Grand Egyptian Museum
Our first full day in Egypt and Cairo. We have three venues for the day. First is the Grand Egyptian Museum, located in Giza. Giza, along with all of the pyramids and tombs, is located on the west bank of the Nile. It is dedicated to Ancient Egypt and its culture, society, and artifacts and is the largest museum in the world devoted to a single civilization. Opened on Nov 1 of this year, the museum houses over 100,000 Egyptian artifacts from the Predynastic Period to Roman Egypt including almost 5400 belonging to King Tutankhamun. The museum grounds cover 5,400,000 sq ft and the building is 870,000 sq ft.

(Most if these photos were taken indoor without a flash. Many of the objects were inside lit glass display cases which not only precluded me from taking flash photos but also included some reflections. And, of course, there were tourists crowding round and being generally inconsiderate.)

This is an example of a typical commercial strip. Note that all of the apartments above street level have split unit AC rather than window units. I did not see a window unit the entire day (and I looked for them). Here we are crossing the Nile River to get to the west bank and Giza. The entrance to the Grand Egyptian Museum. Called the Hanging Obelisk (first of its kind) because of its elevation. Discovered at Tanis, it was moved to guard the entrance of the Museum because it contains the cartouche of King Ramses II
The statue of Ramses II stood on the side of the Grand Egyptian Museum prior to its construction. It now greets all visitors to the museum. He is standing with his hands to his side with his left leg forward, a symbol of his military prowess. On the left of Ramses is his Queen, Nefertari.
The Victory column of Merenptah celebrating his victories against Libyan invaders. Colossi of a Ptolemaic king and queen Statues in front of the Khufu Boat Museum. I believe they are of the goddess Bastet. One of two 4600 year old solar boats discovered near the Great Pyramid of Giza. it is believed to have been for Khufu's use in the afterlife as he traveled the sun's journey. Our Egyptologist, Tarek, pointing to the location of the discovery of the solar boats near the Pyramid of Menkaure. (BTW in this picture you can see many of the roads and other infrastructure built to accommodate tourists.) Back in the main museum, we see the canopic jars of King Tutankhamun. One of the containers than enclosed King Tutankhamun's three nested anthropoid coffins. The largest of the three nested anthropoid (human-shaped) coffins. Two funerary couches from Tutankhamun's crypt. King Tutankhamun's funerary mask.




Citadel of Salah al-Din
Next we roamed the Citadel of Salah al-Din also known as the Citadel of Cairo. Construction on this medieval fortification was begun by Salah al-Din (Saladin) in 1176AD. Further modified from 1310 to 1341 and from 1805 to 1848, it was the residence of the rulers of Egypt and the seat of government for over 700 years. Today it is preserved as a historic site containing the Mosque of Muhammad Ali

The Citadel walls. Approaching from the highway, we spied the domes and minarets of the Mosque rising above the Citadel Walls. A guardian lion sitting atop the walls. The Mosque of Muhammad Ali The inside court of the Mosque called a sahn. The fountain or a small pool where worshippers perform wudu, the ritual washing required before prayer referred to as the Ablution area. The clock at the Citadel of Salah al-Din is a 19th-century French clock tower that was given to Muhammad Ali Pasha in 1845 by King Louis Philippe of France in exchange for the Luxor Obelisk. (I believe that King Louis got the better of the deal.) The domed ceiling of the Mosque. This wall indicates the direction to Mecca. A panoramic view of the City of Giza from the walls of the Citidal. I could not find what this is supposed to represent. A look at the walls of the citadel from inside. A section of the crenelated walls. Packs of dogs were allowed to roam the streets. Here is the largest pack I saw. In the center of a round about was this small obelisk guarded by small sphinxes.

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To Day 1 - Cairo To Day 3 - Temple of Karnak