Adventures on the Nile: a Plethora of Pyramids
Right about the time we thought we'd seen extremely ancient tombs and temples, we visited Saqqara, the necropolis of Memphis, and we gained a whole new perspective of time. Memphis was the first capital after Egypt was united around 3000 BC and remained an important religious center for thousands of years. It lost importance around 300 BC when the Ptolemaic Pharaohs moved the capital to Alexandria. Then when Egypt was conquered by Arabs in 800 AD, Memphis was used as a quarry for the expansion of Cairo. Thankfully Saqqara and its pyramids and tombs survived the ravages of time, neglect, and war. The Step Pyramid of Djoser is the oldest stone building in the world, dating to around 2630 BC. And there are other pyramids at Saqqara, as well as just south in Dahshur, which we could see in the distance. We truly enjoyed touring a tomb of the princess Idut (photos were not allowed), where we got to see beautifully preserved depictions of daily life from 4,300 years ago. Simply ...