SAQQARA

HISTORY

Saqqara, situated on the west bank of the Nile, is a necropolis associated with the Ancient Egyptian capital of Memphis. Similar to other necropolises in Lower Egypt, Saqqara had a series of temples and tombs with the most notable structure being the Step Pyramid of King Djoser, first pharaoh of the 3rd dynasty.  

The earliest Ancient Egyptian tombs discovered at Saqqara date to the Predynastic Period and were simple mastabas, rectangular monuments made of dried clay bricks. In the 3rd dynasty, Djoser’s vizier, Imhotep, envisioned a greater tomb for his king thus developing the idea of stacking mastabas to create a pyramid like structure. The final result was the Step Pyramid, the forerunner to the pyramids built at Dashur and Giza, two other necropolises affiliated with Memphis. Unlike previous mastabas, those of the Step Pyramid were built out of stone and were square instead of the customary rectangular shape. 

The pharaohs of the 4th dynasty built their tombs at other necropolises but those of the 5th dynasty resumed tomb construction in Saqqara. A notable 5th dynasty tomb is the pyramid of King Unas since it is the first to have inscribed on the walls the Pyramid Texts, writings meant to protect the pharaoh in the afterlife. After the Old Kingdom, few tombs were built at Saqqara during the Middle Kingdom but there are several from the New Kingdom including that of the military general and pharaoh Horemheb. 

Another major, and interesting, component of the Saqqara necropolis is the subterranean galleries containing the burials of the sacred Apis bulls with the most famous being the Serapeum. Apis (Egyptian term is Hep or Hapi) was a sacred bull deity worshiped at Memphis and associated with Ptah, the main god of the ancient capital. 

VISITING SAQQARA 

Saqqara is a necropolis situated south of Cairo and Giza and west of Memphis. I have had the opportunity to visit Saqqara twice; however, both trips have felt a bit rushed even though on the second trip we were able to see some tombs. My blog consultant, Alicia, and I agree that in order to fully appreciate Saqqara one should allow three to four hours for the visit. The necropolis is more interesting than Giza given the amount of temples and tombs plus there tends to be no crowds and the vistas are beautiful. When you visit the pyramids at Giza, you can see the town, hear the traffic, and are surrounded by crowds, touts, and those selling camel and horse carriage rides. At Saqqara, you are surrounded by the stillness of the Sahara and on a beautiful day, in the distance, you can catch a glimpse of the pyramids at Dashur. I saw few vendors at Saqqara during my second visit and they generally did not bother my tour mates and I; it may be that we were with a tour group or it may be that they aren’t as aggressive as their Giza counterparts.

Ticket that provided access to the complex
and the tombs of Unas-Ank and Inefert

View of the pyramids at Dashur; the
 Bent Pyramid is in the background

On my first trip, Contiki arranged a short visit to view just the Step Pyramid and from the company’s website, I see that they no longer offer tours to this site. For my second trip, Trafalgar arranged a stop at Saqqara between our visits to Memphis and Giza. Fortunately, this tour allowed for a bit more time at the site and we had the opportunity to visit some of the tombs. 

Step Pyramid of Djoser 

The Step Pyramid is in dire need of repairs and unfortunately, it has fallen victim to shoddy maintenance efforts caused by a lack of funding. During both my visits, one side of the pyramid was covered by scaffolding and we were not allowed to get too close to the structure. Since there aren’t large crowds at Saqqara, it is easy to take great pictures of the pyramid and the surrounding remains of the temple.

Step Pyramid of King Djoser

Temple Wall, entrance to the complex.

Hall of Columns leading to the Step Pyramid. 

Tombs of Senior Officials

My second trip to Saqqara included a tour of the tombs of Unas-Ank and Inefert, two senior officials in the 5th dynasty. The tombs were filled with well preserved hieroglyphs and some of the original colors were still visible.

The hieroglyphs in the 2nd and 4th row mean 'thousand'. The
images in the 1st and 3rd row indicate which items were being
offered to the gods. Thus, for example, the first two rows indicate
offerings of 1000 breads, 1000 jars of beer, & 1000 containers of incense. 

