Gizeh Pyramids, Cairo

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The Giza Necropolis is what is popularly known to us as the Great Pyramids. Located about 25 kms from central Cairo and 9 kms from the old town of Giza. The whole archeological necropolis or the Giza pyramid complex is on a plateau (Giza plateau).

After visiting the Egyptian Museum on my arrival day, tired, I slept and the following day when I woke up I was a bit confused what to see first - Islamic Cairo or the Pyramids - and decided intantly to go to the pyramid complex...and on my own. I suddenly felt like it would be a great accomplishment if I would be able to reach the place and come back on my own and do a report, so I did.

I went out and few meters from the hotel there are couple of drivers who are offering their private tours but I declined, I said I'm working in the suburb out of Cairo (I speak a little arabic - a plus!) so I know my way (a bluff). They're really persistent, and I heard the famous line again that I always hear - from Aswan to Luxor - "You know how much?" They would always say that to entice you to talk. You'll surely hear that several times from people offering their service on the street from felucca captains to taxi drivers to private cars. My reply is -- "Yeah, I know how much".

So, I headed to the Sadat Metro station which is a 2-minute walk from my hotel in Tahrir Square, bought the EGP1 one way ticket to Giza station. from the subway and figured out the line (internet research). Line 2 (Shubra to El-Mounib line), btw, there's a carriage for women only in the middle of the whole trains and marked as red which I only found out upon leaving Cairo. I didn't noticed that as I was following people. (See my transport tips).

So from Sadat , the 6th station is Giza and I got off from there and find a taxi to the Pyramids (Al-Ahramat in arabic). Took me awhile as I'm figuring out which taxi are not going to overcharge me. I took one with an old driver, he dropped me right in front of the entrance near the Sphinx (there's another gate which I've seen later and where I exited near the big pyramid) paid less than EGP20 for the taxi, and found out that I was so early and the gate will open at 8:00am, while there are people waiting at the gate, I suddenly realized they were all locals, and found out from this persistent guy who wants to sell his camel/horse rides that all of those people are working inside - working means selling souvenir stuff, etc.

So I waited there, chatting with the two guys one selling souvenirs and the camel/horse guy, they speak english and really persistent but I learned the way to avoid, they were friendly though and once they got the idea that yI wasn't really a good prospect, they just chat with me, and I told them I'm working in that place and company near Cairo which is actually existing.

The gate opened and I was the first visitor, bought the ticket (EGP60) and entered (see my tips on warnings), and really I was the only visitor on the first half of the complex but of course I was not the only person, there are reconstruction workers and the souvenir vendors and the camel/horses/donkey riders. The Sphinx was the first sight that greeted me, there's a temple right below the Sphinx and you could enter just present your ticket, so you could get near the Sphinx. The pyramids are on a near distance and the road to there is a bit inclined.

It was nice to see the pyramids when there aren't many people around in the early morn. Although the camel/horse riders are seriously annoying keep on floowing you and offering the expensive ride (see my tips on warnings), nonetheless, I've learned how to say an acceptable NO! or at least... You will be approached by almost every camel or horse or donkey owners.

I wander around the complex for maybe 4 hours and found most of the people who entered on the other gate near the largest Pyramid of Khufu (Cheops). They came in big buses, package tours. Then I decided to go back to the hotel, exited on the gate near the Pyramids of Khufu instead of walking back (long walk again) to the Sphinx side gate. Got out, walked until I reached the main road and took a taxi to the Giza metro station, taxi fare is a little less at EGP15, took the metro train and got off at Sadat near my hotel.

I enjoyed the Pyramid tour on my own, that I decided to come back. This time I went on a private car tour availed from the hotel because I want to go to Memphis and also the Step Pyramid (the very first Pyramid), but it's not possible to skip Giza, it's the same price anyway whether I skip Giza or take it in, so I came back to the Pyramids again. The whole day private tour costs me EGP180. More of this on the next tips....

Nothing could prepare you for your first sight of these wonderful wonders......there is no other words than pure AWESOME !!!!!! Take time to walk around, we paid 50 LE per person and were never asked about a ticket for your camera !!!! Don't know where these people who claim that you must have a camera ticket come from ????? And yes there is people trying to sell you things, but we never thought they we overwhelming, or bothersome....we just walk right past them and we were left alone !!!!! Still one of the Wonders of the World !!!!!

I'm Egyptian and every time i go there i keep starring and just say the same typical sentence "oh god, thats so huge, how did the huk they did this?" i never get bored of saying this.
dear freinds, you really must see it your self, its amazingly hugeeeee. to go inside it costs some money. tickets are limited you have to go in the early morrning to take a turn.

bargin, if you are going by your own.

dont miss the sun boat musuem in the back yard.

