GIZEH AND ITS PYRAMIDS.
On the opposite side of the river from Cairo, about three miles
southwest, lies the village of Gizeh. It is situated not far from the
boundary of middle Egypt just where the line of the great pyramids
begins.
The neighborhood about Gizeh is somewhat noted, for it has twice been
associated with the fate of Egypt in decisive battles--in 969 A.D. with
the Fatimite army, and in 1798 with the French army under Bonaparte.
Ancient Gizeh was adorned with beautiful palaces and magnificent
mosques. It was once a favorite resort for the merchants of Cairo, when
they wished to be set free from the cares of a business life. Nothing
remains now on the ancient site but a mere village. Piles of rubbish are
all that mark the spot where magnificent buildings once stood.
One ancient custom still prevails in modern Gizeh, the process of
hatching eggs in ovens. This custom has descended from the time of the
Pharaohs.
Stretching north and south for many miles between the verdant valley of
the Nile and the Libyan desert beyond, at an elevation of one hundred
feet above the level of the Nile, rises a barren plateau, lying at a
distance of about ten miles west of Memphis and running parallel with
the river.
To the ancient kings of Egypt this rocky ridge, beneath which the _Sun_,
the chief deity of the Egyptians, appeared to sink to rest, seemed the
most fitting site upon which to build their tombs. Sitting in their
palace at Memphis and viewing this western plateau, they could but
meditate upon the time when their sun of life should sink and they be
called to the abode of the Gods.
It was the custom to hew out chambers in the rocks on the sides of the
hilly ridge, in which to place the bodies of the common dead. The king,
who had reigned over his subjects in life, felt it but a fitting
monument to his memory that his sepulcher should be of the most
magnificent proportions.
The royal sarcophagus was usually placed in a spacious chamber under a
grand monument of stones. Little by little the heap began to take more
definite shape under the hands of the builders, until it assumed the
immovable form and severe aspect of a pyramid.
Gradually the structure became more and more regular in the character of
its interior and in the outline of its exterior, till it finally stood
sharply defined against the sky, the pride of the builders and the
marvel of future ages.
It is said by one authority that there were about seventy of these
pyramids erected along the plateau west of Memphis, between Abu Roash
and Dashur. Among them were some especially noted for their size and
magnificence.
According to an ancient writer, the usages and customs of the Egyptians
were directly opposite to those of other nations. It was the custom for
the women to be employed in business and trade, while the men stayed at
home to spin and attend to domestic affairs. This gave rise to the
extraordinary law by which the daughters, not the sons, were obliged to
provide for their parents.
In carrying burdens, the men bore them upon the head, the women upon the
shoulder. Bread was kneaded with the feet, and mortar mixed with the
hands. In all other countries the cattle were separated from the members
of the household, but in Egypt men and beasts dwelt together.
According to this author, the Egyptians were the first to assert the
immortality of the soul. They believed that the soul, after the
corruption of the body, entered some animal, and by a continuous change
passed successively into the different kinds of creatures belonging to
the air, earth, and water. After a lapse of three thousand years it
again dwelt in a human body.
The utmost care was employed to preserve the body as long as possible,
that the soul might be obliged to continue with it. As the body was thus
cared for, or embalmed, no labor nor cost was spared in building the
sepulchers, which were termed _eternal mansions_. Their houses were
built with much less care and expense, for they considered them but inns
where men abode as travelers for a few years.
Many of the embalmed bodies, or mummies, have been brought from Egypt
and placed in national museums. Some of the coffins in which they lie
are very thick. They are generally of sycamore, which does not decay so
easily as some wood. Some are of stone, others of cloth pasted together,
making them very strong.
The top of the coffin is usually cut into the shape of a head, with a
face resembling a woman's painted on it. Some of these coffins are
handsomely marked with hieroglyphics. The body of the coffin is plain,
with a broad pedestal at the lower end on which it can rest in an
upright position.
The embalmed body appears wrapped in a shroud of linen upon which are
fastened many linen scrolls painted with sacred characters. The face is
covered with a headpiece of linen fitted with plaster. On this the
countenance of the deceased is represented in gold.
The whole body is swathed with linen bands with great neatness and
skill. There cannot be less than one thousand yards of these linen bands
upon a single body.
The great pyramids of Gizeh have a situation on a hill six miles west of
the Nile and at a distance of ninety miles from the Mediterranean Sea.
They are three in number.
