THE GREAT PYRAMID OF CHEOPS. One of the seven ancient wonders of the world. An achievement so colossal that no one even today knows for certain how the nearly two million, 2.5-ton blocks of limestone were raised to complete this massive burial structure, this selfstyled tomb for the pharaoh Khufu who lived some 4,500 years ago.
The Great Pyramid of Cheops is set between two smaller pyramids (Chephren and Mycerinus), built by later pharaohs. In front of these pyramids is the Great Sphinx, standing guard over the spirits of the past.
Thousands of tourists visit the Pyramids each year. By day they roam the halls, galleries and burial chambers that comprise the interior. By night they view a light show that offers a chilling account of how Egyptian kings, queens and high priests were prepared for their "great passage" into the afterlife. It was a passage made by many, such as the "Boy King" Tutankhamen and his stepmother, Queen Nefertiti, in their late teens and early twenties.
Located on the desert plateau of Giza, just outside downtown Cairo, the Pyramids have survived wind and flood and the ravages of man. They remain today a tribute to the strength and perseverance of the Egyptian people. They represent the resilience of this society - a resilience that is also manifesting itself today as Egypt works to divest itself of the socialist legacy of President Gamal Abdul Nasser. Many Egyptians blame Nasser’s reign (1954 to 1970) for creating the problems that have inhibited the country’s growth - problems that are just now beginning to give way to an era filled with hope and promise.
Cairo itself is a city of 17 million people. Its intrinsic beauty remains for all to behold. To the north, Alexandria has a rich history and possesses a magnifi cence all its own. Both Cairo and Alexandria have all the trappings of ancient cities: museums containing relics of the past, mosques that have stood for hundreds of years, and horse-drawn carts carrying goods over dusty roads. Both, however, also bear many signs of revival and progress as entrepreneurs begin to realize the vast economic potential of this region and a new cabinet gives hope that massive governmental bureaucracy will soon be a thing of the past.
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THE GREAT PYRAMID OF CHEOPS. One of the seven ancient wonders of the world. An achievement so colossal that no one even today knows for certain how the nearly two million, 2.5-ton blocks of limestone were raised to complete this massive burial structure, this selfstyled tomb for the pharaoh Khufu who lived some 4,500 years ago.
Thousands of tourists visit the Pyramids each year. By day they roam the halls, galleries and burial chambers that comprise the interior. By night they view a light show that offers a chilling account of how Egyptian kings, queens and high priests were prepared for their "great passage" into the afterlife. It was a passage made by many, such as the "Boy King" Tutankhamen and his stepmother, Queen Nefertiti, in their late teens and early twenties.
Located on the desert plateau of Giza, just outside downtown Cairo, the Pyramids have survived wind and flood and the ravages of man. They remain today a tribute to the strength and perseverance of the Egyptian people. They represent the resilience of this society - a resilience that is also manifesting itself today as Egypt works to divest itself of the socialist legacy of President Gamal Abdul Nasser. Many Egyptians blame Nasser’s reign (1954 to 1970) for creating the problems that have inhibited the country’s growth - problems that are just now beginning to give way to an era filled with hope and promise.
Cairo itself is a city of 17 million people. Its intrinsic beauty remains for all to behold. To the north, Alexandria has a rich history and possesses a magnifi cence all its own. Both Cairo and Alexandria have all the trappings of ancient cities: museums containing relics of the past, mosques that have stood for hundreds of years, and horse-drawn carts carrying goods over dusty roads. Both, however, also bear many signs of revival and progress as entrepreneurs begin to realize the vast economic potential of this region and a new cabinet gives hope that massive governmental bureaucracy will soon be a thing of the past.
