THE PYRAMID FIELDS: Giza to El Lahun THE GIZA PLATEAU. This plateau is where the Old Kingdom pharaohs (Khufu/Cheops, Khafre/Chephren, and Menkaure/Mycerinus) made their royal necropolis and built their huge pyramids and the Great Sphinx (ca. 2550 BC). The Giza plateau also contains smaller pyramids next to the three large pyramids, huge mastaba fields, valley and mortuary temples as well as causeways that are associated with the three biggest pyramids. In addition, there is the tomb and town of the Old Kingdom queen, Khentkawes as well as large pits around the Great Pyramid for the king’s ancient solar boats. One of these boats has been restored and is now located in the “Boat Museum” located on the south side of Khufu’s Great Pyramid. MEMPHIS was founded by Menes around 3000 BC (according to Manetho). Memphis was strategically placed, at the base of the Delta; it was the capitol of Egypt in the Old Kingdom, but remained an important city throughout the Egyptian Empire. Memphis is located south of Cairo near the various pyramid fields. Although few structural remains are still present, there are enough left in this very important site to be protected by the World Heritage League. ABU SIR and ABU GHUROB. These two sites are side by side and contain pyramid complexes at Abu Sir, and sun temples at Abu Ghurob. The pyramids at Abu Sir are much smaller than those at Giza, and they belonged to the 5th Dynasty pharaohs Sahure, Niuserre, Neferirkare, and Ranaferef (ca. 2450 BC). Sun temples were not mortuary sites but rather places of religious services; they contain a great obelisk, which is the focal point of each complex. The obelisk was surrounded by a series of chambers and an enclosure wall. Services at sun temples followed the patterns of the sun: dawn, high noon, dusk, etc, and animal sacrifices were made at the appropriate times. Such sacrifices were not wasted on ritual alone; they were meant to feed the people who maintained the sun temples and those who were without food. Although there were 6 sun temples built, only 2 remain today, those of Niuserre and Userkaf. SAQQARA is a huge necropolis that was founded in the early dynastic period (ca. 2900 – 2700 BC). The early tombs were either underground or mastaba (bench) style tombs. Saqqara is best known for Djoser’s (Zoser’s) Step Pyramid, which was constructed in the 3rd Dynasty by the master architect, Imhotep. It is the earliest all-stone monument and the predecessor to the 4th Dynasty pyramids of Dashur and Giza. Saqqara was used as a necropolis throughout Egyptian history. Open to the public at this time are: the exterior of the Step Pyramid, the enclosure pyramid of Teti, and the tombs of Mereruka, Kagemni, Iy-Nefert, Ptahhotep and Unas-ankh. For a small extra fee, admission can be gained into the tombs of Iruka-Ptah, Niankhkhnum, and Khnumhotep. There is also a recently opened museum (the Imhotep Museum) that contains artifacts collected from the Saqqara necropolis: the museum entrance fee is included in the Saqqara ticket price. There are many other tombs here but one must pay a special, very high, admission price (usually about $1000 for 1-10 people). If you are interested, please go to our “Prices/Contact Us” dropdown menu and open the file “Archaeo Tix.” We would need at least three weeks notice to gain admission to these special tombs. DASHUR. There are five pyramids in the Dashur necropolis: The Bent and Red (North) pyramids of 4th Dynasty Snefru (2575 BC), the White Pyramid of Amenemhet II, the pyramid of Senwosret II, and the Black Pyramid of Amenemhet III. Snefru was the father of Khufu, who built the Great Pyramid on the Giza Plateau. Snefru’s Red (north) pyramid was the first true pyramid that was ever built; your ticket price includes access to the interior of this pyramid only. The Red Pyramid’s interior is very interesting – it was the first true pyramid every built and contains very nice vaulted ceilings. Old Kingdom pyramids were made of large quarried stones, whereas the Middle Kingdom pyramids were of mud brick, and therefore deteriorated quickly. The pyramids of Amenemhet II, and III, as well as Senwosret II were constructed between ca. 1900 to 1850 BC in the Middle Kingdom. LISHT just south of Dashur is the necropolis of Lisht, which contains 2 Middle Kingdom pyramids: Amenemhet I, and Senwosret I (1991 to 1926 BC). Both of these pyramids are badly destroyed and it is a little difficult to access this site. MEIDUM is located just south of Lisht, and here you will find one of the first pyramids constructed by Snefru or his father, Huni (ca. 2600 BC). It is possible that construction of the Meidum pyramid was begun by Huni and completed by Snefru, but the general consensus is that it was built entirely by Snefru. It is a unique pyramid as it appears as a three-stepped tower; its outer casing has been mysteriously removed. HAWARA. Amenemhet III’s pyramid (ca. 1830 BC) at Hawara (south of Meidum) is the largest of the Middle Kingdom (mud brick) pyramids that were constructed in the 12th Dynasty. Although its limestone casing was striped, this pyramid it is still a remarkable structure as it contains a complex system of secret passages. It is believed that the Hawara pyramid is the mysterious “Labyrinth” that the 5th c BC Greek historian, Herodotus, mentioned during his travels in Egypt. In the Hawara complex there is also a queen’s pyramid, mortuary temple and a mastaba field filled with Middle Kingdom officials and nobles. A Roman cemetery was also discovered here that contained the beautiful “Fayoum portraits.”
Posted on: Sun, 13 Jul 2014 02:00:26 +0000