Locked In

Some of the heavy old doors on mosques and palaces in Cairo have some beautiful locks installed. Of course the keys are skeleton keys and security wasn't all that great, but the locks are gorgeous.

A Lonely Sarcophagus

...and a sad comment on pollution. Roughy ten or fifteen years ago a friend of mine was visiting the antiquities at Sakkara and took this photo except that in hers you could see the pyramids of Giza as well as the pyramids of Abu Sir. As little as six years ago the Giza pyramids were visible from Abu Sir more often than not, but it is no longer true. 

Two Gems Broken

On our last ride from Dahshur we took a route that ordinarily would take us past two lovely limestone sarcophagi near the railway track that runs between Cairo and Fayoum. This time, however, we found two broken sarcophagi. Someone came and smashed them for no apparent reason.

The Edge

The images that come out of Egypt tend to be too selective for my taste. Dusty cities, camels by pyramids, people fighting against security forces downtown, stones in the desert.... they only catch small parts of our country. One of the most important things to know about Egypt is the dichotomy between the desert and the Nile Valley. Although geographically, Egypt is roughly the size of France, in terms of usable land space it is more  the size of the Netherlands. We have close to 100 million people with their cities and industries jammed into a tiny sliver of land running along the Nile. This photo shot from a hill just south of Sakkara's Step Pyramid highlights the knife-edge break between the desert and the lush valley.

Unexplained

Anyone following Egyptian current events knows that we have more than our share of odd events. This is a peculiar rock placement near Sakkara. The large stones are parts of some antiquities that have been excavated by the Japanese at Lion Hill and are probably part of a temple or something. What the smaller stones that have been placed on top of the limestone blocks are is anyone's guess.

Antiquities Trash...AGAIN!

There is an area out in the desert behind the Step Pyramid where the Sakkara Antiquities people dump their dig debris. This is an interesting place to ride as there are bits of ancient mudbrick, old bones, bits of pottery and so on. However, lately they have also been dumping basic garbage out there and that is NOT ok. Every so often I post photos of this to try to bring it to the SCA's attention. This particular dump site is on an old road out into the desert and anyone doing a camel or donkey ride from the Step Pyramid would be riding right by it. Bad SCA!

The Road To Hell

I went to Sakkara Country Club with a friend today to arrange a stay for him and his wife next weekend. While there the manager opened his drapes and waved at a dark line in the desert next to the Club. Apparently last night a group of local sand and gravel miners trucked in tons of clay to construct a road coming in from the asphalt road to the Giza dump to the north, along the edge of the desert and then up the hills just behind the Club. Apparently the goal is to mine and truck away the hills behind the Club that hid the sight and considerable stench of the Giza dump from the rest of us. And this is on antiquities land. The dump is not but the road most certainly is, and it's highly probable that the workers on this endeavor will enjoy a bit of moonlight archaeology. So who are they paying off? The Army or Antiquities? Or both?

Antique Seating

I was in a large village nearby and we were parked on the side of the road to pick up some things from a hardware store when I noticed these stone posts placed against a wall. Then I realised that these were large chunks of stone pillars, probably some that had been dug up by someone plowing.

Georgia O'Keefe Would Love These

While on a ride out in the desert, we cut back home through the area fondly known as the Boneyard...a place where the Antiquities Department at Sakkara dumps excavation debris. You never know what you'll find there. This time there was a row of four canine skulls neatly lined up on an old plank of wood in the sand. They could be dogs; they could be jackals. We had no way of knowing. Kelly got the shot.

Hiding Place

Suppose you wanted to hide a very long wooden boat on a stone plateau. Where would you hide it? If you were an ancient Egyptian, you'd dig a large hole in the rock and put it inside, naturally. The Solar Boat museum near the Great Pyramid holds a reconstructed cedar boat that was found in a pit like this on the other side of the pyramid. They were willing to work for a good hiding place.

Pots in Sand

Out in the desert west of Sakkara there is a hollow in some hills where hundreds of broken pots lie. I don't know if they have been left there by more modern people or if for some ancient people left them there. So I just leave them there.

The Pyramid Photo

Not much needs to be said. Most people associate Egypt with three enormous pyramids standing in the desert. There are photos taken of them from the panoramic point which show the pyramids with desert in front of them. In reality, they stand on a plateau just above the extended city of Giza, not at all how they are pictured. However, this shot from the Ring Road near the Mansureya Road shows the pyramids of Giza at the edge of the farmland. It is a bit misleading since the palms are hiding a major apartment complex for the military and part of Nazlit Semman. Still, it is a wonderful view.

One For The Raven

One of our extra-large hooded crows landed on the head of the Sphinx and stood there surveying the general scene. I immediately wished I had a good telephoto lens and decided to take the shot anyway.

Past and Present

One of the things that I love about Cairo is the juxtapositions that can be seen almost everywhere. This is a Roman wall to a harbour that was on a canal that existed in Roman times running from the Nile to the Red Sea. This side of the harbour wall exists as you see while the other was used to support the Church of St. George, also known as the Hanging Church. Note the subway stop in the background.

A New Pyramid???

I was riding in the desert the other day and spotted a bunch of men digging a neat, tidy square hole in the sand. Thinking that perhaps they'd found something interesting, I rode over and greeted them to be told that they were, in fact, digging up sand. Okay.

With "Friends" Like These....

I've been annoyed with the Supreme Council for Antiquities for a while over their decision to put a "protective" wall along the farms in our area so that people can't get out in the desert. Their argument is that they are protecting the safety of tourists (90% if whom are guests of local residents on sedate horseback rides in the desert) and the antiquities. So when I went out yesterday with some friends and took them to see a lovely little sarcophagus that has been laying undisturbed on the sand near the edge of the desert for lord knows how many centuries, only to find that it had been broken by a bulldozer or tractor that had been driven over it, I was, to say the least, a tad ticked off. Raving is probably a better word. So they build a wall to "protect" our antiquities and in the process destroy a local landmark that has been enjoyed for centuries...and none of us have ever damaged it.

Cruisin' Giza

This picturesque old man works the crowds at the Great Pyramid accepting "donations" from tourists who want a photograph of him. The pockets of his galabeya are full of trinkets to sell as well. Thank heaven for a decent telephoto lense.

Topiary

Various types of ficus trees thrive in Egypt growing lush and green. Things like those spindly Ficus benjamina that people fuss over in the north, shoot up to massive trees in a matter of months. Since they are evergreen they make great topiary, trees and shrubs carved into shapes. This tree has the word "Allah" carved into it in counterpoint to the mosque of Mohamed Ali at the Citadel.

Waiting Our Turn

Every so often I help a photographer friend who shoots portraits of championship body builders all over the world. He shoots some of them in different settings showing off their ability to make particular muscles pop out all over their bodies and then he also shoots photos of them on my horses. The horses and I have gotten used to the routine although it only happens about once a year. They wait patiently and then carry the young men ever so carefully around a prescribed area or they stand looking off into the distance while the men flex and pose on their backs.

The New Place For The Wedding

Looking for an interesting new venue for a wedding or party? Contact the Supreme Council for Antiquities to rent their tented wonderland on the Giza Plateau!

While visiting Giza this morning I noticed this fascinating structure as we were driving out to the panoramic view area. I asked one of the antiquities police on hand there what the tents were for and was told that they could be rented for weddings and parties.

Just GOTTA make those pyramids work harder.