The Giza Necropolis

"We Greeks are in reality children compared with this people with traditions ten times older... ....Egypt has recorded and kept eternally the wisdom of the old times."

PLATO - 3rd Century BC

Standing just North of the 30th parallel in Lower Egypt, the necropolis on the Giza plateau is truly an astounding architectural achievement on an immense scale.  The site itself is dominated by the three main pyramids, attributed to Khufu, Khafre and Menkaure, Egyptian Pharaohs of the 4th Dynasty (c. 2500 BC). Other significant structures on the plateau include the Great Sphinx, the Sphinx Temple, the Valley Temple, and the Funerary Boat pits.

Personal Impressions

The first thing that struck me on visiting the plateau was the constant activity all around us. Despite having chosen a quiet time to visit, being just over a year since the killing of 58 foreign tourists by fundamentalists at Luxor, it was understandable that security would be very visible. However, I couldn't help feeling a little unsettled by so many heavily-armed soldiers nearby, their presence seeming so out of place in the face of such ancient architectural majesty.

It also occured to me just how many ordinary Egyptians depend upon the monuments for their very livelyhood - from early morning the plateau is swarming with locals offering everything from ice-cold drinks to postcards, from camel rides to guided tours.

Ignoring the inevitable badgering, I felt an immense freedom in wandering about the necropolis; we had set aside 3 separate days for this purpose to ensure we covered all the features of this incredible site. Also, a mile or so's treck out into the desert rewarded us with some superb views which are shown below.