Giza, Egypt In contrast to this dirty dusty city, a new marvel has risen from the desert, the Grand Egyptian Museum.
With pyramid motifs galore, this brand-new huge edifice is filled with space, light, and people, plus everything previously held in museum attics. A true GEM.
We took a guided tour, with a guide who spoke a reasonable facsimile of English. As we now know, our years of study have paid off handsomely when it comes to explaining various pharaohs and dynasties.
The tour begins on an escalator that moves alongside the grand staircase, which some chose to climb, and most, like us, chose to only admire from the sidelines.
There are amazing views from various levels of the nearby pyramids. Kind of takes your breath away.
Each level of the museum focuses on a different time and topic, with so many riches it is impossible to describe.
But let’s cut to the chase and follow the crowds to King Tut, the star of the show. Every one of the thousands of objects found in his tomb are displayed here. The crowds and the glare of the lighting made it hard to capture some of them. But enjoy these samples.
Tut was concealed in gold caskets inside caskets, and gold coffins inside gold coffins. But it’s the solid gold final funerary mask that is the centerpiece of the whole museum. stunning from every aspect.
Outside the main building is a separate building devoted to the discovery in 1954 and display of the ceremonial funerary boat of Khufu, the builder of the Great Pyramid.
This amazing structure measures some 142 feet long and 19 feet wide. It’s suspended so that you can view every angle of the boat while walking along a ramp. It was found in its entirety but in over 1000 pieces. It took years to reassemble. A second boat was found in a nearby pit and it’s still in the process of being assembled. The boat is presumed to a precise full-size replica of a boat used on the Nile during that period (2500 B.C.). Admiring it was as breathtaking as seeing the King Tut objects.
Don’s Food Corner
The museum had a food court, sporting a dozen or so eateries of various ethic origins. It was a welcome sight. We chose a place that served pizza!
I ordered a Margarita pizza; Jo a pepperoni pizza. Both were prepared in Neapolitan style, meaning that they had soft crusts baked at a very high temperature, quickly, so that they picked up blackened spots. They were just was the doctor ordered.
The diet plan ended. At least for today.
Who cares about TUT and Khurfu’s boat? The pizza looks like the star. Just kidding of course. Khurfu’s boat looks extraordinary. Happy to see you guys finally made it there.
I am so overwhelmed by all that you captured I am at a loss for words except maybe envy.