Cheops (Khufu) / The Egyptian Museum / The Baron's Palace
• A History of Christianity in Egypt / The Hanging Church / Mount Sinai / Jewish Temples in Egypt
• The west bank at Luxor
El-Hussein Mosque
The Pyramids of Ancient Egypt
The Great Pyramid of Cheops (Khufu)
The Egyptian Museum
The Baron's Palace
Al-Azhar
Mosque
Location: El Hossein Square, Cairo Egypt
shortly after the founding of Cairo itself, was originally designed by the Fatimid general Jawhar
El-Sequili (Gawhara Qunqubay, Gawhar al-Sakkaly) and built on the orders of Caliph Muezz
Li-Din Allah. Located in the center of an area teaming with the most beautiful Islamic
monuments from the 10th century, it was called "Al-Azhar" after Fatama al-Zahraa, daughter
of the Prophet Mohamed (Peace and Prayers Be Upon Him). It imitated both the Amr Ibn
El-As and Ibn Tulun mosques. The first Fatimid monument in Egypt, the Azhar was both a
meeting place for Shi'a students and through the centuries, it has remained a focal point of the
famous university which has grown up around it. It was under Yaqoub Ibn Cals that the
mosque became a teaching institute. This is the oldest university in the world, where the first
lecture was delivered in 975 AD. Today the university built around the Mosque is the most
prestigious of Muslim schools, and its students are highly esteemed for their traditional training.
While ten thousand students once studied here, today the university classes are conducted in
adjacent buildings and the Mosque is reserved for prayer. In addition to the religious studies,
modern schools of medicine, science and foreign languages have also been added.
through Egypt, with a large part of it having been renovated by Abdarrahman Khesheda.
There are five very fine minarets with small balconies and intricately carved columns. It has
six entrances, with the main entrance being the 18th Century Bab el-Muzayini (barber's gate),
where students were once shaved. This gate leads into a small courtyard and then into the
Aqbaughawiya Medersa to the left, which was built in 1340 and serves as a library. On the
right is the Taybarsiya Medersa built in 1310 which has a very fine mihrab. The Qaitbay
Entrance was built in 1469 and has a minaret built atop. Inside is a large courtyard that is 275
by 112 feet which is surrounded with porticos supported by over three hundred marble
columns of ancient origin. To the east is the prayer hall which is larger than the courtyard and
has several rows of columns. The Kufic inscription on the interior of the mihrab is original,
though the mihrab has been modified several times, and behind is a hall added in 1753 by Abd
el-Rahman Katkhuda. At the northern end is the tomb medersa of Jawhar El-Sequili.
Mosque
The El-Hussein Mosque sits on the site of the cemetery
of the Fatimid caliphs.
It was entirely rebuilt under the khedive Ismail. Earlier
this century the remains of the cemetery were
discovered while work was being done on the mosque's
foundations.
There are forty-four white marble columns that support
the wood ceiling.
On one side of the mosque is the
mausoleum which is the oldest part of the complex which
was built in 1154 and then modified
in 1236. In the mausoleum are the remains of El-Hussein.
A cupola with a ceiling that is decorated and inlaid with
gold surmounts the mausoleum.
There are two minarets at the complex.
The one on the southwest side is from the same period as
the mosque.
The other is contemporary in style as is the mausoleum.
Ancient Egypt
by Alan Winston
told of pyramids in Australia and Greece, the United
States and Spain. We are told of pyramids under the
oceans and even in space. Besides the pyramids of
Egypt, we certainly know of the pyramids of South
Mexico down into South America. It also seems likely
that pyramids exist in China, though their investigation
has been limited, and we know of no formal
archaeological investigation. It is very probable that
the small Greek pyramids exist, but many of the
remaining structures claimed to be pyramids are
questionable. One pyramid in China, called the White
Pyramid, is even rumored to be larger then the Great
Pyramid of Khufu, though this has only been reported
by one person that we know of, and the China
pyramid is made of earth, while the Great Pyramid is
made of massive stones.
