Memphis - The Pyramids!

Up at 7:00. We drove to Memphis, the Capital of the Old Empire
Our first stop was Saqquara…the "City of the Dead" . While Memphis was the capital of Ancient Egypt, Saqquara served as its necropolis. It remained an important complex for minor burials for more than 3,000 years - well into Roman time.

The Step Pyramid - ca. 2650 BC - was built by the architect Imhotep for the III Dynasty king Djoser. It is the oldest complete mud-brick building complex in the world.

Tomb of Mereruka…The tomb was built in the memory of Mereruka who was an official to Teti, the Pharaoh of the VI Dynasty. Mereruka was known as ‘Chief Justice and Vizier’. The scenes of domestic life were truly touching.

Pyramids of Giza….There are three main Pyramids here, which were built in the 4th Dynasty (circa 4650 B.C)- Cheops, Chephren, Mycerinus….

And, of course, the Sphinx

The open air Museum, which amongst other artefacts exhibits a limestone colossus of King Ramses II (an enormous statue carved in limestone, which is about 34 feet long,and a giant alabaster Sphinx, weighting more than 80 tons, which once stood outside the massive temple of the God Ptah.

Mortuary Temple and Valley Temple of Chephren -part of the funerary complex
Papyrus Institute…tourist rip-off
Back to the hotel…we had burgers, listening to a combination of rap music and Christmas carols
We walked into a Egyptian wedding…a video event complete with tambourines, bagpipes, snake charmers and ululation….