Cairo and the Egyptian Museum

After 31 hours of door-to-door travel (Albuquerque-Dallas-London-Cairo), arriving at the humble Guardian Guest House in the Giza section of Cairo felt like an occasion. Since it was 2 a.m., we didn't celebrate for long, but rose after 8 hours of blessed sleep to a sunrise panorama of pyramids right across the street.

Our hotel room looked out on the entrance to the pyramid complex, where all kinds of mechanical and four-legged transport were in motion.

The hotel staff served us a late breakfast, then it was off to the Egyptian Museum. The collection is magnificent beyond description--the few photos here don't begin to capture it.

The Egyptian Museum looks out on Tahrir Square

Pharoah Amenhotep III, Queen Tyi and their daughters (~1350 BC)

The dwarf Seneb, his wife and children (~2500 BC)

Akhenaten, the "heretic pharoah" (1350 BC) who declared  belief in one god (it was short-lived)

Akhenaten and Queen Nefertiti receiving the rays of the sun god, the Aten

Akhenaten encouraged artists to depart from traditional idealized forms and depict natural life 

Geese from tomb of Nefermaat, an official under reign of Sneferu (2500 BC)

Coronation of Ramses III attended by gods Horus and Seth (~1180 BC)

A section of the museum held artifacts from the tomb of Hemaka, an official under the first dynasty ruler Den (~2950 BC). The ancient Egyptians believed that if the body was kept intact by mummification, the soul would resurrect in the next world. They put everything they wanted for the life after this one in their tombs.

Wooden coffin of Ahmose

Necklace

Officials counting cattle

Fishing boats

Inside coffin of a scribe of the temple of Amun, showing an offering of flowers to the god of the west (~1000 BC)

The falcon god Horus, son of Isis and Osiris

Silver coffin from the Nile Delta city of Tanis (~1000 BC)

Gold mask from the tomb of Tutankhamun. Serpent is the symbol of Lower Egypt. (~1330 BC)

Canopic jars in which the organs of the mummified body were placed (tomb of Tutankhamun)

Chariot from the tomb of Tutankhamun

Hatshepsut was a woman who ruled Egypt for 20 years in the 15th century BC. Most depictions of her were as a male. In contrast to other pharaohs, she focused on agriculture and economic development rather than conquering neighboring lands.






Hatshepsut's high priest--and some speculate her lover--is shown here holding her son Thutmoses III.

Our brains were full, so we headed off past Tahrir Square to our hotel.