There is a fine highway, built at some elevation above the plain and
shaded by acacia trees, running from Cairo to these pyramids, a distance
of about eight miles. As we cross the river by means of a modern iron
bridge, we behold from the center of it a series of most beautiful
pictures.
The Nile, even at its lowest stage, impresses us as a noble river. It is
the longest river of the eastern continent, and is exceeded in length
only by the Amazon and the Mississippi. True, the volume of its waters
is doubtless exceeded by that of several others, since the amount is
diminished by the light rainfall and the narrow watershed of the latter
half of the course.
Gazing at the Nile, we can but reflect upon what it has done and what it
now does for Egypt, and we realize that its flood is one of the greatest
blessings, if not one of the greatest wonders in the world.
We cross the bridge, and the road we follow leads to the western hills,
on the northern extremity of which stand the pyramids of Gizeh, at an
elevation of one hundred feet above the sea. The whole of this region
was, from the earliest period, one of the cemeteries of old Memphis,
which was the residence of the ancient Egyptian kings.
The largest and most ancient of the pyramids was built by Khufu. Within
the solemn stillness of the chambers of the pyramid of Khufu the stone
coffin which contained the royal mummy was placed. Upon the walls was
sculptured the story of the dead king's deeds. A stone sealed the
passage leading to these silent chambers. Three hundred and sixty
thousand men were employed for twenty years in building this pyramid.
Another of these pyramids, Cheops, was built by the brother and
successor of Khufu. It is constructed of huge blocks of red granite upon
a vast ledge of hard limestone rock. This ledge is one hundred and
thirty-seven feet above the level of the Nile.
History states that the pyramid was originally built in layers which
formed steps. These were covered either with marble or alabaster, making
a fine smooth surface. The footprints of Time have removed this outer
covering, and the foundation steps, once rough, are now worn smooth by
the feet of travelers. Cheops covers an area of thirteen acres.
The pyramid has a length of seven hundred and fifty-seven feet on each
side. Originally it stood four hundred and eighty feet high; twenty feet
have, however been removed.
Two hundred and six steps, or layers of stone, lead to the top, a
tedious climb, requiring almost as much courage and zeal as to scale the
Alps. The ascent is usually made from one of the corners by winding
back and forth over the angle in a zigzag direction.
It is not safe to attempt to make the ascent without suitable guides,
for one soon becomes dizzy and helpless. A little girl carrying a jar of
water usually accompanies the traveler, who frequently finds it
necessary to avail himself of her proffered services. The descent is
less dangerous but quite as exciting, for the guides, taking the
traveler by the hand, leap down the steps at a merry rate. It is with a
feeling of relief, no doubt, that the traveler finds himself standing on
mother earth again.
The third pyramid was built by Menkera, a successor of Khufu. In the
central vault the mummy of Menkera was found. The sarcophagus, in which
it lies, is of blue basalt, and contains the following description,
"Osiris, King Menkera, ever-living one. Thy mother Nut is outstretched
over thee; in her name of the mystery of the sky may she deify thee and
destroy thy enemies, King Menkera, ever-living one."
According to accounts handed down from the Egyptian priests, the immense
masses of stone used in the construction of the pyramids were brought
from Arabia. They were put into place by building up huge mounds of
earth beneath them, and allowing them to slide into position, as if from
an inclined plane. It is certain that stone such as was used in the
pyramids is not to be found within many miles of these structures.
Various reasons have been assigned for the building of the pyramids
other than that they were intended as burial places for kings.
Some writers believe that their dimensions were meant for the basis of a
system of weights and measures. Some have discovered a geometrical
design in the construction, and believe that they were intended for
teaching astronomy. Others argue, that only a "divine origin, plan, and
purpose could account for the wonderful skill and hidden mysteries of
the great monuments."
The wonderful Sphinx of Egypt is supposed to have been planned by the
monarch Khafra.
"This great image stands north of the second pyramid of Gizeh. The
effigy is the symbolical form of the god _Harmachu_, meaning Horus the
Resplendent, to whom the adjacent temple was dedicated.
"The figure is hewn out of the solid rock. It has the body of a
crouching lion and the head of a man capped and bearded. It is one
hundred and ninety feet high.
"Between the paws, which are extended to a distance of fifty feet, is a
monumental stone bearing the name of Khafra, who is said to have
dedicated the image. The shoulders are thirty-six feet in breadth. The
head measures from top to chin twenty-eight feet and six inches.
"The drifting sands of centuries have fallen around the mighty effigy,
until only the solemn visage, looking out towards the Nile, and a small
part of the shoulders and back remain above the level of the desert."