When visiting Saqqarra, I highly recommend wearing closed, sturdy shoes given the uneven and rocky terrain. We had to climb down several stone steps on our way to the tombs but this shouldn't be a problem for most; my two tour mates with mobility issues were able to navigate the steps. I also suggest wearing sunscreen and a hat especially during the warmer months because there is no shade at Saqqara except for inside the tombs.

In planning my third trip to Egypt, I have come across several websites detailing all the sites one can visit while at Saqqara. I understand there is a lot to see in Egypt and most tours just provide an overview of the sites; however; it is a shame that more time is not allotted to Saqqara given its importance in Ancient Egyptian history and the number of places to visit.

Per travel websites, one can see the following at Saqqara: 

• Step Pyramid of Djoser (Tourists can't enter the pyramid given its instability)
• Imhotep Museum (New museum that opened in 2006)
• Pyramid of King Unas (Some sites report that this pyramid is now open; first pyramid to contain the important pyramid texts) 
• Tomb of Nefer-her-ptah
• Double Mastaba of Nebet and Khenut (Wives of the Pharaoh Unas) 
• Tomb of Nefer and Companions
• Double Tomb of Ni-ankh-khnum and Khnum-hotep
• Tomb of Iru-kaptah Khenu
• Pyramid of Userkaf
• Pyramid of Teti
• Tomb of Mereruka (Per the pictures online, this tomb looks like it is worth a visit)
• Mastaba of Kagemni
• Mastaba of Ptahhotep
• Serapeum (Burials of the Apis bulls)
• Monastery of St. Jeremias (Not ancient Egyptian but still interesting)

On my third trip, I hope to visit the Imhotep Museum, Pyramid of Unas, Double Mastaba of Nebet and Khenut, Pyramid of Teti, Tomb of Mereruka, the Serapeum, and Monastery of St. Jeremias.

NOTE Most tours do not include a visit to Dashur; therefore, I have not had the opportunity to view the Red Pyramid and Step Pyramid. I had tour mates on both trips arrange a visit to Dashur prior to the start of the tour and all said it was well worth the time and money. I plan on visiting Dashur during my 3rd trip to Egypt. 

LODGING IN EGYPT

Lodging in Egypt is as plentiful as the sands of the Sahara. Whether you are visiting a city or camping in the desert, visitors to Egypt are sure to find a hotel that meets their needs and budget. Lodging options run the gamut from fancy 5 star hotels to family owned bed and breakfasts to hostels. Both my trips to Egypt were via tour companies so my hotels were chosen by them; however, for my 2nd trip I selected Trafalgar on the basis that they choose higher quality lodging.

In the post “Traveling to Egypt: Tale of Two Tours”, I provided a brief overview of the three hotels that were chosen by Contiki and Trafalgar. These hotels - Victoria Hotel, Le Meridien Pyramids, and Ramses Hilton - varied greatly in terms of quality, amenities, and customer service. The following sections will offer more detailed information on each of the hotels through my tales of adventures, and misadventures.

Before I share my stories on the hotels, I would like to state that I am not a “hotel snob”. In my travels, I have stayed in every type of hotel - from very fancy, high-end hotels to local, budget roadside motels. All I care about when it comes to lodging is clean sheets and towels, secure facilities, and decent customer service. And a free breakfast is always a plus!

VICTORIA HOTEL

Stays: October 30th and November 5th, 2010

Contiki is geared towards young adults on a budget which is why the company probably selected the Victoria Hotel in downtown Cairo. The Victoria Hotel is an older hotel that must have been splendid in its glory days; however, it was looking a bit worn and tired during our visit. I did some research trying to find the year it was built and couldn’t find the answer but given the architecture, furniture style, and the rotary phones, I say the hotel must be from the early to mid-1900s.

First Night – October 30th

After two long days of travel, I arrived at the Victoria Hotel around 7:00 PM along with other tour mates who were on my flight. As I entered the hotel lobby, my first impressions were 1) the place looks clean 2) this hotel needs more lights. Since our Contiki representative handled the check-in, I did not deal with the desk clerk; therefore, I can’t share an opinion on customer service. 

After checking-in, a bellhop escorted Lisa, my very amazing roommate, and I to our room on the second floor (Room 208). We had to wait a bit for the elevators since being older, they ran slower and were rather small. And you could tell they were older elevators by the fact they still had the metal accordion gates instead of the sliding doors. When we got to the 2nd floor, the first thing I noticed was that the hallway was lit in a way that resembled a haunted house. It was a long, dimly lit corridor. 

