Nov 7: more temples and pyramids, Coptic Christian church, museum

We rode the bus south of Cairo to the Sakkara archeological site.  Many years ago, the area was flooded by the Nile and was made fertile by the silt, now growing lush palm forests

right on the edge of the Sahara Desert

Here we saw a several pyramids, both onsite (including this one that we actually went down into)

and this "stepped" pyramid which is the oldest rock construction in the world

 

 

There were other pyramids in the distance in all directions, built over 4000 years ago

...our guide said there are about 150 pyramids so far discovered in Egypt, and more are being discovered all the time, they have just been covered up with dirt, sand, and debris over the centuries.Any hill of sand can someday reveal a pyramid.  The Valley of the Kings we visited yesterday is the more famous area, but our guide said Sakkara may become even more famous.  Just today, a new tomb yielded a trove of treasures that he was advised of.  It is largely an issue of funding the digs that will determine how fast all these tombs and pyramids are discovered. Modern technology such as LIDAR doesn't work for some reason...is it the magic of the pharaohs?

A "pyramids Cadillac" (ride for $1):

We visited a carpet factory, where they make the carpets by hand (Iranian carpet makers came to this area after the Iranian Revolution in the late 1970s):

After a lunch at the nearby Palm Tree Resort (very nice buffet, over-eating on this trip is the norm):

we visited the Coptic Christian neighborhood and church in downtown Cairo.  Egypt has adopted an attitude of religious tolerance of Islam, Christianity, and Judaism, even though the country is about 85% Muslim.

These are Roman towers on which the Coptic Church rests (circa 400AD):

Inside the Coptic Museum:

is the cavern where Joseph, Mary, and baby Jesus fled and stayed per the gospel of Matthew 2:13

Next, we bused to the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization in Cairo, a very new museum most notable for the spectacular April 2021 procession of 22 mummies (both male and female) from the museum we visited earlier this week to here (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bkthRB0L7IM).  We weren't allow to take any pictures, but the mummies were extremely interesting and each was accompanied by descriptions of their accomplishments during their reigns, cause of death, etc.

We also saw many interesting and authentic artifacts, such as this chariot

these tools the Egyptian architects used to precisely make the pyramids

and this fancy camel-top personnel carrier:

 Bused back to the hotel (here is sunset over the Nile)

We later had our group's farewell dinner...here is just the appetizer plate that each person got (another case of massive gluttony)

It was sad to say goodbye to everyone, it was really a great group of folks, made more comfortable by the fact that all but 6 were relatives.