Seeing the point of the pyramids in Giza, Egypt

The pyramids had been teasing us all day. We’d seen them from afar several times since we entered Cairo’s mega-city limits. And after enjoying some of the Egyptian capital’s sights, including the majestic River Nile, we were up close with the pyramids on the dusty desert plateau of Giza, technically a separate city but in reality a district of Cairo’s ever-ballooning sprawl.

Ours is one of dozens of tour coaches dwarfed by these wonders, which were built about 4500 years ago as tombs for the ruling pharaohs of Egypt’s Old Kingdom.

First, we admire the three main pyramids from a slightly elevated panoramic point almost 1km back. Having seen them so many times before in magazines, newspapers and on TV, it’s surreal to stare at them in the flesh (OK, stone). It’s as if I’m dreaming, though I’m kept in check by the aromas wafting from the dozens of camels lounging about here, not to mention the enthusiastic touting by their masters. “Camel ride, mister? Wanna ride a camel, yeah?”

Adding to the exotic atmosphere are the shifting shades of light on the pyramids’ facades, sparked by the sun gliding in and out of the clouds as Cairo’s built-up skyline looms hazily in the distance. Touching the pyramids — and running our hands over their rough weathered slabs — is another life-affirming moment.

We’re here in November, a great time to visit Egypt, when it’s still warm (25-30C), but not as unbearably hot as in the Mediterranean summer. After soaking up some history from our guide Hoda, we’re content to slowly amble by the pyramids, our minds boggling at just how they were built. Mystery still cloaks their construction. The biggest of the trio, the 147m Great Pyramid, is the only one of the original Seven Wonders of the Ancient World still standing. Built as a tomb for the Pharaoh Khufu (Cheops), it took between 23 and 27 years to complete — estimates vary — and contains about 2.5 million stone blocks, mostly limestone, weighing on average between five and 15 tonnes.

Archaeologists continue to make new discoveries (a secret chamber was discovered inside the Great Pyramid in March 2023). For years, it was thought slaves built these marvels, but now it’s widely believed that the (paid) gig was done by conscripted labourers and master masons. The building blocks were shipped into Giza along a now dried-up branch of the Nile (which was recently discovered with the help of a satellite radar in space). About 10m shorter than the Great Pyramid is its neighbour, built for Khufu’s son, Khafre (Chephren), and unique in that it retains some of its original casing near the tip.

When the pyramids were completed they didn’t have the bumpy, sandy look they have today, but were instead licked with a shiny layer of limestone that was later stripped off by other rulers and builders.

We’re perusing the smallest of the three major pyramids, that of Menkaure, son of Khafre, when we hear a loud whistle. “You can’t climb up there,” says the young Egyptian man, introducing himself as Mohammed and pointing to his “official badge”. Clutching this lanyard, he says he’s here to make sure tourists don’t clamber too far up the pyramids. As it happens, he also knows how to take the best photographs: you know, those false-perspective ones that make it look like you’re touching the tops of the pyramids.

Muhammad is friendly but focused on snapping us, so we relent and let him do so. Returning our camera, he says he would really, thank you very much, appreciate a small tip for his family (a €5 note is to his liking and he bids us a good day). It’s a scam, of sorts, of course — and we later see other “official badge” holders blowing whistles and approaching tourists at the pyramids — but sifting through the photos, we realise we do have some nice shots together (good job Muhammad).

The pyramids aren’t the only breathtaking sight on the Giza plateau. Just beneath them is the Great Sphinx, which likely dates from Khafre’s reign and remains one of the world’s biggest sculptures. Comprising a lion’s body and a human head, it’s 73m long and 20m high, and was, says our guide, crafted out of the bedrock over three years by around 100 men with hammers and chisels. Heavily eroded over the millennia, the Sphinx’s face, particularly its nose, has seen better centuries, and would probably benefit from a makeover, but its star power is unrelenting.

Another captivating spectacle, right next to the pyramid site, set in a huge, shiny contemporary building, is the brand new $US1 billion Grand Egyptian Museum. It houses the largest collection of Egyptian antiquities ever compiled, including a horde from the tomb of Tutankhamun unearthed at Luxor’s Valley of the Kings in 1922 (to give some context to the timeline of Egypt’s pharaohs, Tutankhamun was born almost 1300 years after Khufu).

We don’t have time to visit the museum — the big red ball of sun is starting to sink into the desert — but it would be great to pop in next time we’re in Egypt.

+ Steve McKenna was a guest of Celestyal Cruises. They have not seen, influenced or approved this story. fact file + You can savour Cairo on a guided excursion on Celestyal’s seven-night Three Continents Cruise, which runs on dates in October, November and December 2024 and calls in at several eastern Mediterranean ports. Departing and finishing in Piraeus (Athens), the cruise is priced from $1769 per person. The Cairo excursion, which includes lunch on the Nile and the Giza plateau visit, costs about $266. celestyal.com/au

EDITOR’S NOTE

Egypt borders Gaza and is highly exposed to the war in the Middle East. As we have previously reported, travel insurance may be unavailable or affected. The Australian Government’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade’s SmartTraveller updated its travel advice for Egypt on October 13: “We continue to advise reconsider your need to travel to Egypt. Terrorist attacks could occur anywhere in Egypt. Potential targets include religious sites and tourist locations. The situation in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories could lead to increased tensions and the security situation could deteriorate with little notice. Avoid all demonstrations and protests. Peaceful protests and rallies can turn violent at short notice. Be aware, follow the advice of local authorities and monitor local media for updates. The Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt may be closed or have highly restricted access for long periods and is subject to change at short notice. It has been subject to air strikes during the current Gaza conflict.”