The room was quite the surprise; it was simple but very spacious and well lit. The bathroom was also spacious and had a good amount of towels. Both were very clean. As for the beds, they were comfortable but the sheets were rather thin so they provided no warmth. But the best part of the room was the rotary phone!!! Since I had never used a rotary phone, curiosity got the best of me and when I started playing with the dial, I winded up calling some random person in Egypt. 

The beds at the Victoria Hotel.

My travel buddy- Albert the Gator (University of Florida Mascot)

The rotary phone.

That evening, we had our first group meeting so Lisa and I ventured out to find the stairs which took a while since the hallways lacked signage, or maybe there were signs and I just missed them in the dimness. We met in an area adjacent to the registration desk and this part of the hotel was well lit. After the meeting, our tour guide suggested we head out and walk a couple of blocks to a gas station to purchase snacks and a local restaurant for dinner. When we stepped outside, a few of us questioned if this was the best idea since the side street was very poorly lit and we had to walk in the street since large parts of the sidewalk were broken or missing. The best part was that our tour guide stayed at the hotel instead of joining the group (the first of many poor decisions made by him). During our walk, we encountered only two people and a stray dog. It was definitely not the best location for an evening stroll even with a group of about 20 people. On the plus side, the gas station, Mobile On-The-Run, had a great selection of food items and beverages and the ‘restaurant’ was inexpensive and had excellent falafel sandwiches. I say ‘restaurant’ because it was more of a food stall; you ordered your food at a cash register and then took your meal to-go, there were no tables or chairs.

The most interesting, and frustrating, part of my first night at the Victoria Hotel was the evening entertainment. At around 1:00 AM, I start hearing the crowing of roosters but thought that was impossible since the hotel was in the middle of downtown Cairo. As the night wore on, the crowing did not stop. The following morning, when I look out my window, I see that the building across the street had several roosters and chickens on the rooftop!!! A penthouse chicken coop in Cairo.

The penthouse chicken coop. 

My first morning in Cairo started off with a series of misadventures. Since I had woken up earlier than expected, I decided to take a shower and much to my surprise there was barely any warm water. The previous night, there had been plenty of hot water and now, at 6:00 AM, I was having to brave cold water. Then came the incident of the wake-up call. Our tour guide told us the night before to expect a call at 6:30 AM; however, our wake-up call was 30 minutes late and some tour mates later shared they never received one. Fortunately, Lisa and I both woke up well before the expected wake up call. 

Between the all-night rooster concert and freezing morning shower, I was ready to leave the room and head for breakfast. The breakfast was hosted in one of the restaurants and was an all you can eat buffet of eggs and an assortment of cheeses, breads, and fruits (being a vegetarian I never pay attention to the meat selections). I remember the food being good and filling but the coffee provided was little pouches that you added to hot water. The dining room was clean and the waiters provided excellent service.

Breakfast buffet at the Victoria Hotel. 

Second Night – November 5th

We arrived to the Victoria Hotel at around 6:00 AM on a Friday morning since we spent Thursday evening aboard a sleeper train traveling from Luxor. As we had some time before the tour, I rushed to my room to take a shower and much to my dismay, this time there was no warm water. It felt like you were bathing in ice cubes. On the plus side, the bathroom and towels were clean. This morning we did not eat breakfast at the hotel since we were provided some breads and cheese on the train; however, I would have prefered the more filling breakfast offered at the hotel. 

The room Lisa and I had on the 5th was similar to the one we had for our first night in Egypt. It was very spacious and clean and had two comfortable beds. Fortunately this evening I was so exhausted that I fell asleep right away and slept through the night. No roosters crowing could wake me up! The following day, a few of us were headed to Alexandria rather early so the hotel provided a breakfast box with various items for us to eat on the bus. The box had several breads, pieces of cheese, and a hard boiled egg. It wasn’t that filling but the food was good. 

Summary: One thing I greatly liked about the Victoria Hotel was the spacious, clean rooms and the clean bedsheets and towels. I also enjoyed the provided breakfasts and the attentiveness of the wait staff. My biggest issue was the poor lighting in the hallways and in the surrounding streets. I did not feel safe walking the hallways at night, which I had to do in two occasions, and I did not appreciate the lack of signage. I also was not a fan of the inconsistent water temperature in the shower. 

