Giza & Cairo

We arrived in the early morning and were transferred to the The Marriott Mena House in Giza with great views of the neighboring pyramids. 

There are 3 fine restaurants at the Mena House, one of which requires a jacket and tie. We ended up frequenting the 139 Pavilion with its varied menu and casual nature. On our first night, Dave got the mixed grill, the winning dish!

Our first sample of Egyptian wine was Shahrazade, a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. It turns out to be quite dependable in both quality and availability.  There were 6-10 wines that appeared on Egyptian wine lists.  A few were quite drinkable. Some were a step above. This is one of those. Admittedly, Egyptian wine service has a ways to go. The everyday restaurants use small sampler size glasses. The same that were common in San Miguel back in the mid-2000's. Not our favorite glasses. Also often the wine storage conditions were dubious. Actually the wine story is maybe better that you might expect given their religion and lack or wine culture. 

The next morning we are off to the GEM, the new Grand Egyptian Museum (opened officially in November, after we were home). The building and grounds span 40 acres on about 110 acres of land. And when fully open will contain a complete history of Egypt in artifacts and stories. It is impressive already and will require days to take it all in as it keeps evolving. The tour starts at the entrance and lobby and continues up the stairs (or escalators) through various large galleries. 

As you can see, the entry is decorated with beautiful hieroglyphics and cartouches (rounded frames enclosing the names of ancient pharaohs), sculptures and carved stone structures. We discovered that often sculptures of Pharaohs are decorated with a fine carvings of their wife in small scale beside their lower leg (top right below is Ramesses II, below is the carving of his Queen). 

Continuing into the galleries there are mummies, sarcophagi, jewelry, many more sculptures.

Below are sarcophagi, jewelry, including a beaded mummy net which was added to the mummy to add an extra layer of magical protection for the body. In the top right is a statue of the Falcon God Horus. In the bottom right is a statue of Mitri, an ancient Egyptian scribe. in a traditional scribal pose, seated cross-legged with a papyrus scroll on his lap.

Below are (cw from top left):

• Great Sphinx of Tanis discovered in the ruins of the Temple of Amun-Ra in Tanis. The statue was originally inscribed for Pharaoh Amenemhat II, and later usurped and reinscribed by several other rulers.
• Statue of the ancient Egyptian falcon deity Horus, primarily a sky god who was associated with the sun god, Ra. 
• Statue of the ancient Egyptian pharaoh, Amenemhat III.
• Winged Scarab. The large scarab beetle was carved from imported lapis lazuli, and its outstretched wings of silver and gold were inlaid with semi-precious stones. 
• Fresco, depicting scenes of people on boats, a common motif in ancient Egyptian art, often related to daily life, travel on the Nile, or funerary practices.

After the tour we had lunch at Zooba in the GEM (top two photos below)

That evening we returned to the 139 Pavillon where we enjoyed another Egyptian wine, a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot, and Syrah. Quite good. (bottom 3 photos)

For the next three days we moved to the Four Seasons in Cairo. We efficiently combined the move with a touring day, first visiting Saqqara Archeological site. Saqqara is the necropolis (cemetery) of the ancient city of Memphis and the home to the first Egyptian pyramids, built with stepped sides. Saqqara  is home to 16 king and numerous high officials It remained in use for non-royal burials for more than 3,000 years, well into Roman times.

The stepped pyramid of King Zoser, built in 27 century BCE, is considered the world's oldest standing stone structure.

The Funerary Complex of King Teti, dating back to the Sixth Dynasty (around 2330 BC), was built for the first pharaoh of the Sixth Dynasty. The burial chamber, is noted for being one of the first to feature Pyramid Texts, hieroglyphic spells intended to guide the king to the afterlife. The complex includes the tomb of Mereraka (Vizier of King Tetl and married to his daughter), with chambers adorned with various scenes of farming, hunting, fishing, jewelry manufacturing and other depictions of royal everyday life. It is considered one of the most decorated and most beautiful in Saqqara

We entered the Tomb of Mereruka, went down the stairs and through low passages to the burial chamber to find finely carved walls.

The Tomb of Kagemni (another Vizier of  King Teti) is nearby and also decorated with scenes of daily life including dancing, hunting and presentations of offerings. It includes some with the painting still showing.

Then on to visit the original stepped temple from the 27th century BC built by the architect Imhotep for Pharaoh Djoser. Beneath the pyramid lies an intricate labyrinth of tunnels and chambers, totaling nearly 6 kilometers in length. The public gets to visit a portion that accesses the main burial chamber viewed at the bottom of a central shaft.