sides that come to a point at the top. Most of the pyramids in Mexico, and most probably those in China were step
pyramids, built up with successive "steps" of stone or other substances. Also, pyramids outside of Egypt appear to have
been build for a different purpose then those in Egypt. While Egyptian pyramids most always have a man made
substructure and are funerary in nature, we know of no pyramids outside of Egypt with such structures. Instead, other
pyramids most often seem to have a temple, altar or chapel on the top step, and their purpose seems more oriented to
that of a temple. It can also most likely be said that Egyptian pyramid complexes were more structured then those
found outside of Egypt. Over very long periods of time, they often retained the same components and even a basic
design.
to continue to believe that the pyramids of Egypt were built by aliens or an ancient, advanced race. Among other
arguments, they provide the worldwide construction of pyramids, and the obvious difficulties involved with building
these massive structures as evidence.
period, leading to the great pyramids of Giza that began with simple mastaba tombs, expanded into step pyramids,
which led to experimentation, some of which failed miserably, and culminating with the perfected structure. In
addition, the decorative themes associated with pyramids also evolved over time.
physical and theological context.
Physically, they do not exist alone. They
are almost always a part of a religious
compound, and sometimes these
compounds even fit within the larger
context of the pyramid field, all of it
related to the very specific religion of the
ancient Egyptians. They do not honor a
superior or ancient race, but rather their
own well documented sun god.
pyramids, we also find some of the ramps that they used, and evidence of other construction methods. These are
contemporary tools, and construction methods that would have fit the times. Regardless, it would appear that
pyramids built both inside and outside of Egypt most often are in some way related to sun worship, or at least some
form of astronomical religious activity. In Egypt, pyramids were mostly built in the north, where the worship of the
sun god, Re was most dominant. In fact all of the major pyramids were built not far away from Memphis and nearby
modern Cairo. Most are located at Giza, on the outskirts of Cairo, at Saqqara or nearby Abusir or Dahshur, or
somewhat farther away, close to the Fayoum region. At least as regards pyramids, the north was at its zenith during
the late Old Kingdom (5th Dynasty), when kings not only built their pyramid complexes, but also built sun temples.
oversimplification. It involved a complex of buildings because it was the dead pharaohs palace of the afterlife, where
he was mystically transformed and resurrected as a full god. The pyramid itself represented the primeval mound from
which the world arose from the ancient waters.
away from the mastaba tombs with their layer of stone over a substructure. In effect, the first pyramid builders simply
stacked layer upon layer of stone in ever decreasing size atop one another until a step pyramid was built.
was not only the first pyramid that we know of, but also the first great monumental stone structure that we
know of in, or outside of Egypt.. However, like the pyramids in the Americas, it was not a true pyramid,
lacking an outer, smooth casing. After Djoser, there was considerable experimentation directed towards
building a true pyramid, evidenced by those such as the Bent Pyramid at Dahshure, as well as other greater
failures, such as Snofru's pyramid at Meidum, which was the first to be planned as a true pyramid. At first,
their attempts to build a true pyramid were foiled by designs with the sides of the pyramid at too steep a
slope. However, by the time Snofru built his other pyramid at Dahshure, the Red Pyramid, they had
worked this out, for it is the first of the successful, true pyramids.
Giza, though the Red Pyramid is indeed a colossus structure. However, for all our awestruck wonder at
the great pyramids at Giza, this was certainly not the culmination or even the apex of pyramid building.
Only in the 5th Dynasty do we see the form of the pyramid complex grow into maturity.
The early pyramids, particularly Djoser's were very complex with many components. In these early pyramids,
the placement of the subterranean chambers and corridors, as well as their number varied considerably from
later pyramids.
is also the world's first known monumental stone building.
• About 2575 BC: The Red Pyramid is built by Snofru as the first successful true pyramid, after a number of failures. It
has smoothed, cased sides.
• About 2551 BC: The Great Pyramid of Kufru is built, the largest pyramid ever constructed in Egypt, and may also be
the first pyramid to have subsidiary queen's pyramids attached to the complex.
• About 2465 BC: Userkaf's pyramid at Saqqara is the first pyramid with an entrance in the pavement of the pyramid's
courtyard on the north side rather than on the face of the pyramid itself. Strangely, the mortuary temple in this pyramid
is located on the south side, with only an offering hall on the east.
