–The Giza Pyramids and Sphinx :
Giza and the Great Sphinx are among the most popular tourist desnaons in the world,
and indeed already were even in Roman mes. Each of these spectacular structures
served as the final resng place of a king of the 4th Dynasty (c.2613–2494 BC). The Great
Pyramid of Giza was built for king Khufu (c.2589–2566 BC), and the other two for Khafre
and Menkaure, his son and grandson. Khufu’s pyramid is both the oldest and largest of
the three, and the first building to exceed it in height would not be built for another
3,800 years!
Although the three pyramids dominate the plateau, they are in fact surrounded by many
other monuments. Every king’s pyramid was just one element albeit the most important
of a larger complex that included smaller, subsidiary, queens’ pyramids; an additional
one that acted as a second, symbolic, tomb for the king, called a satellite pyramid;
mastaba tombs for nobility and other family members; burials of actual and/or symbolic
boats; and a pair of temples linked by a richly decorated causeway. One of these temples,
called the valley temple, led into the pyramid complex, and was located on or near a body
of water where boats could dock. The other, the funerary (or upper) temple, stood near
the base of the pyramid. Priests maintained the mortuary cult of the deceased king in
these temples, where his divine aspect was worshiped, and where rich and diverse
offerings were presented to his soul so he could have a peaceful and luxurious afterlife.
Sphinx Colossal statues are one of the hallmarks of ancient Egyptian civilization,
and the Great Sphinx of Giza is the most famous. It was carved directly out of the
bedrock during the 4th Dynasty (c.2613–2494 BC), which also makes it the oldest.
Ancient Egyptian sphinxes represented the king with the body of a lion, in a clear
demonstration of his power.
The evidence points to the Great Sphinx having been carved during the reign of
Khafre (Khefren to the ancient Greeks; c.2558–2532 BC), the builder of the second
of the Giza pyramids. The Great Sphinx and the temple in front of it, called the
Sphinx Temple, lie directly next to Khafre’s valley temple and the lower portion of
the causeway leading up to his mortuary temple and pyramid. Careful
archaeological analysis has revealed that the valley temple was finished before work
was begun on the Great Sphinx and its temple. Analysis of the Great Sphinx’s facial
features has also revealed striking similarities with those of Khafre’s statues.
The Great Sphinx has captured the imagination of travelers and explorers for
millennia, even in ancient Egyptian times. During the 18th Dynasty (c.1550–1295
BC), it came to be seen as a manifestation of the sun god, and was called
Horemakhet “Horus in the Horizon”. King Amenhotep II (c.1427–1400 BC) built a
temple next to the Sphinx, which he dedicated to this god. His son, Thutmose IV
(c.1400–1390 BC), erected a monumental stela between its front paws, called the
Dream Stela, on which he recorded a fascinating event.
-Saqqara :
Located 40 km southwest of Cairo, Saqqara is one of the most important cemeteries
of Memphis, which was itself one of the most important cities in ancient Egyptian
history. The name of the site most likely derives from the god of this necropolis,
Sokar.
Saqqara is truly an open-air museum, one that has all of ancient Egyptian history on
display. Kings and noblemen from the very first two dynasties (c.3040–2686 BC)
were buried here, and this is also the location of the Step Pyramid of Djoser (c.2686–
2667 BC).
The pyramids of some of the most important kings of the Old Kingdom Fifth
(c.2494–2345 BC) and Sixth (c.2345–2181 BC) Dynasties are located in Saqqara.
One of these, the pyramid of Unas (also known as Wenis; (c.2375–2345 BC), features
the oldest pyramid burial chamber decorated with texts. These are the so-called
Pyramid Texts, the purpose of which was to protect the deceased king on his
journey to the afterlife. In addition to Old Kingdom royal burials, Saqqara is also full
of the tombs of the noblemen of this period, which are decorated with scenes and
texts of outstanding beauty and craftsmanship.
Saqqara also features tombs from the First Intermediate Period (c.2181–2055 BC),
Middle Kingdom (c.2055–1650 BC), and New Kingdom (c.1550–1069 BC). The New
Kingdom tombs display an architectural style completely different from their Upper
Egyptian counterparts in Thebes. Among them is the tomb of none other than
Horemheb (c.1323–1295 BC), the non-royal individual, the general, who became
king. He was never buried here however, for, upon ascending the throne, he built a
new tomb in the Valley of the Kings worthy of his royal rank.
Among the most important of Saqqara’s monuments is the Serapeum, a series of
underground galleries in which the Apis Bulls were buried from the Eighteenth
Dynasty (c.1550–1295 BC) to the Ptolemaic Period (332–30 BC). The Apis Bull was
considered an incarnation of Ptah himself, one of the most important gods of
Memphis, and as such, there was only ever one Apis Bull at a time. When it died, it
was buried with full honors until his successor could be found.
Egypt’s Coptic era is featured in Saqqara as well through the remains of the
Monastery of Apa Jeremiah, which was in use until the eighth century AD. Today,
Saqqara is also the site of the Imhotep Museum, in which objects from the site’s
immense chronological span are displayed.
