Well… of course I did not!
But the question of how the three great pyramids of The Giza Plateau in Egypt were really built are always in my mind when I visit this wonderous place.
In contrast to what most people think, there are hundreds of pyramids, or at least remains of pyramids in Egypt.
However, the three so called “great pyramids” are certainly unique. They sit on top of a barren plateau in the Cairo suburb of Giza, surrounded by more much smaller pyramids like structures, temples, causeways, and of course the great Sphinx. When you visit the site you will most likely drive through the busy urban streets of Giza, until suddenly the pyramidal structures are revealed in their wonderous existence. They are huge, and they tower above the modern urban cluster that is modern Cairo. Every time I visit and get closer, I just keep gazing… wondering…
“This can’t be real, these buildings do not really exist..”
They are so huge and are built so precisely from enormous stones, that the mind just can’t accept the fact that they are really there.
Herodotus, the Greek historian wrote that the pyramids were built in just twenty years. However, when we look at the sheer numbers of the structure, we might wonder if he was right. The Great Pyramid’s (that of King Kheops) height is almost 470 feet. It’s total area is over 565,000 square feet! And according to scholars there are more than two million three hundred thousand blocks of stone weighing between 2.5 and 15 tons each! Would it be possible to pile up such an amount of building material in just twenty years? Were the pyramids built by an army of slaves as a tomb for a mad king? Maybe they were built by aliens as a power station to charge their flying saucers (kind of an ancient ‘Tesla Supercharger’)? The truth is probably neither. Archeologists think that the builders of the pyramids were well paid local artisans and stone cutting experts that worked more in awe of their God King than in fear of a mad ruler. In any case, these thoughts and many other will for sure cross your mind when visiting this wonderous place.
The Pyramids are not only questions and wonder. Let’s have some fun here. After you look up at the stones and structures that comprise the pyramids, after you drive to a lookout to view the magnificent vista of the desert and the pyramids, and after you have gazed into the eyes of the Sphinx, start having some fun.
Ride a camel in the surrounding desert, looking at the landscape of this ancient place, while feeling like a real local, the momentary ‘King of The World’. You can ask one of the local children (don’t forget to give them a small tip) to take a picture of you holding the pyramid or putting your sunglasses on the face of the Sphinx (this is done as an optical illusion from a distance of course).
When you are done, finish your visit at one of the restaurants in the footsteps of the Sphinx, where you can sit in airconditioned comfort, have tea and cake or a whole tasty meal while gazing over the entire Giza complex.
We at D&M Global Travel can help you plan, organize and book such a trip that will surely change your life. Check us out at www.dandmglobaltravel.com or write us an email at michal@dandmglobaltravel.com
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