Egypt and Libya, March 19 - April 2, 2006 / 20060321p_GreatPyramidEntrance
Ruth Milner, rmilner plus web at bookofmarvels dot net
Our next stop was the
Giza Plateau, home of the last of the Seven
Wonders of the Ancient World. The Great Pyramid was built by Khufu (Snefru's
son) around 2600BC. It's impossible to get a feel for how massive it is until
you're standing at the base, which covers 13 acres. Its original height of
481 feet made it the tallest building in the world for nearly 4500 years.
Notice how tiny the people look, and how those at the bottom level are only
shoulder-high to the stones. There are over 2 million blocks in this
pyramid, most weighing around 2 tons but some more than 50.
The original opening is in the center, but
people now enter through a passage dug under the orders of a caliph around
800AD with the intent of robbing the tomb. He was more than 3000 years
too late. His tunnel intersects the main Ascending Passage to the burial
chamber. We went inside and up through the passageway. Only 150 tickets
a day are sold for this, and we got the last but two so it was pretty quiet
in there. I have no photos of my own because the guide told us cameras are
not allowed. I suspect it is merely a question of paying an
extra camera fee; there are many photos online.
Part of the passage is only 3.5 feet high, but it opens out into
the stunning Grand Gallery, which is 157 feet long with corbelled walls of
massive smooth blocks and reaches a height of 28 feet. It is at a steep angle
(26°) so they have added wooden slats on the floor to make footing more
secure. The burial chamber, which is the only one located within its
pyramid instead of underground, contains the broken granite
sarcophagus, which was so big that it had to be placed there during
construction. The walls have been cleaned of centuries
of graffiti, except for a patch left to show what it used to be
like (pretty dreadful, but also kind of interesting). It smells a bit,
and is hot and a little stuffy despite the air shaft to the outside.
But we had the burial chamber to ourselves for a while, and a chance to
ponder, undisturbed, the long history of this structure and the tons of stone
around us. Truly awe-inspiring.
Provided you are not claustrophobic and can
walk up a steep slope while crouched over, the passage is not difficult.
Traffic up and down is now mostly separated. It is definitely worth doing
and I highly
recommend it - especially with children. Older kids will see it as very cool,
and they will all find it far more exciting than just standing around
looking at stuff. They will take their cue from you about whether to be
nervous or thrilled.
