Egypt Vacation - March 17 - 31, 2006
Page Nine of Ten
Mercedes, Margaret, Pat, and Shirley at
the Pyramids of Giza
The Sphinx, that stands guard at the approach to the
Pyramid of Khafre. The Sphinx is the earliest known
monumental sculpture of ancient Egypt, dating to around
2500 BC. It stands 66 ft. high with an elongated body,
outstretched paws, and a royal headdress, framing a fleshy
face, possibly that of King Khafre. Carved from an outcrop
of natural rock augmented by shaped blocks around the base.
Photograph of the Sphinx taken by the ship's photographer on
our Nile River cruise that I picked up when we were on
the cruise ship.
Side view of the Sphinx. Restoration work was going
on while we were there.
The Sphinx guarding the Pyramid of Khafre. Now
he is apparently guarding it from the intrusion of a
multitude of souvenir shops, including a Hard Rock Cafe
outlet store. The buildings you see that he is looking at
include the scores of tourist related shops surrounding the area.
During Sound and Light Show at the Sphinx
and Pyramids of Giza.
The Citadel - home to Egypt's rulers for almost 700 years.
Founded in 1176 by famed Muslim commander Saladin, its
mosques, museums, battlements reflect a diverse heritage.
Islam is constitutionally established as the official religion.
Around 90% of the population are Sunni Muslim, the rest
being Christian, mainly Coptic Christians.
Link to Egypt - Page Ten
Pat's Home Page