I felt compelled to write this review as my wife and I were so impressed by Easy travel Egypt organization and attention We organized two days tours with them , We had our own Egyptology for each day - both of whom were very knowledgeable, and also so accommodating to our wishes. They also helped so much with "local knowledge" on what to do - and what not to. The company's representatives were always on hand and so helpful.
I would defiantly recommend Easy travel Egypt for every one traveling to Egypt

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The 3 most famous Pyramids,namely the Great Pyramid of Khufu(Cheops),the largest among the 3.It stands 137m and it was the tallest man made structure in the world until the Eiffel Tower was built in Paris in 1889.There's a small chamber inside the pyramid which can be visited from 8am til 4pm.Then the Pyramid of Khafre(Chephren) is smaller than Khufu 'tho its location on slightly higher ground makes it appear taller.Finally the Pyramid of Menkaure(Mycerinus) the smallest pyramid and thought to be for the family of Menkaure.These pyramids are located right at the edge of the city,so expect traffic while heading to the pyramids.Unfortunately,I couldn't get clear photos because of the thick smog due to heavy pollution in Cairo.

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The Great Sphinx or "Abu Hol as he is sometimes called. is one of the most recognizable monuments in the world. He and the three pyramids he guards are considered to be one of the "Seven Wonders of the World". Abu Hol acts as a protector of The Pyramids. The Sphinx is made of natural stone, the Sphinx is the largest monolithic statue in the world. Abu Hol is 260 ft long, 20 ft wide, and 66 ft tall, he stands taller than a 6-story building. His paws alone are 50 ft long, his head, 30 ft long and 14 ft wide.

He was discovered by Tuthmosis IV he unearthed the Sphinx after being buried in sand. The last time he was cleared of sand was in 1925. The Sphinx has had many restore him throughout the years. His breast and paws were restored by the Ptolemys and the Caesars. the latest restoration was of his tail which wraps around his right side.

Other facts about the Sphinx:

He is oriented due east to face the rising sun.

There is a chapel located between his paws which was discovered in 1816.

There is a small temple located behind the Sphinx made up of large blocks of Red Granite from Aswan.

The body of the Sphinx has suffered water damage, which is a mystery since he and the location of the pyramids borders on the Sahara Desert.

Open daily
Price: 60.00 L.E. (10.39 USD)

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Visiting Pyramids and not enjoying Camel ride? Yes, it also an experience though a bit expensive at 100 Egyptian Pounds ( USD$20) per person, but thoroughly enjoyable the half an hour ride.There are about 100 or 200 cames, horse carts waiting for the tourists. We had no time for bargaining but one can always bargain asbargaining is way of life in Egypt.

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Built around 4500 years ago, the Sphinx is still going strong but with some damage on the face!
A sphinx is a mythological creature that is depicted as a recumbent feline with a human head. It has its origins in sculpted figures of lionesses with female human heads (unless the pharaoh was depicted as the son of the deity[clarification needed]) of Old Kingdom Egypt in association with their solar deities, Bast or Sekhmet. The sphinx is also used to represent some gods with the use of heads other than human (Karnak with a ram's head and Horus with a falcon's head).The ancient Greeks adapted this image and applied their own name for a male monster, the "strangler", an archaic figure of Greek mythology. Similar creatures of either gender appear throughout South and South-East Asia. In European decorative art, the sphinx enjoyed a major revival during the Renaissance. Later, the sphinx image, something very similar to the original Ancient Egyptian concept, was exported into many other cultures, albeit often interpreted quite differently due to translations of descriptions of the originals and the evolution of the concept in relation to other cultural traditions.

Generally the role of sphinxes is associated with architectural structures such as royal tombs or religious temples. The oldest known sphinx was found in Gobekli Tepe, Turkey and was dated to 9,500 B.C.[1] Perhaps the first sphinx in Egypt was one depicting Queen Hetepheres II, of the fourth dynasty that lasted from 2723 to 2563 BC. She was one of the longest-lived members of the royal family of that dynasty.

The largest and most famous is the Great Sphinx of Giza, Arabic: أبو الهول, sited at the Giza Plateau on the west bank of the Nile River and facing due east (29°58′31″N 31°08′15″E / 29.97528°N 31.1375°E / 29.97528; 31.1375). It is also from the same dynasty. Although the date of its construction is uncertain, the head of the Great Sphinx now is believed to be that of the pharaoh Khafra.

What names their builders gave to these statues is not known. At the Great Sphinx site, the inscription on a stele erected a thousand years later, by Thutmose IV in 1400 BCE, lists the names of three aspects of the local sun deity of that period, Khepera - Rê - Atum. The inclusion of these figures in tomb and temple complexes quickly became traditional and many pharaohs had their heads carved atop the guardian statues for their tombs to show their close relationship with the powerful solar deity, Sekhmet, a lioness. Other famous Egyptian sphinxes include one bearing the head of the pharaoh Hatshepsut, with her likeness carved in granite, which is now in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, and the alabaster sphinx of Memphis, currently located within the open-air museum at that site. The theme was expanded to form great avenues of guardian sphinxes lining the approaches to tombs and temples as well as serving as details atop the posts of flights of stairs to very grand complexes. Nine hundred with ram heads, representing Amon, were built in Thebes, where his cult was strongest.( History courtsey: Wikipidia)