The Pyramids. Review on Egypt, General

Although I've been to Cairo, it was only as a place to stay in order to visit the pyramids of Giza, Sakkara, Dashur and Maidum (I realise that there are a few different spellings for these places). Below is a short section on each pyramid field

If you go to see the pyramids, please don't go and look at them and think they are large lumps of stone (which they are). Get a book and read about them first. Read how old they are, how precise they are and you will be amazed by them (try Giza the Truth by Lawton and Ogilvy-Herald, no mystcism here and I have reviewed it).

GIZA

The only remaining of the 7 wonders of the world!

The Great Pyramid is a lot bigger than the Luxor hotel in Las Vegas and some of the others are also bigger and what's more, they are solid stone. It is also fair to say that today's engineers are pretty confused as to how some of the blocks for the interior structures of the great pyramid got there. Entry to the Pyramids of Giza can be a little difficult, currently one of the 3 Giza Pyramids is closed for a few months (in rotation). It's Menkaure now (the smallest), Khafre has just been reopened (the one in the middle with the casing stones on the top). Both Khafre and Khufu (Great) are rationed to 300 visitors a day. If you want to go in get there an hour early, there are 2 sessions at 9 and 1. Sit by the ticket kiosk and buy your ticket (about £5) and don't forget to buy a camera ticket (you'll get delayed at the enterance if you don't). Once you've got your ticker RUSH to be the first in, RUSH up the grand gallery and into the King's Chamber, then jump into the sarchopagus before anyone gets there (I did). The Great Pyramid has a fairly complex set of inner passageways. Do not go in if you are claustrophobic and be prepared to get very hot and sweaty and to ache the next day (this applies to all large pyramids). Enough said of Giza, it is an amazing place but you probably know that.

MAIDUM (the collapsed pyramid of Snefru)

There is more to be said of Dashur and Maidum. Maidum can be reached by chartering a taxi from Cairo, it is about 60 miles south and cost me £60. The Pyramid looks like a Medieval tower, because it has collapsed. It was built by the greatest pyramid builder of them all, Sneferu (father of Khufu/Cheops builder of the Great Pyramid) and represents one of 3 giant pyramids attributed to him. The pyramid can be entered and is well off the beaten track and so, unlike Giza, will give you the oportunity to be alone! I don't want to ramble about the interiors (try Mark Lehners's The Complete Pyramids). Don’t miss the masteba along side, a tight crawl leads you to a robbed burial chamber with a coffer propped open by the original stone hammer used to rob it. We were treated to an armed guard whilst leaving the site, the Taxi Driver (Hamdi) told us that they just wanted to make a show for tourists (I told you they didn't get many here!).

DASHUR (the Bent and Red Pyramids plus the much later Mud Brick or Black Pyramid)

On to Dashur, suprisingly close to Cairo, in fact you can clearly see the 3 pyramids of Dashur from Sakkara (home of the stepped pyramid) and can in turn see Sakkara from Giza. What a temptation that must have been up until recently for budding pyramidologists, since Dashur has only just been opened to the public (it was a mine field!). The site has 2 of Sneferu's pyramids (c4500BC) and a much newer and dilapidated pyramid from the 5th dynasty (sometimes referred to as the Black pyramid). Sneferu's are quite recognisable, the Bent pyramid (so named because it changes angle half way up for sturctural reasons) and the Red pyramid (the first successful true pyramid). The Red can be entered and again it was fairly deserted. The Bent pyramid is furthest away from the road and we were kindly escorted around it by a machine gun wielding guard, he let me climb the satellite for £1, I let him go first (didn't fancy him falling over and slaying me). Dashur cost us about £20 for the trusty Taxi including Sakkara.

So don't just pop to those big old blobs of stone at Giza, check out the other giant pyramids, if you want a taste of the real pyramid experience.

You'll have to barter with the taxi drivers, they'll try it on. I probably could have got the trips cheaper, but I'm not much good at it. Don't be tempted by the holiday company tours (there are local ones too, especially in the large hotels). They will charge you about £30 per person to go to Sakkara (which will cost about £10 for a taxi for 6) and they will give you a very infomative tour, along the lines of ''Sakkara pyramid, very old''.

Check out the pyramids virtually at

http://www.guardians.net/egypt/

or see my holiday snaps at

http://www.mullier.co.uk