LE MERIDIEN

Stays: January 8, 2018 for 3 nights

Trafalgar selected the Le Meridien Pyramids as the first of two hotels for the Wonders of Egypt tour. The hotel is located in Giza adjacent to the pyramid complex. Unlike the Victoria Hotel, Le Meridien is a newer, larger hotel with several restaurants and several stores, two pools, a gym, and spa. 

My journey to Egypt this trip was a lot longer - 3 flights over 2.5 days - so I was really looking forward to a hot shower and comfortable bed. The Trafalgar representative picked me up at the airport around 7:30 PM and after hassling with a bit of traffic, finally arrived at the hotel around 8:00 PM. When we arrived at the hotel, the first thing I noticed was all the security measures that were in place. There was a guard at the gate, a dog that inspected each vehicle for explosives, and at the entrance, a metal detector. Upon entering the hotel, I was amazed at how lovely it was; spacious lobby, tasteful decorations, and very clean and well lit. There was also a lot more staff available to assist guests. So far, things were going great and I was really liking the Le Meridien. 

Lobby at Le Meridien Pyramids.

The attendant that escorted me to my room was overeager, and a tad flirtatious, but I knew it was because he was trying to get additional baksheesh (tip). He kept offering to help in various ways, i.e. I can show you how to work phone, I can show you short-cut to pyramids, etc., and despite me constantly saying la shrokan (no thank you), he would not leave the doorway to my room. After a few minutes, the attendant finally got the hint and his departure allowed me to enjoy my palatial room in peace and quiet! 

My room had a queen sized bed, sofa, loveseat, coffee table, desk, and plenty of walking and dancing space. The bed was super comfortable and had a fluffy comforter that kept me warm which was needed since it was rather cold in Giza. As for the bathroom, I was in love! It was spacious, had plenty of counter space, was well lit, and the shower had plenty of hot water. There was some honking given that my room faced a busy road but by 11 PM, the honking had subsided and it was comparable to what one is used to back at home. The only two issues with the room were the air conditioner and number of outlets. The AC knob was only inscribed with Roman numerals but no clear indicator on how to turn on the AC/Heat or set the temperature. As for the outlets, I only found 2 in the room and there were none in the bathroom. This may be different for the deluxe rooms which are those that have a view of the pyramids. 

Albert enjoying the comfy bed at Le Meridien.

After a good night sleep, I was off for a hot shower and then breakfast. Just like the night before, the shower had plenty of hot water which was a big improvement from my first trip to Egypt when I had to bathe in ice cubes. As I left my room, I noticed the hallways at Le Meridien were very well lit and had plenty of signs noting the location of elevators and fire exits. When I arrived at the restaurant, Latest Recipe, I was greeted by one of the waiters who escorted me to my table which had a view of the outdoor restaurant and pools. Since I was starving, I made a beeline to the breakfast buffet, which was one of the meals included in the tour. WOW! The buffet was like a market: several types of eggs, a chef making custom ordered omelettes, mini pancakes with a variety of syrups, different styles of potatoes, a salad bar, a section with all types of breads and cheeses, an area with yogurt and fruits, and much more. After making 2 laps around the buffet, which was spread out over a sizeable area, I finally decided what I wanted to eat. Upon arriving to my table, I saw the waiter had filled my coffee cup and left several packets of sugar. I was ready to enjoy my feast! The food was delicious and filling and the coffee was good. This will be the case for the next two mornings; breakfast was always great and the servers were very attentive. 

Breakfast buffet

Breakfast buffet 

1st Breakfast: eggs, mini pancakes with strawberry sauce,
croissant, bananas, and vanilla yogurt

2nd Breakfast: eggs, mini pancakes with strawberry sauce,
sweet bread, mashed potatoes, and apples n melon

3rd Breakfast Part 1: eggs, sweet bread, and strawberry yogurt

3rd Breakfast Part 2: more eggs
and potato tots

Albert enjoying some coffee.

