For centuries the monuments of ancient Egypt have fascinated man. They have inspired admiration for their sheer grandeur and beauty, and speculation about their methods of construction and spiritual signification. Egypt's pyramids and temples stand as symbols of the immortality that the Ancient Egyptian aimed to achieve, but they also represent the legacy of a highly sophisticated way of life on earth.

Few years ago I had the opportunity to visit Egypt and to see the ruins of those ancient civilizations. The more you see it, not just the pyramid; the whole Ancient Egyptian Civilization will attract you like a magnet.

Of the seven wonders of the Ancient World, two were Egyptian: The Great pyramid of Khafu at Giza and the Pharos lighthouse Alexandria. The other five were Semirans Hanging Gardens at Babylon[ Mesopotamia], the gold – inlaid Statue of Zeus in Olympia[ Greece], the bronze Colossus of Rhodes dedicated to the sun-god, the Temple of Artemis at Ephesus and the Mausoleum of Halicarnasus [now Bodrum] [both in Asia-Minor]. The Great Pyramid is the only one of these marvels that remains today.

The word 'pyramid' seems to have first been used by the Greeks who derived it from pyramis, meaning a kind of cake.

If we want to know more about pyramids and the pharaohs we really have to go back into the 5th century B.C, when the Greek historian Herodotus and Diodorus first began writing a history of Egypt. They called Egypt 'the gift of Nile', because floodwater of this great river deposited rich, black soil on the land year after year..Egyption farmers planted their crops in this fertile soil. Sandy plateaus and towring cliffs bordered the river valley. Beyond stretched the barren wastes of the Sahara. On the edge of this desert, the Egyptians built giant pyramids as burial places for their pharaohs.

To understand the secret of Cairo's magnetism and to appreciate the sprit of this living entity, one must travel back in time to imagine the birth of this radiant city which abounds in the splendors of the pharaohs,the earliest achievements of Christianity and the glories of Islam. This is a very long journey through eras beginning deep in antiquity, thousands of years before the Christ.

Egyptian's are very proud of their radiant long glorious past and distinguished present. They called Cairo ' a cradle of civilization', a wellspring of culture, a beacon of faith and a meeting place of the Asian, African and European worlds.

Our hotel was little bit far from Cairo city but nearer to Giza, where most of the great pyramids are. We had magnificent view of the pyramids and the river Nile from our hotel balcony.

There are so many things to see in Egypt. The ruins of ancient Egypt attract thousands of tourist everyday. The journey starts in the west bank of the Nile at the city of Memphis. Egypt's oldest capital Memphis was founded 5000 years ago by Menes, the first pharaoh , who combines Egypt's ancient upper and lower kingdoms into one. Memphis was replaced as Egypt's capital by other city, but in the area of Cairo, a second city gained prominence, that city was located at the site of the present Ein Sham or Matariya. It is mention in the Bible as 'ON' and was named 'Hoellopolis' by the ancient Greek and Roman.

After the Pharaos there were many rulers at the Egyption soil. At last 642 A.D The Arabs completed their conquest of Egypt. Egypt's first Islamic capitol emerged from the military camp of Moslem leaders. Over the centuries different muslim leaders built fabulous palaces, mansions and mosques. During these eras there were so many magnificent mosques that Cairo became known as ' The city of thousand Minarets'.

Among many other things Egyption pyramids was the most significant achievement of the pharaonic eras. So our first priority was to see the pyramids.
Instead of taking the bus or the car we took a camel ride to see the Giza's Pyramid's and the Sphinx. It took us almost the whole day to visit the three largest Pyramids' and the surroundings. Our guide was pulling the camel leash through the desert and narrating the ancient history.

Three kings of the fourth Dynasty [Khufa, Khafra and Menkawra] built their pyramids on the Giza plateau. The Great Pyramid of King Khafu was built mainly with blocks of mediocre quality local limestone. It covers an area of about 13 acres, the length of each side being 230meters. Its perpendicular height was originally 146.59meters, now it stands at 138.75 meters. This pyramid was built within 30 years and nearly 100,000workers were engaged. The massive stones were hauled onto sledges and dragged up to each construction layer on ramps made of stones and rubble. The ramps were gradually raised higher to reach each successive layer of the pyramid. Finally, the stonework was coated and finished after which the ramps were cleared away

The original entrance, as in all other pyramids, is in the northern side, probably so as to face the circumpolar stars where the soul of the king would dwell in heaven. The inside of the pyramid was constructed in such a way that scientist still trying to figure out how they built. There were many chambers and compartments. There was a king's burial chamber, queen's burial chamber and all other chambers were used for the furniture, models of foods, drinking vessels and lots of personal belongings which they thought the deceased king would use again in the afterlife. The walls and cellins were illustrated with colorful artifacts and ritual spells.

