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Pyramids in Egypt (EGYPT)
There is no doubt that there is no famous ancient site in the world than the Great Pyramids (built from about 2700 to 2500 BC) at Giza around the west bank of the Nile near the city of Cairo. These icons of Egypt, started to be built in the 3rd Dynasty of the reign of Djoser, mostly as tombs for the Pharaohs of Egypt.
Of the 10 pyramids at Giza, the first three are held in the highest regard. The first, and largest, was erected for the Pharaoh Khufu. Known as the Great Pyramid, it rises about 450 feet (having lost about 30 feet off the top over the years) and covers 13 acres.
It's believed to have taken 100,000 laborers about 20 years to build the mammoth Khufu pyramid, using an estimated 2.3 million blocks. By one theory, crews dragged or pushed limestone blocks up mud-slicked ramps to construct the royal tombs.
On our visit to Giza, we asked ourselves the question, why where they built so big and why in this particular triangular shape. We were told that it is believed that they chose the shape in order to mimic the Benben, a pyramid shaped Stone found en the earliest temples, which was thought to symbolize the primeval mound from which the Egyptians believed life emerged from. Why so big?... many conclude that the Pharaohs were making a statement about their own power and perhaps about the glory and strenth of their country.
We may have come accross many films, in which mysterious underground chambers and tombs of Pharaohs are discovered together with treasures withig these pyramids and surely we have been greatly inspired to visit the pyramids by the same. However, we learnt that it was not until the later ages of
Egyptian civilization that the arrangement
and layour of the subterranean chambers were emphasized.
Inspired by the films, we decided to roam around the Pyramid site to
discover some mysteries, secrets and maybe even treasures that no one
ever did. Therefore, without taking a guide with us, we started an improvised
quest of our own, spontaneously entering pyramids and walking our way
through the subterranean compartments. This was much more exciting than
following the beaten track, and a high sensation excitement together
with a litte fear (fear to be cursed if entering a cursed chamber) befell
us while in our quest.
Did we find anything off the record? Unfortunately not, not undiscovered tomb, no treasures… nothing, But yes did we find the excitement to wander around with no supervision in hope of finding them in the mysterious mystical atmosphere of the Pharaohs? Yes we did.