• About 2375 BC: For the first time that we know of, we find pyramid text within the pyramid of Unas at Saqqara
• About 2278 BC: The pyramid of Pepi II is the last to be built in the traditions of the Old Kingdom, as well as the last
to build any monumental pyramid until the beginning of the 12th Dynasty and the Middle Kingdom.
• About 1991 BC: Amenemhet I uses mudbrick to build his pyramid at Lisht. Now, not only is the complex named, but
each component of the complex is also given a name.
• About 1956 BC: Senusret I's pyramid at Lisht is built with more subsidiary pyramids then any complex built before,
or after his time.
• About 1877 BC: With the pyramid of Senusret II at Lahun, the builders become more concerned with security then
tradition, and for the first time locate the entrance to the pyramid not under the north chapel in the center of the
pyramid's north wall like many earlier complexes, but rather hid the entry passage in the pavement of the pyramid
courtyard near the east end of the pyramid's south side. He also incorporates a more complex substructure suggestive
of a move towards the worship of Osiris, and away from the traditions of the sun cult, probably signaling the coming
end to the pyramid builders.
• About 1817 BC: Amenemhet III becomes the last, large scale successful pyramid builder with his structure at
Hawara. Both it, and his pyramid at Dahshur are built with a monolithic Burial chamber block with niches for the
sarcophagus and canompic jars.
standardized structures with all the necessary components. While the pyramids may not have been as grand as those of
Giza, their theology had matured.
layout, design and construction. This pyramid is oriented east-west. It had a pyramid, built with a local limestone
core and fine white limestone casing, with a north entrance chapel, and beneath the pyramid, a substructure
consisting of a descending entrance corridor, with a barrier, leading to the dead king's mortuary apartment directly
under the vertical apex of the pyramid. The corridor first arrives at an antechamber, and to the right, or west is the
burial chamber, while to the left (east) was a small annex chamber.
mortuary temple just to the east of the pyramid. The mortuary temple consisting of an outer section with an
entrance hall and an open columned courtyard, which would often have a basalt floor. The columns supported an
ambulatory around the outskirts of the courtyard. The inner sanctum of the mortuary temple had a five niche
chapel and behind it an offering hall with a false door adjacent to the pyramid, and centered before it, an altar. The
false door allowed the dead king to enter the offering hall in order to take his symbolic meals. Both the inner and
outer sections of the mortuary temple had storage annexes to either side The inner and outer sections of the temple
were also divided by a transverse corridor. Throughout the structure, liberal amounts of pink granite and fine white
limestone were used to sheath walls and for other purposes.
mortuary temple and pyramid to a small, valley temple, which in many cases was nothing more then a
monumental gateway. In the valley temple, causeway, mortuary temple and substructure of the
pyramid, all the proper decorative themes were mostly present, including now finally the famous
pyramid text. While none are present at the
see subsidiary pyramids and tombs for
relatives of the king within the outer
enclosure wall, and near the complex
there would have been a small town.
While the pyramid was being built,
workers and craftsmen would live in the
town. Priests and others employed by the
mortuary temple would live in a
community such as this indefinitely, or at
least as long as the king's cult retained
worshipers. While Unas's pyramid was
not the grandest, or the best preserved, it
was a milestone in pyramid construction,
with a balanced and complete design.
these new pyramids were built of mudbrick cores and did not fair as well over time as the great pyramid's of some
earlier builders. As time progressed, and the end of the pyramid age approached, pyramid construction began to
again be less structured. Some traditional concepts, such as the door of the pyramid being located under the north
chapel at the center of the pyramid's north face became less important then hiding the door from tomb robbers. It is
probable that these pyramid builders forgot some of the skills of their predecessors, for often they have a difficult
time placing the burial chamber under the pyramid's vertical axis.
chambers of the main pyramid. And even though some of the tradition is lost, some traditions strongly revert back to
design concepts from Djoser's complex at Saqqara.
where the sun cult was not as prevalent as in the north. There would be some revivals later in Egypt's history, but
for the most part this move signaled the end of the pyramid builders. Perhaps because of available resources, but
most certainly also because of changing religious concepts, Egypt left the domain of the pyramid for the high
decorative themes and more complex religious theology of the tombs on Thebes' West Bank. This was
nevertheless an evolution, for we see many aspects of the pyramid complexes carried over into these new
mortuary complexes.