Since I had free time the first morning, I decided to stop at one of the gift stores and the bank for currency exchange. There are several stores at Le Meridien and I went to the one that sold general items to purchase some souvenirs and gifts. The store had quite the selection of items but nothing had a price, which is not uncommon in Egypt. As I walked around the store grabbing items, the clerk followed me around describing each item, i.e. that is a postcard, that is a camel, that is a pen, that is a notebook, etc. It was a bit annoying but I understood that he was just trying to make a living and times have been tough for those in tourism. I spent $50 on 12 postcards, 4 small camels, 4 small notepads, and 1 flag (I may be forgetting an item or two). Given that souvenirs are generally inexpensive in Egypt, $50 was a tad much but I figured it was because the store is located in a hotel. The other stores sold clothes, papyrus paintings, and jewelry. The bank at the hotel has one clerk and a small waiting area and next to the bank is an ATM. That morning, I learned that the ATM is where you got your Egyptian Pounds (LE) and then, at the bank, you exchanged the large denominations for smaller bills which are needed for tips and purchasing souvenirs at the sites. 

Statues by the ATM

Statue by the ATM

My third evening at Le Meridien marked the end of the first day of the tour. After a day of exploring pyramids and tombs, my tour mates and I had worked up quite an appetite so we went to the Latest Recipe in the hotel for dinner. The menu was diverse and had a good selection of items at very reasonable prices. It should be noted that prices are listed in LE which is why, at first, they may seem a bit high but after doing the conversion, you’ll realize that 100 LE is about $5.70 (as of March 2018). I ordered a bruschetta that came with a salad and I was very surprised; it was the best bruschetta I have ever eaten!!! The bruschetta had so much flavor as did the salad and both were very filling. 

Bruschetta and soda cost $7.45.

The very delicious bruschetta and salad.

Soda I ordered with my meal.

Summary: I greatly enjoyed my three nights at Le Meridien given the clean room and bathroom, delicious and filling meals, attentive staff at the front desk and restaurant, and the convenience of a bank and ATM. I also appreciated the security measures and well lit hallways.   

RAMSES HILTON 

Stay: January 18, 2018

This hotel was quite the disappointment especially after spending 3 nights at Le Meridien followed by 7 nights on a Nile Cruise. The Ramses Hilton is located in downtown Cairo not far from the famous Tahrir Square and what appeared to be a major shopping district. It took us about an hour to reach the hotel from the airport since traffic was insane given that Thursday evenings are the start of the Egyptian weekend and many folks were gathering downtown. My tour mates and I finally arrived at the Ramses Hilton around 8:00 PM after a very long day which included no proper lunch break, a delayed flight departing from Luxor, and hellish traffic on the way to the hotel.

When we got to the Ramses Hilton, I noticed that it had the same security precautions as Le Meridien; security guard, explosives sniffing dog, and metal detector. Unlike Le Meridien, this hotel was very crowded but that was expected given the fact that the Hilton has 25 plus floors of rooms and a multitude of facilities such as restaurants, event rooms, a casino, beauty salon, gym, and much more. I am not a fan of large, crowded hotels so that was one aspect of the Hilton I did not like. 

Upon arriving to my room on the 15th floor, I was greeted with the smell and sight of disappointment. After 10 nights of wonderful lodging experiences, I was now standing in a dark, dirty room that smelled strongly of cigarettes/tobacco. The Hilton permits smoking and unfortunately, my room reeked of it. Since it was almost 9:00 PM and I was only spending one night, plus the fact I was beyond exhausted and hungry, I decided to bear the smell instead of hassling with a room change. Aside from the smell, the sheets had some stains, the bathroom was very poorly lit, and the tiles around the tub also had stains. The only positive of the room was that it was very spacious and it had a small balcony. Also, because of the location, you could here constant honking most of the evening. 

My room at the Hilton.

The bathroom at the Hilton.

View from the balcony. 

A few of my tour mates and I headed to the restaurants since it was now 9:00 PM and no one had had lunch except for some snacks. We went to the Terrace Cafe but when the waiter said they only had a dinner buffet, we explained we were not interested so he directed us to The Citadel which was a restaurant offering Italian and Greek style meals. I ordered the raviolis with ricotta and spinach and they were decent at best. The sauce was rather bland and the meal did not fill me up. The following morning I headed back to the Terrace Cafe for breakfast. They offered a buffet which had a lot of options including some juices. The juice was delicious but I can’t write about the coffee since I never got any; the wait staff was not attentive and it was a mission to get their attention when you needed assistance.

