May 13 - Saqqara, Egypt

Saqqara is an Egyptian village south of Giza that contains ancient burial grounds of Egyptian royalty, serving as the necropolis for the ancient Egyptian capital, Memphis. Saqqara contains numerous pyramids, including the Pyramid of Djoser, sometimes referred to as the Step Tomb, and a number of mastaba tombs (truncated pyramids). Saqqara covers an area of around 7 by 1.5 km (4.3 by 0.9 mi).

Saqqara contains the oldest complete stone building complex known in history, the Pyramid of Djoser, built during the 3rd Dynasty. Another sixteen Egyptian kings built pyramids at Saqqara, which are now in various states of preservation. High officials added private funeral monuments to this necropolis during the entire Pharaonic period. It remained an important complex for non-royal burials and cult ceremonies for more than 3000 years, well into Ptolemaic and Roman times.
Door (2) Entrance



Guy who wanted his picture taken



Fake Entrance to Tomb Chamber

Actual Chamber



Other Pyramids

They found mummies and many sarcophagi in recently excavated tombs




This one they couldn't open so they dynamited it. nothing was found inside








Looks like bombing in the distance, actually they are burning crop fields

Pyramid in the distance, part of the Memphis. Memphis was the first capital of lower Egypt and encompasses 19 miles of pyramids on the desert plateau

Bent Pyramid in the distance, also part of the Memphis

Numerous Cat tombs were found at the site

We then headed to ta carpet school where I bought a pure Egyptian Cotton runner. Clayton and John each bought silk rugs, even though the silk was from China.


We then went to the open air museum and the colossal Ramesses II, which was found face first in the swamp. They got it turned over, however that is far as it got.


They were more sphinxes and more Ramesses statues


Then it was off to the airport


Around town



And we crossed the Nile on our way.


May 13th was also the day the ship crossed  the Equator heading south so there was another King Neptune Ceremony





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