The Great Pyramid of Cheops (Khufu)
30 years and 100,000 slaves to have built it. Another theory is that it was built by peasants who were unable to work
the land while the Nile flooded between July and November. They may have been paid with food for their labor. The
flooded waters would have also aided in the moving of the casing stones. These stones were brought from Aswan and
Tura and the water would have brought the stones right to the pyramid. This pyramid is thought to have been built
between 2589 - 2566 BC. It would have taken over 2,300,000 blocks of stone with an average weight of 2.5 tons
each. The total weight would have been 6,000,000 tons and a height of 482 feet (140m). It is the largest and the oldest
of the Pyramids of Giza.
information about him was taken with the objects inside the tomb. He is thought to have been the ruler of a highly
structured society and he must have been very wealthy. He was buried alone in this massive tomb. His wives may have
been buried nearby in smaller mastabas.
off, the pyramid lost 33 feet (11m) of all of its dimensions. The top platform is 10m square. The base of the pyramid is
754 feet and covers 13 acres. The original entrance to the pyramid was about 15m higher than the entrance that is used
today. Apparently Al Mamum, who opened up the new passage, could not find the original opening. The new
passageway leads straight across and joins in with the original passage, the descending passage. The descending
passage led only to a subterranean chamber. This descending passage that leads down is set at a 26 degree angle that
descends down 345 feet (105m) into the earth under the pyramid. The passageway is only 3'6" (1.1m) wide and 3'11"
(1.2m) high. The chamber is closed to the public. The chamber itself is room that measures about 46' x 27'1" x 11'6"
(14 x 8.3 x 3.5m). There is a passage that leads 100 feet horizontally to the western side. The purpose of the pit is
uncertain. It is possible that it could have been the burial chamber, but after a change of plan, it was abandoned.
rises at the same angle as the descending, 26 degrees. The ascending passage leads up into the pyramid. The ascending
passage is the same dimensions as the descending, 3'6" (1.1m) wide and 3'11" (1.2m) high. It can be quite a difficult
trek for some people. The passage leads on for 129 feet (39m).
above and to distribute the weight away from the burial chamber. The top chamber has a pointed roof made of
limestone blocks. This is the most important of the relieving chambers. In these chambers, are found the only
inscriptions in the whole pyramid.
this passageway leads into the Queen's Chamber. The Queen's Chamber was never used. The floor in this room was
never polished, it's still rough. Egyptologists believe that the chamber was brought to this point and then the builders
changed their minds and moved to the King's Chamber. The possible explanation for the abandonment is that the
sarcophagus built for Cheops was much too large for the narrow passageways that had already been built. There are
ventilating shafts that are another mystery. These shafts are sealed at the extremities on both shafts. The shafts must
have been made as the pyramid went up, since the builders most likely would not have continued to make the shafts
after the decision to abandon the chamber. It is also thought that these are not actually ventilation shafts, but more of
a religious significance. This could be related to the Ancient Egyptian's beliefs that the stars are inhabited by gods and
souls of the dead.
side. It lies about 10m from the base of the pyramid. Little remains of Cheops' Mortuary Temple. What is left is basalt
paving and lies near the east side of the wall. You may also see occasional traces of the causeway that led from the
valley temple in the village, Nazlat al-Samman, at the foot of the plateau. This causeway collapsed during the last 150
years. Three small pyramids stand to the east of Cheops' pyramid. These are thought to have been for his sister,
Merites, who was also his wife, and possibly two other queens.
the Grand Gallery. The gallery is 157 feet (48m) long and 28 feet (8.5m) high and is at the same 26 degree angle as
the passages. The roof of the gallery is corbelled. It is said that not a piece of paper or a needle can be inserted
between the stones making up the roof. The gallery is only 62 inches (1.6m) wide at the bottom and is only 41 inches
(1m) wide at the top of the incline.
this chamber is the very large sarcophagus made of Aswan red granite, with no lid. The sarcophagus must have been
placed inside the chamber as the pyramid was being built. It is much too large to have been moved in afterwards, as
was the usual custom of that time. The King's Chamber is 34'4" x 17'2" x 19'1" high (5.2m x 10.8m x 5.8m high).
