I was 18 when I first visited Egypt. I had read about this ancient land and was always mystified as I read the tales of Caesar and Cleopatra, Marc Antony, Moses and the Hebrew slaves. And, King Tut! But, to really be there was the real kicker! I just couldn't wait to go there and see this land for myself!
I had a real ball when I visited the Sphinx! One of my fellow-models took a picture of me, stretched out on one of the stone paws, my head resting against its mighty shoulder...my hat pulled down over my eyes, pretending to be napping.
No one knows exactly when the Sphinx was created...though scientists believe it may be as old as 10,000 years, which would put it being erected long before any of the civilized dynasties. But, just one look at the head reveals that it may have been at the same time that the Great Pyramid (which stands behind it) was built. Many say that the face may be that of Khufu, or Cheops...one of the mightiest rulers of Egypt. As to the reason why there is no nose...that is easy to explain. Over the centuries, desert salt, acid and wind had slowly eroded the stone so that it appears as it does today.
At its base, between the paws, there is a door which leads inside the huge stone edifice. For a price, a guide will take you deep into the heart of the Sphinx. Let me tell you this...exploring this great stone statue is a real experience of a lifetime!
The Pyramids of Giza...collectively, one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. Strategically placed so as to align themselves with stars and constellations, the pyramids are a real thrill to visit and explore. And, let me tell you this...it takes days just to explore the interior of one!
The Great Pyramid (the tallest of them all) is one of the most intriguing "buildings" to explore. As you enter (after paying your admittance fee, of course), the guide takes you up and down through stone corridors, into huge chambers filled with sarcophagi, statues and treasure chests. But, be warned! Do not touch anything...though you might be tempted to. It is said that Khufu placed a curse on the pyramid. One may enter...but should he dare to touch anything and disturb the great ruler's eternal sleep, he will never make it out of there alive!!!
The three smaller pyramids, it is said, were erected to resemble the belt of the constellation Orion. And, to see the whole thing from the air, one can only see why. There are eight pyramids in all...all taking the shape of the constellation.
Cairo...a modern city standing amongst ancient wonders. This is not an ancient city. Cairo never existed in the time of Cleopatra. In her day, Alexandria was the center of Egyptian commerce. The city is only about 200 years old...300 at the oldest. Believe it or not, Verdi's great achievement, Aida, made its premiere here...not in Rome or Milan. And, why not? After all, the opera tells the story of an Ethiopian princess enslaved in Egypt and in love with her conqueror, the hero Radames...much to the chagrin of his intended, the Pharaoh's daughter.
One can purchase anything they want in the marketplaces throughout the city...tapestries, statues, perfumes...anything your heart desires! I visited Cairo again in 2000 with my wife. Even she was amazed at the expanse of the country. She still says that she wants to visit there again...next time with our kids.
This is a bust of Hatshepsut, one of Egypt's earliest self-reigning queens. That's right...queens. Hatshepsut felt that nobody would ever take her as a serious ruler...so she dressed herself like a man, wearing the headdress and beard of a Pharaoh, only to remove them in private, as well as the tight bodice to flatten her bosom.
Not too much is preserved today about Hatshepsut...except for one thing. It is rumored that Hatshepsut was responsible for creating the first zoo. On her many hunts, Hatshepsut ordered animals to be netted and caged rather than killed. She, herself, tended to the animals' care, hand-feeding them and training them to perform tricks to entertain her staff and other nobles.
Another thing that modern woman has to thank Hatshepsut for...makeup. That was the only way ancient nobles knew that Hatshepsut was not a man...the fact that she wore eye makeup (which caught on with all the later Pharaohs) and lip color. She dabbled in creating all of the makeup herself and would allow no one to apply it to her face.
No one knows exactly where Hatshepsut's tomb is. All that is known about her was found in writings of later rulers. But, she is still considered one of the greatest Pharaohs of the ancient world.
All throughout the pyramids and other tombs, one cannot help but notice all of the ancient hieroglyphs which are carved into the walls, telling the tales of the Pharaohs whose bodies were interred within. Although I do speak and read Farsi, I'm afraid that only an experienced Egyptologist can translate what is carved here. The ability to translate hieroglyphs is an art which takes decades to achieve...and only the finest Egyptologists can do that! Boy, what a story this tablet could tell!
"Do not disturb our rest...lest you be consumed in iniquity!"
That seems to be what these mummies are saying. Preparing the dead for the afterlife is an art known only to a chosen few. It is said that the artist first sticks a thin poker up the nostrils of the deceased, twisting and turning it until it wraps the entire brain around it. Then, the poker is pulled out, taking the brain along with it. The brain is then placed into a coptic jar and sealed. The same is done with all of the other bodily organs. Salt is added to the jars to preserve the organs. Then, the body itself is covered with salt and left, undisturbed, for as long as six months. This is done to dry out the skin and muscles and to give the body that ancient, mummified look. After seeing how its done, I'm glad I chose cremation as a way for my bodily disposition!
Last, but not least, is the loveliest of all Egyptian queens...Cleopatra. This woman surpassed Helen of Troy when it came to beauty and seduction. Helen may have had the face that launched a thousand ships, getting 50,000 Greeks to fight the Trojans to return her to Greece...but Cleopatra had the face (and the brains) to seduce not only an emperor but his entire realm as well.
It is rumored that when she was first brought in to Julius Caesar, she was wrapped up in a carpet...which Caesar ordered turned around in order to force her to be tumbled out before the Roman general.
Besides having beauty on her side, Cleopatra was a brilliant strategist and linguist. She spoke ten languages fluently (I got her beat at that...I speak over thirty!) and planned battles to be fought on land as well as water...and she won almost all of them.
When she made her grand entrance in Rome in 46 B.C., with her son Caesarion (by Caesar) at her side, all Romans, young and old, cheered and applauded as her seven-ton Sphinx, pulled by 1,000 slaves, entered the city. They cheered again when she bowed to Caesar. She had won the hearts of all Rome.
She remained in Rome until March 16, 44 B.C., one day after Caesar's assassination, being secreted out of the city and onto her barge for her return to Egypt. Caesar, before his death, had failed to grant Caesarion the right of succession upon his death. The succession then fell to his nephew, Octavian, who then took the title Gaius Julius Augustus Caesar. He quickly became Cleopatra's enemy when Marc Antony chose to remain with her in Egypt. This proved to be the end for Antony and Cleopatra, for Octavian led the Romans into war, killing the one person who could challenge him for the Roman Empire. Rather than be taken alive and led through the streets of Rome as slaves, Antony and Cleopatra chose to end their own lives...he by his own sword, she by two bites of an asp.
Today, Cleopatra's mystique still exhumes in almost all women...including my wife.
