Visiting the Great Pyramids at Giza, just outside Cairo, is something of a surprise first time around. Thousands of years old they might be, but they’re unexpectedly close to 21st century civilisation. In fact, they’re bang up against some not-very-nice urban sprawl – and this has led to a number of problems. Out of Giza’s slums come too many hawkers by far, offering camel rides, souvenirs, drinks, scarabs, horse rides, photographs, T-shirts – you name it. The jostling and clamouring, coupled with searing heat, can be really overwhelming at busy times, and unless you happen to want what they’re offering, the hawkers of Giza are a pain in the neck. Think I'm exaggerating? Take a look at these reviews on TripAdvisor.
Photo by lyng883
But things are changing for the better, with the introduction of strict new security measures at Giza. The wide plateau on which the Pyramids stand is now surrounded by a high chain-link fence and tourists enter the site through a secure building (with x-ray and metal detectors; watch what you carry in your back-pack!). Souvenirs, photos, camel and horse rides will still be available, but in designated areas. And more good news: plans are in place for a bookshop and information centre.
Photo by lyng883
However, it’s not only hawkers who cause problems at the Pyramids. Plenty of visitors do too, so from now on everyone will be under close scrutiny from a bank of security cameras - and not before time.
Being in the presence of the Great Pyramids is a humbling and unforgettable experience. Their size is staggering; their antiquity almost inconceivable. And it's simply impossible to imagine the effort that went into building them. According to Napoleon, they contain enough stones to make a three-metre-high wall around Europe. And here are two more facts to remember: for 43 centuries, the largest of Giza's pyramids, Cheops (Khufu), was the tallest structure on Earth. It’s big enough to contain several of Europe’s huge cathedrals. Stand, stare and marvel … you’ll be able to do so now, without the sound of a hawker at your elbow.
Pharoahic Footnote: A visit to the nearby Great Sphinx goes without saying. But don’t miss the solar boat museum, which now offers the chance to see a second of the four-millenia-old funerary vessels (the one built to carry Cheops himself to the underworld) via closed-circuit TV. The boat on display is pictured at the right.
Photo by ninahale