Middle East - Anthony Ham [103]
PYRAMID OF MENKAURE (MYCERINUS)
At a height of 62m (originally 66.5m), this is the smallest of the three Pyramids. Extensive damage was done to the exterior by a 16th-century caliph who wanted to demolish all the Pyramids, though he gave up after eight months, still far from his goal. Visitors are no longer allowed inside this pyramid as it is closed for restoration.
THE SPHINX
Known in Arabic as Abu al-Hol (Father of Terror), the Sphinx is carved almost entirely from one huge piece of limestone left over from the carving of the stones for the Great Pyramid of Khufu. Though its purpose is long forgotten, geologists today believe that the Sphinx was carved during the reign of Kharfe. It most likely portrays that pharaoh’s features, framed by the nemes (royal headdress of Egypt).
SOLAR BARQUE MUSEUM
Along the eastern and southern sides of the Great Pyramid are five long pits that once contained the pharaoh’s funerary barques. One of these ancient wooden vessels, possibly the oldest boat in existence, was unearthed in 1954. It was restored and a glass museum (Map; adult/student E£40/20; 9am-4pm winter, 9am-5pm summer) was built over it to protect it from the elements. It’s well worth a look.
SOUND-&-LIGHT SHOW
Legions of tour groups converge on an area below the Sphinx for the nightly sound-and-light show ( 3386 3469; www.soundandlight.com.eg; adult/child E£75/44; 6.30pm, 7.30pm, 8.30pm & 9.30pm Oct-May, 2hr later Jun-Sep). There are three performances in a variety of languages – check the website above for schedules and more details.
EATING & DRINKING
Just below the Sphinx there’s an expensive outdoor café (Map; tea E£10, fresh juice E£15) with an outdoor terrace and spectacular view. It’s just outside the site, but as long as you have your ticket, the guards will let you come in again. For meals, you can try the Peace II (off Map; 3377 7500; 13 Alexandria Desert Rd; meals E£12-75, lunch buffet E£35-75) seafood restaurant. For cheap, fast eats, make a beeline to the local branch of Felfela (off Map; 3376 1234; 27 Desert Rd; meals E£1.50-10). Both of these restaurants are around the corner from Mena House Oberoi. A short taxi ride away (around E£7), on the road to Saqqara, is the extremely popular Andrea’s (off Map; 3383 1183; mains E£15-25; 10am-8pm), which is famed for its succulent spit-roast chicken and offers a garden setting on the Maryoutia Canal. A Stella costs E£20.
GETTING THERE & AROUND
Bus 355/357 runs from Heliopolis to the Pyramids via Midan Tahrir every 20 minutes. It picks up from the road (not the island) under the overpass at Midan Abdel Moniem Riad (Map) and can sometimes be flagged down from the side of the road near the northwestern Metro stairs on Midan Tahrir. You’ll recognise it by the ‘CTA’ sign on its side. It costs E£2 and takes 45 minutes.
Expect to pay about E£25 one way for a taxi. Returning to Cairo, taxis leave from outside the Mena House Oberoi hotel. You may need to do some fervent bargaining to get the same fare going back into Cairo.
Egyptian Museum
Cramming one of the most significant collections of antiquities in the world into one space, the Egyptian Museum (Map; 2578 2448; www.egyptianmuseum.gov.eg; Midan Tahrir, Downtown; adult/student E£50/25; 9am-6.45pm) is not to be missed. With over 100,000 relics from almost every period of ancient Egyptian history, if you spent only one minute at each exhibit it would take more than nine months to see everything. Best to pace yourself. A new Grand Museum of Egypt is under construction near the Giza pyramids, though it is unlikely to be finished before 2012. Until then, parts of this great but overflowing collection will have to be explored in their current, poorly labelled and stuffy location.
Guides cost E£100 per hour and congregate outside the ticket box. You must check your cameras into the baggage room before entering the museum. Access to the Royal Mummy Room