The pyramid of Khafra, the second largest of the Giza group, was built on a higher plateau than Khufa's and thus appears taller. Its limestone walls were covered with rose granite panels and the floor was paved with alabaster. Khafra's mortuary temple is situated to the east of the pyramid .The plan of this temple is not as simple as other Old Kingdom temples. Its main feature is the great open court, where offerings were paraded, surrounded by an arcade with a curved roof. Twelve large statues of the King might have been placed against the pillars of the arcade. The main T – shaped hall of the temple was covered with a roof supported by 16 rose granite pillars. The pyramid of Menkaura, which is the smallest on the Giza plateau, was built of poor quality local limestone.

The Giza plateau has the largest number of pyramids. Besides these, there are many pyramids stretched along the border of the Nile River.

Saqqara's step pyramid is famous for its magnificent construction. There were 14 projected doorways distributed along the four sides. Thirteen of these were dummy entrance. The only real door stood in the southeastern corner. The pyramid of Abu Sir were solidly built with basalt floors and granite columns brought from Aswan.
The pyramid of Meidum is one of the most important yet most problematic Egyptian pyramids. This stepped structure pyramid was subsequently covered with smoothly slopping outer casing of fine Tura limestone, thus creating the first 'true' pyramid in Egypt. It was also the first monument to have all the elements of a standard Old Kingdom Royal Pyramid Complex.

Besides all these pyramids, at Giza complex there is a colossal statue.The statue of Sphinx. It represents the figure of the sun-god Ra-Hor-akhry or Hor-em-akhet who is shown here with the facial features of King Khafra. Thus, the god and the king assimilated to each other through this hybird image which binds the strength if the lion with the reason of man. In this form, it can also be assumed that the Sphinx acted as guard to the royal necropolis.

The pyramids are one of the seventh wonders of the ancient world. Most of the treasures of these pyramids are now in the Cairo Museum. The museum's building, now housing over 120,000 pieces, which was opened in November 1902. Of the museum's treasures, those from the tomb of Tutankhamun [discovered in 1922] are the most celebrated. They consist of about 3000 pieces, including the gold funerary mask and coffin, the golden shrines, four special statuettes of Tutankhamun, furniture, jewels and one alabaster unguent vessel. This object, found in the tomb of Tutankhamun, is considered to be a masterpiece of unequalled quality, not only because of its exquisite artistic composition, but also for its perfect sculpture and delicate openwork. Tutunkhamun's throne was found in good condition.The museum is also famous for its collection of royal and privet statuary, reliefs and paintings,thematic units such as the various types of scripts and writing materials, the royal mummies, coffins and sarcophagi, objects for daily or funerary use and decorative art from all periods of Ancient Egyption history.
Other significant finds exhibited include the complete contents of the First Dynasty tomb of Hemaka, an intact bedroomset from the Giza tomb of queen Hetepheres [Khafu's mother], jewelry from the middle kingdom tombs at Dahshur. Some of the jewels found in the 21st –22nd Dynasty royal tombs. All these ancient Egyptian treasures are unparalleled throughout the world. Inside the museum there is a big special room, where visitors go very quietly just to see the royal mummys.There are 11 royal mummy's, among them 19th Dynasty's RamsesII and the Queen Nefertiti's mummys are well known.
There are many theories and speculations concerning the purpose of building pyramids. A roman philosopher thought that the pyramids served not only as tombs and monuments but also as astronomical observatories. A legend which circulated until the Middle Ages suggested that the pyramids might have been built in ancient times to serve as the graneries of Joseph, the favored son of Jacob and Rachel, to store corn during the seven years of plenty for use in the seven years of drought. Some Arab writers, however, conjectured that the pyramids had been used to hide the wisdom and scientific knowledge of the Ancient Egyptians, lest they become lost in the great flood. In 1859, the British pyramidologist John Taylor surmised that the Great Pyramid was built by a non-Egyptian divine race. Later, the 20th century pyramidologist Adam Rutherford believed that the architect of the Great Pyramid was the creator of the universe, and that the divine plan was to preserve the deepest secrets of the eternal sprite within the pyramid. He wrote: “ The Great Pyramid and the Bible reproduce the same origin , the one in stone and the other in words.” Egyptologist, however, believes that the pyramids served merely as royal tombs and monuments and had no other function.

Egypt was not just the city of ancient civilization, today it was an international center for intellectual, social, economic, and political activity. Cairo was radiant at night. During the day time most of the shops and cafés were closed even though some of them were open, there was hardly any customer. There were many shopping malls but during day time they were very slow. Because of the hot weather people stayed inside at day time. As evening approached the people were out with their family. They loved to eat outside. Regular dinner was not expensive at all. Night entertainment was the best part. There was sound and light shows at the Pyramid and the Citadel. Most of the casinos and night clubs were located on the banks of the Nile River or on the region of the Pyramids, so the visitors could enjoy the delightful evening of oriental and western music. Visitors took night boat ride at the Nile. Most of the shops were open late at night.

Cairo was a beautiful city. Most of the people were poor and middle class. They were happy and proud with their Ancient Egyptian Civilization.