Cairo 2; The Giza Pyramid Complex

The Pyramids of Giza site is the last remaining of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World and on many a " bucket list"; hence the crowds on the day! There are three main Pyramids, but actually nine on the site, and date from 2,600 - 2,500 BC (Fourth Dynasty). They were originally covered in a white limestone casing.

We start at the Great Pyramid of Khufu (Cheops in Greek); the complex comprises the Great Pyramid itself (146m high and made from 2.3 million stone blocks!), three Queen's Pyramids and three boat pits (the stones were transported by water). We went inside to see the King's Gallery, comprising a sarcophagus of Aswan Granite; this is a narrow, hot, claustrophobic journey up and not for everyone! Glad we did it though!

We then visit the Pyramid of Khafre (Chephren in Greek), the son of Khufu. The Pyramid still has some limestone casing at the the top; access to the Pyramid from street level is guarded by the Great Sphinx down below.

We drive past the third Pyramid (the Pyramid of Menkaure (Mykerinos in Greek)), the son of Khafre and the grandson of Khufu, to reach a panorama viewpoint for the whole site (we are not alone here).

Next stop is the Great Sphinx; this is accessed via the Khafre Valley Temple. The Sphinx is the head of Khafre on the body of a lion, and magnificent. The Temple is interesting too, as the inside is encased with red granite from Aswan to protect it from flooding by the River Nile.

A wonderful experience that is now off our bucket list!Read more