Cairo/Giza

Giza (الجيزة al-Gīza) is an important western district of the Egyptian capital Cairo - a city in its own right, but for a long time now absorbed as part of the heavily-populated and sprawling Cairo metropolis. Giza is best known as that part of Cairo closest to the world-famous Pyramids of Giza, situated high on the desert plateau immediately to the west of the urban district, itself located in the valley and centred around the Pyramids Road, linking central Cairo with the ancient wonders. One of the premier attractions of Egypt, if not the world, the Pyramids of Giza represent the archetypal pyramid structures of ancient Egyptian civilisation and - together with the Sphinx at the base of the Giza plateau - are the iconic image of Egypt.

Culture and History

The city / district of Giza is important as a secondary - and increasingly popular - option for travellers for food, accommodation and entertainment beyond central Cairo. Most of these services are concentrated along the local transport artery, the Pyramids Road.

The desert plateau of Giza, adjacent to the Pyramids, will eventually form the site of the Grand Museum of Egypt (the competition-winning design conceived by an Irish architectural team led by Shih-Fu Peng), the long-awaited primary replacement for the long-standing Egyptian Museum in Midan Tahrir. Completion has been projected for 2007....

Background

Not much more than a century ago, the Pyramids Road existed as little more than a dusty carriage track amongst irrigated fields, leading out from the city to the then small peasant village of Giza adjoining the pyramid field. Given the rapidly increasing population of Cairo in the 20th century, and the obvious tourist opportunities that the Pyramids provided, Giza has now been transformed beyond recognition to those pioneering Western travellers of the late 19th century. Major arterial roads, apartment blocks, retail strips, restaurants and night clubs now replace what used to be palm-fringed farmers' fields, and the city has now spread to the very limit of the desert plateau. Such rapid development, of course, has not been without its costs - social, economic and aesthetic - and the Egyptian Supreme Council of Antiquities is now making some efforts to control and channel future (re)development in areas closest to the Pyramids themselves.

History

The three main Pyramids of Giza are the focal point of the Giza necropolis, or cemetery, that served the elite of the Old Kingdom capital of Egypt at nearby Memphis during the mid to late 4th Dynasty (late 3rd millennium BCE). Three pharaohs were buried here in turn - Khufu, Khafre and Menkaure - their astounding burials attracting a number of surrounding associated burials of their queens, family members and nobility.

Travel to Giza, visa requirements

By taxi

It's possible to negotiate a taxi to take to you out to the Pyramids from any of the traveller-frequented parts of central Cairo - don't forget to haggle however. Taxi drivers will nearly always want to take you to see their "brother's" perfume shop, or their "father's" carpet warehouse on the way - if you don't want to waste time doing this, and being put on the spot to make a purchase - just make it very clear that you only want to see the antiquities...

Fortunatily there is another Taxi option which is the Yellow ones, these are metered and air conditioned. You will save yourself the hassle with the black and white taxies mentioned above, and almost the same cost.

Buses to Giza

From central Cairo, the optimum way to get to the Giza Pyramids using public mass transit options is by bus routes 355 / 357 - a large white, air-conditioned coach with CTA (Cairo Transport Authority) on the side. Travelling every 20 minutes from the airport and Heliopolis, the bus stops (or doesn't - you may have to flag it down!) at the Abdel Menem Riyad Station in Midan Tahrir, next to the Egyptian Museum, before continuing out to Giza and the Pyramids. Tickets costs LE 2 - a bargain!

Giza attractions and sightseeing

All the worthwhile attractions within the Giza area are concentrated on the Giza Plateau at the end of Pyramids Road, entry to which costs LE 20 for the Pyramid of Menkaure and LE 100 for the Great Pyramid of Khufu. The interior of the pyramids is hot, humid and somewhat claustrophobic. For those willing to brave these conditions, however, entry into the pyramid is an interesting and educational aspect of the visit. Peronally witnessing the interior walls and passage-ways of the pyramids gives one an even deeper appreciation of the tremendous achievement accomplished by the builders of these ancient structures.

NB: not all the Pyramids are equally accessible for interior exploration, the Egyptian Supreme Council of Antiquities closing them to the public at least one at a time for conservation and renovation measures [1]. The smallest pyramid, that of Menkaure (see below) is now currently closed until further notice (late 2004).

It should be noted that climbing the Pyramids, although once a popular tourist activity, is both now officially forbidden (you will see signs to this effect) and extremely dangerous (should you start falling, there is absolutely nothing to stop you - several tourists have met an untimely death this way). Some Pyramid guards have been known to "allow" limited climbing in return for baksheesh in less frequented areas - around the isolated southern face of the Pyramid of Menkaure, for example - but this is not a practice that should be encouraged by responsible travellers.