This chamber also has the possible ventilation shafts as the Queen's Chamber. They are at the same angle as the
shafts in the Queen's Chamber. The thought about the religious significance applies to these shafts as well. The main
feature of the sky at night, was the Milky Way. The stars were thought to have been the Nile in the sky. The southern
shaft from the King's Chamber points directly to where Orion's Belt would have been in the ancient sky. The southern
shaft of the Queen's Chamber points to Syrius. The northern shaft of the King's Chamber points to the circumpolar
stars. These stars never disappear in the sky. It is thought that these shafts were to help the spirit of the dead pharaoh
find the important stars.
been opened to the public after having been closed for over 100 years. Discovered at this site was the
mummy of a 4,600 year old female. She had a completely unique plaster encasement that has never been
seen or found anywhere else.
discovered in 1982. One boat is located at the site and can be seen at the museum. The boat, which is
encased in the stones, has no nails. It was held together with ropes and pegs, but not nails, and is amazingly
intact. The purpose of these boats may have been intended for travel to the after-life or to accompany the
Sun-God on his journey.
European and Eastern European cities. Also package
tours and charter flights. Contact your travel agent for
details. (Click here for a tip on how to save time on
your first visit to the museum.)
housed the antiquities that were later moved to the present building. The Egyptian Museum is situated at Tahrir
square in Cairo. It was built during the reign of Khedive Abbass Helmi II in 1897, and opened on November 15,
1902 (More History). It has 107 halls. At the ground floor there are the huge statues. The upper floor houses small
statues, jewels, Tutankhamon treasures and the mummies.
sections arranged in chronological order
• The second section houses the pre-dynasty and the Old Kingdom monuments.
• The third section houses the first intermediate period and the Middle Kingdom monuments.
• The forth section houses the monuments of the Modern Kingdom.
• The fifth section houses the monuments of the late period and the Greek and Roman periods.
• The sixth section houses coins and papyrus.
• The seventh section houses sarcophagi and scrabs.
Fables, Legends and Controversies
by Heba Fatteen Bizzari
Palace in Greater Cairo, after the Great Pyramid
and Sphinx of Giza, is subject to more fables,
legends and rumors than any other monument in
Egypt. I was astounded to hear from a guide,
who was very serious, that the old palace was
build upon a type of turnstile that would rotate
the whole building so that its windows were
always facing the sun. Of course, that was urban
legend in Cairo, but for many years, this building
in Heliopolis has ignited the imagination of the
local population with all manner of fables,
legends and rumors.
countless rumors. From time to time new rumor spread
about this landmark which has been deserted for many
years. It’s haunted by bats, stray dogs, and others believe
by ghosts. And while the place attracts some architects for
it richness, it also seems to have attracted teenagers for
their wild parties. They would break into the place on
weekends, drink beer and smoke hashish. In the late
1990s, the palace was said to be filled with tattooed, devil-
worshipping youths holding orgies, skinning cats and
writing their names in rats' blood on the palace's walls. Of
course, as old houses go, we suppose it could or could not
be haunted, but the palace now has two guards who are
responsible for making sure that nothing too extraordinary
happens inside.
industrialist, Baron-General Edouard Louis
Joseph Empain (1852-1929) the prodigal son of
a village school teacher who became one of
Europe's greatest colonialist entrepreneurs of the
20th century. Empain had extensive business
interests in Indonesia and in time became a well
known amateur Egyptologist. He arrived in Egypt
during January, 1904, intending to rescue one of
his Belgian company's overseas projects, which
was the construction of a railway line linking
Matariya to Port Said. That project had run afoul
of British interests and he ended up losing it to
the Britons. Beaten in the railway department,
Empain lingered in Egypt, however, instead of
cutting his losses and going back home. Those
who knew him claimed then that he had fallen
madly in love with the desert. Others murmured
that, despite a long-standing affair in Belgium,
which had been blessed with two illegitimate
children, he had succumbed to the charms of
Yvette Boghdadli, one of Cairo's most beautiful
socialites. He then came up with the idea of
acquiring low-cost land and using it to build a
residential area linked to Cairo by fast public
transportation. He set up the Heliopolis Oasis
Company in the following year.
new town of Heliopolis, out in the desert ten kilometers
from the center of Cairo. It was designed as a "city of
luxury and leisure", with broad avenues offering
sweeping monumental perspectives, equipped with all
necessary conveniences and infrastructure, including
water, drains, electricity, hotel facilities such as the
Palace Hotel and Heliopolis House, and recreational
amenities including a golf course, racetrack and park. In
addition there was housing for rent, offered in a range of
innovative design types targeting specific social classes
with detached and terraced villas, apartment buildings,
tenement blocks with balcony access and workers'
bungalows.