Dinner at The Citadel.

Breakfast the Hilton: eggs, yogurt,
and some danishes

Friday afternoon after the tour ended, I headed to my room to get everything ready for the journey home because that evening I was headed to the airport for what will be the first of three flights. When I couldn’t take the smell any longer, I called my tour mate Alicia and we both went to the lobby to close our accounts (pay for the previous night’s dinner) and to order our breakfast boxes. Since the tour officially ended Saturday and Alicia and I were both leaving that evening, we were entitled to a breakfast box as we were going to miss the included morning breakfast. The gentleman at the front desk wasn’t the friendliest but the process of closing out the accounts was quick and easy. Alicia and I then placed the orders for our breakfast boxes which we were to pick up at 10:00 PM. The breakfast boxes contained the following: a cheese sandwich, 4 different types of breads, one apple juice carton, one hard boiled egg, one small red apple, and one large green apple. I ate the sandwich, which was good, and egg on the way to the airport. I placed the breads, one apple, and juice in my carry-on luggage but unfortunately, security at the airport confiscated my juice box.

The breakfast box provided by the Hilton.

Summary: My stay at the Ramses Hilton was definitely less than positive. The room was just not up to the Hilton standard in terms of cleanliness and lighting. Also, while the staff at The Citadel was attentive there is no excuse for the poor service during breakfast. The only positives I can think of are the security and the ATM and bank at the lobby. 

MEMPHIS

HISTORY

Memphis is the Greek version of the Egyptian word Men-nefer which means ‘the enduring and beautiful’. Another term for Memphis was Hut-Ka-Ptah meaning ‘mansion of the soul of Ptah', with Ptah being the patron god of the city. The term Hut-Ka-Ptah was rendered Aigyptos in Greek and in turn, rendered Egypte by the French.

When Menes united Lower and Upper Egypt, he established Memphis as the first capital of Ancient Egypt. The city is located on the west bank of the Nile River south of modern day Cairo. It served as the capital during the Early Dynastic Period and Old Kingdom and in later dynasties, functioned as a religious and cultural center. The importance of Memphis to the Ancient Egyptians, even when not serving as the capital, is evidenced by the amount of building activity that took place throughout the centuries. During the 18th dynasty, Thutmose I and Amenhotep III built chapels at the great temple dedicated to Ptah and in the 19th dynasty, Ramessess II constructed several colossi. Towards the end of pharaonic rule in Ancient Egypt, the city started its decline but saw one final moment of glory when Alexander the Great was crowned pharaoh in Memphis and then buried there, though his body will later be moved to Alexandria.

FAST FACTS 

Memphis is associated with several necropolises with the major ones being Saqqara, Giza, Dashur, and Abu Rawash. 

The colossus of Ramesses II that once stood at the temple of Ptah measures about 34 ft in the given state. The statue is broken, missing a large section below the knees.

The statue of Ramesses that once guarded the temple of Ptah.

VISITING MEMPHIS

While Memphis was a major city for centuries, there is not much left for the tourist to visit except an 'open-air' museum by the modern day village of Mit-Rahina, located south of Cairo and east of Saqqara. The museum has artifacts displayed in rows around a garden filled with palm trees and a colossus of Ramesses II housed in an enclosed structure.

Admission ticket: 60 Egyptian Pounds or
$3.41 US Dollars (conversion rate as of March 2018)

This was my first visit to the museum since it was not included in the itinerary during my first trip to Egypt, which was through Contiki. On this trip, Trafalgar arranged a visit to Memphis on the same day as Giza and Saqqara. The museum was our first stop of the day and the weather was absolutely perfect, lots of sunshine and cool (in mid 60s Fahrenheit). When we arrived, our tour guide Tarek escorted us to the building housing the colossus, shared a history lesson on the statue, then gave us time to walk around the garden at our own pace. Inside the building, you have the opportunity to walk around the statue, which is displayed laying down, and to climb a set of stairs to get a better view of Ramesses. As for the garden, there is no specific start or end point so you can visit the artifacts in any order and each item has a caption, some providing detailed information. One of the greatest statues on display is the Albaster Sphinx which weights around 80 tons.

