyramid and the red pyramid. The bent one was a mistake as the base was too small (only by a couple of metres) making the angle too steep to keep going straight up - it would have been to tall and would collapse on itself, so he changed the angle part way up giving a bent appearance. Sneferu (pharoah) who commissioned the pyramid was not impressed and demanded a new one be built (The Red Pyramid). The architect lost his head for his troubles. The Red pyramid is so called because it was covered in small reddish coloured stones but the stones have all eroded and fallen away over time.

Final stop of the day was an open air museum at Memphis (at one time a capital of Egypt). At this place there was a statue of Ramases II that had been found in a marsh. At 10 metres in length he is the largest statue cut from a single block of limestone. His legs were eroded from being in water which is probably why he fell over and lay for years in a swamp.

An excellent tour and because it was just the 2 of us it was so much better than being in a group.Read more