• the Great Pyramid of Khufu (Cheops) - the last surviving representative of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, originally 146 m (479 ft) high but now slightly reduced to a still awe-inspiring 137 m (449 ft). Over 2 million blocks of stone were used to construct this edifice, all through manual labor.
  • the Solar Barque Museum - located immediately alongside the southern face of the Great Pyramid, an exceptionally well-done museum showcasing an excavated and reconstructed "solar boat", buried along with the pharaoh for use on his daily journey with the sun across the sky. Entry LE 20.
• the Pyramid of Khafre (Chephren) - slightly smaller than the Great Pyramid, though appearing from some angles to appear larger owing to a better position on the desert plateau
• the Pyramid of Menkaure (Mycerinus) - the smallest of the Giza Pyramids at 62 m (203 ft) high (originally 66.5 m)
• the Sphinx and the Temple of the Sphinx - the colossal, recumbent human-headed lion was conceived of by the ancient Egyptians as the sun god Re-Horakhty - "Horus of the horizon". The Egyptians call it Abu el-Hol, the "Father of Terror", and even the Greek name Sphinx is the less than pleasant "Strangler". 45 meters long, 22 meters wide, and carved from a single giant block of sandstone, the Sphinx is considerably smaller than the Pyramids around it. The missing nose is blamed on target practice by bored troops, commonly blamed variously on British soldiers in World War I or Napoleon's troops in 1798, but 18th-century drawings showing the nose already missing, pointing the finger towards the occupying Turks.

• Various Queens' Pyramids and Nobles' Tombs, located in regimented cemeteries surrounding the royal pyramids

City tours

• the Pyramids Sound and Light Show (Son-et-Lumière) [2], admission: foreign languages shows LE 60, Arabic show LE 11, private shows in foreign languages, LE 65 + LE 300 (covers operating expenses), Arabic private show, LE 16.50 + LE 150 - more than slightly kitsch (and frequently inaccurate in historical detail), but a worthwhile evening activity nonetheless. The "voice of the Sphinx" narrates the history of the Giza Plateau and its place in Egyptian history, as a dazzling laser display picks out the details of the Pyramids and displays historical scenes on the side of the Great Pyramid itself.

Day	First Show	Second Show	Third Show
Monday	English	Français	Español
Tuesday	English	Italiano	Français
Wednesday	English	Français	Deutsch
Thursday	日本語	English	اللغة العربية الفصحى
Friday	English	Français	no show
Saturday	English	Español	Italiano
Sunday	Deutsch	Français	русский
Winter Start	6.30 pm	7.30 pm	8.30 pm
Summer Start	8.30 pm	9.30 pm	10.30 pm

NB: "Winter" = October - March inclusive, "Summer" = April - September inclusive

• Camel Rides - avoid succumbing to the temptation of taking a camel ride around the Pyramids, if you can - not only is it a bit naff, but the practice is noisy, smelly and overrated - the camel drivers are unfortunately also frequent targets for accusations of harassment and petty crime. Basically, there are many better places in Egypt to take a camel ride, if you must....

At least it is now regulated so you shouldn't get taken into the desert

Shopping, Giza souvenirs

Good restaurants and cheap meals

A number of Western fast food options exist immediately opposite the main ticket gates to the Pyramid enclosure, Pizza Hut and KFC included... You can munch on a Tower burger and sip on a coke in air-conditioned comfort whilst gazing on the 4,000+ year-old Sphinx across the road! (Many travellers might prefer a more authentic experience....)

• Khan El Khalili, in the Mena House Oberoi hotel, has been open for over a century and is far and away the most stylish place for lunch or just a cold beer. Expect to pay Western prices for the privilege

Giza nightlife, bars, clubs and pubs.

Hotels, youth hostels, lodging

General accommodation options are somewhat limited within the Giza district - most travellers tend to stay in and around central Cairo itself and travel out to the Pyramids for at least part of the day. For people determined to stay in close vicinity and / or for whom cost is no issue, there are a number of very comfortable options:

Splurge

Contact

Stay safe

• The Giza Pyramids being the main tourist attraction in Egypt, attracting millions of tourists each year, they likewise attract a large number of the most-determined opportunists for miles around - report any instances of harassment by camel drivers and tourist touts to the black-uniformed Tourist Police immediately
• Don't climb any of the Pyramids - officially forbidden and extremely dangerous
• As anywhere in Egypt, in hot months especially, take plenty of bottled water with you (and drink it!), wear a hat and wear sunscreen - sunglasses are also definitely a good idea!

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