View of the colossus from the ground floor.

Alabaster Sphinx
On the right, is the building housing the colossus. 

Sample of the detailed captions accompanying the artifacts.

The museum is rather small and a visit should take no more than 90 minutes, assuming you stop to read each caption and examine each detail. If your plan is to just walk around the garden snapping a few pictures along the way, then the visit will last less than an hour. As such, if not traveling with a tour group, it may be best to arrange a stop at Memphis alongside visits to Saqqara and Dashur, which are nearby, rather than making a special trip from Cairo just to see the museum. 

A view of the back portion of the garden.

Our visit was in early January and it was cold enough for jackets and possibly a scarf. If you plan on visiting during the warmer months, definitely wear a hat and sunscreen since there is minimal shade in the garden. In terms of the terrain, the ground is pretty level with no hills so those with mobility issues should have no problem in the garden area; however, one does need to climb a few steps to enter the enclosure with the colossus. At this site, the vendors are lined up along a fence bordering the garden but they stay in this general area and will not follow you around the garden.

Towards the back is part of the stairs one
climbs to reach the second floor of the enclosure.

To the left is the vendor area at the museum.

The visit to Memphis was one of the things I enjoyed most about the trip. Aside the perfect weather, the museum was void of crowds so I had the opportunity to enjoy a leisure stroll in the garden while viewing the artifacts and taking pictures. I also liked how each item had a caption with detailed information. This may seem like common sense when presenting historical artifacts but proper labeling is lacking at several sites throughout Egypt. 

ANCIENT EGYPT 101

Before I continue sharing tales of adventures, let us travel to Ancient Egypt to review some basic concepts. I will cover the deities and temple and tomb structures in later posts.  

Upper & Lower Egypt

In ancient times, southern Egypt was known as Upper Egypt while northern Egypt was called Lower Egypt. This is in reference to the movement of the Nile which originates in central Africa and flows northward towards the Mediterranean Sea. Thus, Upper Egypt is associated with the beginning of the river and Lower Egypt is associated with the end of the Nile, which includes the section where it branches out into channels creating the Nile Delta.

     Symbols of Upper and Lower Egypt

     Upper Egypt:    Lotus Flower; Sedge; Nekhbet, vulture goddess

     Lower Egypt:   Papyrus; Bee; Wadjet, cobra goddess

From the roof of the hypostyle hall at the Temple of Karnak.
Next to the ankh, symbol of life, is the sedge and bee. 

East vs West

The Ancient Egyptians placed a lot of emphasis on the sun as evidenced in their belief of solar gods and the location and orientation of temples and tombs. They believed the east bank of the Nile to be the ‘Land of the Living’ - the sun rose on the east each morning bringing life - thus, in the New Kingdom, they chose that location for their temples and settlements. The necropolises and funerary temples of Ancient Egypt are found on the west bank of the river since that was the ‘Land of the Dead’, the west being were the sun set every evening.

Nile River

The Nile River enabled and sustained the Ancient Egyptian civilization by providing drinking water, a means of transportation, and an invaluable resource to farmers. Furthermore, during the flood season when the Nile covered farm lands for several months, the river deposited silt which served as a nutrient rich fertilizer.

The river also has a series of six cataracts with the first found in Aswan and the sixth located in Khartoum, Sudan where the White Nile and Blue Nile converge. The first cataract generally served as the demarcation between Ancient Egypt and Nubia. Several fortresses, some now located at the bottom of Lake Nasser, were discovered around the location of the first cataract.

Today, like in ancient times, the Nile provides Egyptians with sustenance.
Picture: 2010, Aswan

Major Cities

Ancient Egypt had several cities located throughout the country all situated near the Nile River and the Nile Delta. Memphis in Lower Egypt served as the capital during the Old Kingdom and then, during the New Kingdom, the capital was relocated to Thebes in Upper Egypt. Short-term capital cities included Tanis and Pi-Ramesses in the delta and Amarna, a city towards the middle of the country.

Pharaohs

The term pharaoh is derived from a Greek word based on the Egyptian phrase for “great house”, a reference to the royal residence. 

The pharaohs of Ancient Egypt had 5 names two of which were inscribed inside a cartouche, an oval outlined by a rope. 

