A convoy of Toyota Landcruisers is awaiting us at the hotel this morning, instead of the usual Traveline bus. Denny and I sit with Medhat in the lead vehicle, and off we go.
I have seen the step pyramid of Djoser at Saqqara in books and documentaries before. It is reputed to be the first large work in stone masonry ever built in Egypt.
First stop is at the Imhotep Museum at the entrance to the area. It is a very well designed and curated exhibit, at par with the Luxor Museum. An adjacent lecture hall houses a large scale model of the site, made by French archaeologist Jean Phillipe Lauer -- who spent his life well into his late nineties working and restoring the structure. The enclosing compound and its ancillary shrines and other votive buildings is what fascinates me most. These are 'fake' buildings, structures filled solid with stone, of a purely symbolic nature. Their decoration and architectural detail seem to emulate archaic buildings made of reeds and mud, thought to be the original homes of the gods. Many of the defining styles of Ancient Egyptian architecture were first laid out here, and in later dynasties artists and engineers came to study the buildings. At that time the architect Imhotep had already attained the status of a demi-god and was the object of a cult.
From there we go to the pyramid of Teti and the mastaba of Kagemni. WOW! Though its superstructure is mostly dilapidated, Teti's burial chamber is a pure delight, showing a complete, pristine and exquisitely carved rendition of the 'pyramid texts'. Una's sepulcher might have been the first to incorporate those sacred texts and spells, but Teti's the best! What a treat!
Oh, and watch your head when you climb down the ramp to the burial chamber, the ceiling is very low...
Nearby Kagemni mastaba is filled with lively scenes of hunting and fishing in the marshes. I am afraid my fellow tour members are getting tired of hearing me say "Wow!" I'm just getting blown away every five steps I take...
Above a doorway Kagemni is shown being carried in a sedan chair. That would be just my style.
Then come what is, for me, the highlight of the day (Medhat has been pulling strings in the background again): a special permission to visit the funerary complex of Maya, an 18th dynasty official who was treasurer under Tutankhamun. This is beyond anything I could ever have dreamed of, but there it is, and I'm climbing down the steps into it. The elegant carvings, with the figures painted in a golden yellow against the naturally white limestone, show the influence of the post-Amarna style prevalent under Tutankhamun and Horemheb. I am tearing up with joy. I'm not the only one having the time of my life, however. Dr. Barry Kemp is grinning ear to ear and the sparkle in his eyes light up the underground chambers.
My hip is really starting to act up and I find it increasingly difficult to climb up or down anything. The rest of the day will have to be spent on horizontal ground. No more stairs, hills or ladders for this old man.
Or at least that's what I think, until we get to the sun temple of Neuserra st Abu Ghurab... Another hill to climb, but this will be the last of the day!
Dr. Kemp explains the site very well, how what now looks like a dilapidated pyramid was on fact a squat obelisk on a wide base, representing the Ben Ben stone, a powerful solar cult symbol. In front of the Ben Ben is a magnificent offering altar made of massive alabaster. It just vibrates with energy. Damn I am so lucky!
We end the day at the pyramid of king Djedefra at Abu Rawash. I sit with Medhat on a low reconstructed wall while the rest of the group saunters about like so many mountain goats. The site is quite impressive, offering a panoramic view of the entire Cairo metropolis, the Giza plateau and beyond. Though small, this pyramid would have been the most visible of all in ancient times. We bounce back to modern-day Cairo in our now dusty Landcruisers.
The group meets in the hotel lobby, to say goodbye to Medhat. How do you say goodbye to someone who has made your dreams come true, pulled all sorts of strings and favors to produce surprise after surprise?
Simple, you can't. So I give Medhat a hug and say "see you next time."
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