Cairo - Other Pyramids

If you haven't been watching the Discovery Channel recently, you probably didn't know that there are scores of other pyramids around this area. A few kilometers away from Giza, there is Saqqara which has some pretty cool stuff too. For example:

The 'Step' pyramid. This, according to the Lonely Planet, is not only the oldest stone monument in Egypt, but also the world. It's the first decent attempt at a proper pyramid...a prototype if you will.

Almost shockingly, you could approach all the ancient sites and clamber up onto them. Our 'guide' told us that there were rules against this, but the cops looked away as long as you didn't go too far up. We thought this was terrible as the amount of tourism must take its toll on these old things. However, you'll have noticed that it didn't bother us enough to keep us off of them.

The following two photos are of digs and archeological work that was going on, unearthing temples, arenas, slave quarters, stairs/tunnels going into the pyramid, and so on. We couldn't go near them.

Apparently, this was the next large pyramid that was built. We liked this one the best. The reason that it bent halfway up is because as they were building it, they realised that they were building at too steep an angle. If they had kept it up, the structure would have collapsed under its own weight. Rather than tear it down, they reworked their sums and finished it anyway. Apparently, it was never used in the end.

This next one was also never used. I can't remember why though. Anyway, you could go right inside it as they found the entrance to the tomb half-way up one of its sides. Of course, we went in to have a look around.

This is from the bottom of the entrance to the tomb looking up the 'stairs' they put in. The opening is only about 4 foot by 4 foot.

This photo is taken from half-way up that pyramid. I took it because you can see the effect of the Nile on the landscape. Notice how it's barren desert up to a point, then a strip of green, and then desert beyond. Neat, eh?

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