• Son of Ra (Also known as the nomen or birth name, written inside a cartouche) 
• He of the Sedge and the Bee (Also known as the prenomen or throne name, written inside a cartouche) 
• Horus name
• Golden Horus name
• He of the Two Ladies (Wadjet, cobra goddess, and Nekhbet, vulture goddess)

Boulder at Elephantine Island in Aswan.
Three of the five names are visible: 1) Horus name - the god Horus, depicted as a falcon, perched
on the serekh, representation of the palace facade; 2) He of the Sedge and the Bee signifying the
pharaoh ruled a unified Egypt; and 3)  Son of Ra - the duck is the hieroglyph for the word 'son'
and the image of the sun represents the god Ra

When it came to headpieces, the pharaohs had 5 styles of crowns and 1 cloth headdress.

• White crown of Upper Egypt
• Red crown of Lower Egypt 
• Double crown of Upper and Lower Egypt
• Blue crown (worn in battles and ceremonies)
• Atef crown (worn during religious rituals)
• Nemes headdress

Mentuhotep II, first pharaoh of the Middle
Kingdom, wearing the double crown.
Picture: 2018, Egyptian Museum

The kings of Ancient Egypt held many duties which included, but not limited to, intermediary between the gods and the people, head of the army, and High Priest of the Temples. 

Dynasties

A dating system devised by Manetho, a priest and historian from the 3rd century BC, divides the kings into 30 dynasties with changes in dynasties being determined by factors such as a change in the ruling family or political unrest. 

Early Dynastic Period: Dynasty 0 thru 2

Notable names: Narmer became the first king of Ancient Egypt by conquering Lower Egypt and unifying the two lands initiating what will become one of the greatest ancient civilizations.

Old Kingdom: Dynasty 3 thru 6

Notable Names: King Djoser of the 3rd dynasty who constructed the Step Pyramid located in Saqqara and the Pharaohs Khafre, Khufu, and Menkaure who built the pyramids at Giza in the 4th dynasty.

Collage showing Khufu (top-right), his son Khafre (left), and grandson
Menkaure (bottom-right). Khufu built the Great Pyramid but has one
of the smallest statues. Pictures taken in 2018 at the Egyptian Museum. 

First Intermediate Period: Dynasty 7 thru 10

Middle Kingdom: Dynasty 11 thru 12

Notable names: King Mentuhotep II, like Narmer, conquered Lower Egypt to reunite the two lands after a period of political unrest.

Second Intermediate Period: Dynasty 13 thru 17

New Kingdom: Dynasty 18 thru 20

Notable names: The New Kingdom had quite the list of notable kings and queens starting with Thutmosis III of the 18th dynasty. Thutmosis III is known as the Napoleon of Ancient Egypt since he led many campaigns to expand the country’s borders and suppress uprisings from enemies. His step-mother and co-regent, Queen Hatshepsut, is one of the most successful female queens in Ancient Egypt having ruled for over 20 years and completed several major building projects most importantly the Temple at Deir el-Bahri. 

Later in the 18th dynasty, we have the Pharaohs Amenhotep IV, better known as Akhenaten, and Tutankhamun. Akhenaten brought forth major changes to Ancient Egypt mainly trying to implement monotheism with the worship of just the Aten and abandoning Thebes in favor of a new city, Amarna, as the capital. His son, King Tutankhamun, will go on to become famous not for his accomplishments as pharaoh but for the treasure trove discovered in his tomb at the Valley of the Kings. 

The 19th dynasty is where we find the legendary Ramesses II also known as Ramesses the Great. In his 67 years serving as pharaoh, Ramesses led numerous military campaigns the most famous being the Battle at Kadesh against the Hittites. He also led a multitude of building projects including the expansion of the city Pi-Ramesses in the delta. 

 

Post purchased at Abu-Simbel depicting Ramesses at the Battle of Kadesh. 

Third Intermediate Period: Dynasty 21 thru 26

Late Period: Dynasty 27 thru 30

The Late Period marked the end of pharaonic rule in Egypt. Dynasty 30 was followed by the Graeco-Roman era which is when Egypt was ruled by the Ptolemies and Cleopatras, the most famous being Cleopatra VII.