After our visit the Pyramid at Saqqara we headed back to visit the pyramids at Giza. Along the way we saw some interesting, slow moving traffic on the street. We also made a short stop at a carpet school where families work together to produce some very nice carpets.

We enjoyed wandering around the Pyramids of Giza, including a short stop at the Sphinx. This is of course, a dream for so many of us. And it does live up to expectations. Then on to lunch at the 9 Pyramids Lounge overlooking the site.

After lunch we headed into Cairo and settled into our room at the Four Seasons. It offers a much more modern view than our hotel in Giza.

Later in the evening we had a light bite at the Upper Deck in the hotel.

Next day we headed to the old Egyptian Museum for the Tutankhamun exhibit. It was moved to the GEM in November. The final exhibit required for the official opening. We were lucky to catch highlights just before they were crated to move to the GEM. The King Tut exhibit is, of course, a popular attraction so we arrived at opening. Our guide knew how to get ahead of the crowds so we got a good view.

Below are: 

•  Ceremonial Throne of Tut
• An inlaid gold pectoral (breast plate) in the form of a falcon with outstretched wings 
•  The golden funerary mask of King Tut. It is made of solid gold and inlaid with various semi-precious stones and colored glass. 
• An ancient Egyptian tomb painting, likely depicting a scene from the afterlife or a religious ritual, complete with hieroglyphic inscriptions.
• Inlaid gold arm cuff  of King Psusennes I  featuring a lapis lazuli scarab and other semi-precious stone. 
• Funerary mask of Tjuyu (noblewoman, priestess and great-grandmother of Tut)  and  Yuya  (a powerful courtier and military leader, and great grand father of Tut.)

After the museum we visited the Citadel (medieval fortress), the Khan El-Khalili,  , the Al-Rifa'i Mosque (aka Mosque-Madrasa of Sultan Hasan) completed in 1363. 

• Minaret and dome at the Al-Rifa'i Mosque
• Intricately decorated pulpit at the Al-Rifai Mosque .
• The Citadel of Saladin (aka Cairo Citadel), a medieval Islamic-era fortification located on the Mokattam Hills
• Gold and blue stucco floral pattern carved into the wall of the Al-Rifai Mosque
• Goods for sale at Khan El-Khalili Market⁩.
• Outside the Al-Rifa'i Mosque

Next stop: seafood lunch at Khan El Khalili Restaurant, Pat enjoyed her calmari and prawns.

We had carpaccio for our light evening meal back at the Upper Deck in the Four Seasons.

On our final day in Cairo we focused on Roman times. We toured the Fortress of Babylon (built 100AD) where we visited the beautiful Coptic Church (dedicated to Saints Sergius and Bacchus), the Coptic Museum, the Hanging Church and the Church of St. George. As you can tell, there are a number of other religious structures in this area.We only hit the highlights. Along the way we saw:

• "In the footsteps of the Holy Family and Moses"in the Hanging Church
• The exterior entrance of the Hanging Church, so called because it is built with the nave suspended over a passageway of the Fortress giving the impression that it is "hanging" in the air.
• Lion statue located in front of the Coptic Museum
• A detailed stone lintel, which is part of the extensive collection of Coptic art housed at the Coptic Museum.
• Greek Orthodox Church of St. George with its unique circular design and large dome, one of the few round churches in the country.

• The Bawit fresco, a significant example of Coptic art, it  originates from the Monastery of Saint Apollo at Bawit.  It depicts Christ enthroned in glory, surrounded by angels and apostles.
• ancient decorated ceramic jar, likely a type of Greek or Coptic pottery, exhibited in a museum setting. The jar features a prominent painted decoration of a fish on its side. It has two handles for carrying and a slightly flared rim.
• A. Coptic urn 
• Ornate religious icon, possibly a Byzantine, featuring the Virgin Mary enthroned in the central panel, surrounded by 48 smaller panels depicting saints or martyrs.
• An icon depicting the Virgin Mary holding the crucified Christ,. It is unique because Mary is shown cradling the adult, crucified body of Jesus rather than the Christ child. 
• A mosaic icon from the Saints Sergius and Bacchus Church. The mosaics depict various scenes from the life of Christ and the Virgin Mary. 
• Ornate wooden altarpiece and icons inside the Hanging Church.

Lunch at La Pacha1901, on a former Paddle Boat. docked on the Niile. We must have been tired because we have no photos and no recollectionsof the meal.  It is an award winning restaurant, but we needed to save ourselves for out evening food tour. 

That evening we had a Walking food tour starting in Tahrir Square at a fine coffee shop and wandered through streets of Cairo enjoying a range of foods. 

With our tummies full, we went back to the hotel to prepare for our flight to Luxor in the morning.