Egypt Travel Part XI: Cairo Food, Saqqara and Memphis
Egypt Travel Part XI: Cairo Food, Saqqara and Memphis
Day 10 Friday, 22 December 2017
Flight back to Cairo
In the morning of 22 Dec 2017, we flew back to Cairo from Sharm el Sheikh in southern Sinai Peninsula.
Map showing the air-flight route from Sharm el Sheikh to Cairo
Departure from Sharm el Sheikh, Sinai Peninsula
Tour group leaving Sharm el Sheikh International Airport for Cairo in the north-west of Egypt on 22 Dec 2017.
Arrival at Cairo
More than an hour later, tour group arrived and landed at Cairo International Airport at 9.40 a.m. and noticed that it was shrouded in haze. The haze was caused by fine particles blown from the Sahara Desert in the west and smoke from vehicles in the city and open burning in its outskirt.
Lunch at Alezba Village Restaurant, Cairo
Tour group boarded a coach at the Cairo airport and went to a place, Alezba Village Restaurant, in the city for a buffet lunch.
Tour group entering Alzeba Village Restaurant for lunch.
A garden at Alzeba Village Restaurant, Cairo
A worker making freshly baked bread in a traditional oven
Eating place at Alzeba Village Restaurant, Cairo
Tour group helping themselves to many kinds of dishes at the restaurant
Tour members queuing up for food
Tour members going for more food?
This is writer’s lunch at Alzeba Village Restaurant, Cairo.
Grilled chicken meat, anyone?
Lim family members, including writer, having lunch at the restaurant
Teo and wife, and Neoh and wife having lunch at the restaurant
Tay and family having lunch at the restaurant
Samuel Koh and family having lunch at the restaurant
Tan and family having lunch at the restaurant
Peter Lim and family having lunch at the restaurant
Liew and family having lunch at the restaurant
Evi Cuaca and mother having lunch at the restaurant
Gan and Chew having lunch at the restaurant
Visiting two historical places in the south of Cairo
After the delicious, sumptuous meal at Alezba Village Restaurant in Cairo, the tour group travelled several km south of Cairo to visit two historical places, Saqqara and Memphis.
Map showing the location of Saqqara and Memphis
Ticket to see the Step Pyramid Comples in Saqqara
Step Pyramid of King Djoser
Tour group entered the Step Pyramid Complex and saw the Pyramid of King Djoser built in 2700 B.C. by Imhotep, a famous ancient Egyptian architect. It was meant as a tomb for King Djoser who ruled ancient Egypt from 2667-2648 B.C..
The pyramid consists of six square mastabas, one on top of each other and the top one is smaller than the bottom one. The height of the pyramid is about 62 metres.
Writer and wife at the Step Pyramid Complex, Saqqara, Egypt
Court of Columns, an entrance to Step Pyramid Complex, Saqqara, Egypt
Funerary Temple near Step Pyramid of King Djoser, Saqqara, Egypt
A smaller ruined tomb at Step Pyramid Complex, Saqqara, Egypt
Remains of a ruined temple at Step Pyramid Complex, Saqqara, Egypt
Remains of a ruined house at Step Pyramid Complex, Saqqara, Egypt
Visiting Memphis, the oldest capital of Egypt
Having seen enough of Step Pyramid Complex in Saqqara, we went to another place nearby. It was the oldest capital of Egypt known as Memphis. It was established by the first pharaoh, Menes, on the west bank of River Nile. The king founded the First Dynasty more than 5000 years ago.
Decline of Memphis
When the Romans arrived in Egypt, Memphis lost its importance to Alexandria in the north which was nearer to the Roman Empire. Its ruins are located near a town, Mit Rahina, 20 km south of Cairo.
Ticket to enter Mit Rahina Museum, Mit Rahina, Egypt
Mit Rahina Museum
Mit Rahina houses a large statue of King Ramesses II(1303-1213) and many artifacts of the ancient temples of Memphis.
A huge statue of King Ramesses II in the museum
The statue of King Ramesses II was found face down in a marshy ground in Mit Rahina in 1821
Ancient Temples and tombs around Mit Rahina Museum
There are several ancient temples sited around Mit Rahina Museum such as Ptah Temple, Ramesses II Temple, Hathor Temple and Tombs of High Priests, too.
Open air museum outside Mit Rahina Museum
Relics of ancient temples and chapels in the open air museum of Mit Rahina Museum
Lim family members including writer posing in front of the second largest Sphinx in Egypt in the open air museum
Writer and wife standing in front of a tall statue of Ramesses II in the open air museum
A friendly guard standing next to a headless statue of Ramesses II in the open air museum
“Triad of Memphis” in the open air museum was a family of three gods: Great God Ptah(middle), his wife, Sekhmet(on his left), and King Ramesses II as his son, Nefertum(on his right).
Bust of Goddess Hathor with cow ears
Bust of Goddess Hathor with cow ears in the open air museum was a symbol of love, motherhood and music, and provider of food, milk and produce.
Mummification Bed
Mummification bed on which dead bodies were washed clean, and their organs removed before being wrapped in linen a few time. Then they were kept in sarcophaguses(coffins).
Diagram showing steps for ancient Egyptian mummification
Egyptian tour-guide, Khaled, telling the tour group about the history of Memphis outside the Mit Rahina Museum
Back to Cairo from Mit Rahina Museum
After an interesting visit to Mit Rahina Museum learning about the ancient history of Memphis, we headed back to Le Meridien Hotel in Cairo for dinner.
(Continue in Egypt Travel Part XII Final)
Egypt Travel Parts I to XII
Egypt Travel Part I :Salah el Din Citadel, Muhammad Ali Mosque, Tahrir Square and Egyptian Museum
Egypt Travel Part II :Valley of the Kings, Hatshepsut Temple and Colossi of Memnon
Egypt Travel Part III :Hot Air Balloons and Karnak Temple Complex
Egypt Travel Part IV :Papyrus Paper-Making, Luxor Temple and Esna Lock
Egypt Travel Part V :Edfu Temple, Kom Ombo Temple and Galabia Party
Egypt Travel Part VI :Abu Simbel Temples and Nubian Village(Elephantine Island)
Egypt Travel Part VII :Unfinished Obelisk, Aswan High Dam and Philae Temple
Egypt Travel Part VIII:Ahmed Hamdi Tunnel, Moon Beach(Ras Sudr), and St. Catherine
Egypt Travel Part IX :Mount Sinai, Catherine’s Monastery and Sharm el Sheikh
Egypt Travel Part X :Sharm el Sheikh
Egypt Travel Part XI :Cairo Food, Saqqara Step Pyramid Complex and Memphis
Egypt Travel Part XII :Great Giza Pyramid Complex and Khan el Khalil Bazaar
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