Cairo Things to Do Tips by croisbeauty

Camels Gizeh Pyramids Review

First what one must have on his/her mind is, this is Africa and things are much different here, esspecially if dealing with Arabs. Burgaing and cheating is a lifestyle and tradition!
Renting camel ride around pyramids could be pretty much very stupid adventure. The camel owners are very rude and equally very corrupted. Renting a car daily could cost you less then 20 or 30 minutes of camel ride.
In case one wish to try it should fixed the price before climbing up on a camel, but make sure to have negotiated all in the local currency. Guys will ask you 100 for like 20-30 minutes of a ride, but later on they will say it was price in US dollars or euros. 100 LE is equal to 20$, which is far too much for 20 minutes of something, whatever it is.
They could be very tricky also, sending a camel far from the starting point and demanding more money after one came back, because the time has elapsed. It could be bad and rude arguing and the guys would ask money before ordering camel to knees down.
Anyway, renting camel in Egypt isn't very smart idea.

Address: Al Haram Str., Gizeh, Cairo

Website: http://www.touregypt.net

The plan of Giza Plateau Gizeh Pyramids Review

It is thought that pyramids have been constructed to house the remains of the deceased pharaohs who ruled over Ancient Egypt. A portion of the pharaoh's spirit called "ka" was believed to remain with his corpse. Pyramid wasn't only the tomb for the pharaoh but also a storage for the various items he would need in the afterlife. The people of Ancient Egypt believed that death on the Earth was the start of a journey to the next world.
The pyramid complex at Giza is surrounded by a large stone wall outside which was a town where the workers of the pyramid were housed. It is only recently discovered that no slave workers were engaged as a builders of the pyramids, as it used to be spaculated.
Besides pyramids there are also several cemeteries inside of the complex. It was the burial site for lesser royals who were buried in so-called "mastabas". Mastaba (house for eternity) is type of ancient Egyptian tomb in a form of a flat-roofed retangular structure constructed out of mud-bricks or stone. Mastabas cointained tombs of wives, sons, daughters and other family members of the rulers. The cemeteries also includes mastabas from tenants and priests.
During the New Kingdom of Egypt Giza was still active site, a chapel was built near the Sphinx during the 18th dynasty, probably by Tuthmosis I. Amenhotep I built a temple dedicated to Hauron-Haremakhmet, while Tutankhamen had a structure at Giza which is now referred to as the pharaoh resthouse.

Address: Al Haram Str., Gizeh, Cairo

Website: http://www.touregypt.net

Khafre's (Chefrens) pyramid Gizeh Pyramids Review

Pharaoh Khafre (Chephren) was son of reat pharaoh Khufu, and his pyramid is the second largest of Giza, it is also his tomb aswell. Pyramid is made of limestone blocks, each one weigh around two tonnes. It is easilly recognizable even from the distance for its kind of snow-topped peak. During reign of pharaoh Rameses II, however, casing stone was robbed from the pyramid to build a temple in Heliopolis. Casing stone cover the top of the pyramid but the pyramidion and part of the apex are missing. The first course of stone caring was not soft limestone, used by Khufu pyramid, but the much harder granite from the quarries of Aswan.
There were over 52 life size statues of Khafre around pyramid complex and mortuary temple, but were removed and recycled, possibly by Rameses II.

Address: Al Haram Str., Gizeh, Cairo

Website: http://www.touregypt.net

Approaching to the pyramides

We were all excited in the bus when first time pyramids appeared in between the houses. The distance was over one kilometer but close enough to see its huge proportions. The several storeys buildings look alike toys comparing to pyramids. Something what was built almost five thousand years ago still standing there as a prove of a human ingenuity.

Khufu's (Cheops) Pyramid Gizeh Pyramids Review

Pyramid of Khufu is the oldest and the largest of the three pyramides in the Giza Plateau. It is also know as the Great Pyramid or Cheops Pyramid, which is Greek name for Khufu. Greek have considered pyramids one of the Seven Wonders of the ancient world, and pyramids are the only one to remain almost intact.
The Great Pyramid was built as a tomb for pharaoh Khufu. As it was habbit in ancient Egypt, the construction works started during pharaoh life and lasted over 20 years. It was finished around 2560 BC. Khufu's Pyramid has 146,5 metres and was the tallest man-made structure in the world for over 3800 years.
According to leading and most accepted hypothesses, the pyramids were built by moving huge stones from a quarry and dragging and lifting them into the place.
Pyramid of Khufu is the only pyramid in Egypt known to contain both ascending and descending passages. It was originally covered by casing stones that formed a smooth outer surface. This pyramid consist of an estimated 2,3 million limestone blocks. The largest granite stones in the pyramid, found in the King's Chamber, weigh 25 to 80 tonnes and were transported from Aswan which is more then 800 kilometres away. At completion the Great Pyramid was surfaced by white casing stones blocks of highly polished white limestone.
Pyramid is amazing construction, work of more then 100.000 very skillful workers but we all probably ask ourselves when standing in front of it, how was it possible?

Address: Al Haram Str., Gizeh, Cairo

Website: http://www.touregypt.net

Great Sphinx Gizeh Pyramids Review

Sphinx is mythical creature with a lion's body and a human head, however, it does not appear in any known inscription of the Old Kingdom and its original purpose is unknown. It is believed that The Great Sphinx, as it is called, was built during the reign of the pharaoh Khafre (2558-2532 BC).
Pliny The Elder mentioned that according to Egyptian legend King Hamais was burried in Great Sphinx.
It is the largest monolith statue in the world, 74 metres long 6 metres wide and 20 metres high. Can you believe it, 2,5 thousand years BC this statue was carved almost entirely from one piece of limestone!
In Arabic language the sphinx is called Abu al Hul, "The father of terror".

Address: Al Haram Str., Gizeh, Cairo

Website: http://www.touregypt.net