Arab style", known in its own day as the "Moorish style". However, for his own extravagant house, that was build
between 1907 and 1910 and overlooks the town, he chose an architectural style that was very different.
and a member of the prestigious French Institute, to build him a Hindu palace. Some say it was supposed to be
more or less a copy of the temples of Angkor Wat in Cambodia that he had seen during his travels in that country,
while others say it is modeled on the fabulous Hindu temples of Orissa.
sculptors for its construction. They built it on an
artificial elevation to enable the Baron to watch the
rising of Heliopolis. The palace’s striking exterior was
the responsibility of Marcel, who reproduced a motley
of busts, statues, elephants, snakes, Buddha's, shivers
and Krishna's. The sophisticated interior was the
responsibility of his French associate, Georges-Louis
Claude. This team was also responsible for the
construction and decoration of the Oriental Pavilion
attached to the Royal Palace of Laeken in Belgium.
Amongst other lofty neighbors, to his left facing Avenue Baron
was the Arabesque palace, which is now military Headquarters,
but which originally was the home of Boghos and Marie Nubar
Pasha. It was the pasha who assisted Baron Empain in
purchasing the 6,000 acres of empty desert at one pound each
on which he built Heliopolis. Diagonally opposite stand the
former residence of Sultan Hussein Kamel, who reigned over
Egypt between 1914 and 1917. Today, that is a presidential
guest house.
not much is known about its interior today. It
consists of two floors with two additional
subterranean floors. The underground floors
contain a family mausoleum, a kitchen and the
servant's room. There are two elevators and
even a tunnel that connects with the nearby
church built by the Baron.
occupy the palace. He entertained all of
Egypt's hotes de marques including King
Albert and Queen Elizabeth of the Belgians
during the Pre-World War I visit to Egypt.
Although dwindling in numbers, there are
those who still remember when the
landscape surrounding the Hindu Palace was
a wonderland festooned with ascending
green terraces each with its own set of erotic
marble statues and exotic vegetation. As
guests negotiated the terraces on their way
to the grand steps leading into the awesome
palace foyer, they felt as though some
mythical Deus was watching from the
palace's interior. These theatrics pleased the
Baron to no end.
his guests either at the Heliopolis races or at his innumerable palace balls where he
cut a dashing figure with his multiple consorts. It was an American cabaret dancer
Rozell Rowland a.k.a. Goldie who finally nailed him to the altar. The 'prince' and the
showgirl had met in a Cairo night club where she performed painted entirely in gold.
The last of the Baron's family to occupy the palace were Janine and Huguette
Empain, who actually preferred the lounges of the trendy Heliopolis Sporting Club
or the Roof Garden of the old Semiramis Hotel to the sepulchral halls of their
grandfather's palace. The palace was finally sold off by its owners in 1957 to two
families, Alexem and Reda, who were of Saudi origin.
masterpiece that produces incredible stories and rumors, but like these stories and
rumors, is void of inner beauty. Gone are the Fresco murals, massive gilded
doors, balustrades, parquet floors, gold plated doorknobs, and the Belgian
mirrors which were wrenched from their sockets. Now it is best known for the
bats which inhabit it, and desecrate the floors with their droppings.
great. Unfortunately, they do not own the building and those who do are said to have an asking price of $50 million US.
That is far more than the Supreme Council of Antiquity's annual budget. The owners talk of turning the palace into a
gambling casino or even a Euro style medical center. Unfortunately for the owners, their options are limited. Law 117
forbids the selling or purchasing of buildings that are deemed to be antiquities. So for now it would seem, the Baron's
Palace remains one of those landmarks that is yet to see the light of restoration.
unbelievable than the one about the priceless architectural treasure left to decay and crumble in full view of every
minister, VIP, tourist and other air passenger as they motor up the airport road on their way in or out of Cairo.