We drove down this morning to Saqqara, the marvelous necropolis of the Old Kingdom capital, Memphis. I’ve always loved this place, for many reasons — including the abrupt difference – very clearly visible on the short road up out of the Nile Valley onto the western plateau – between green fields and the sudden, utterly barren Sahara Desert.
The centerpiece of Saqqara, of course, is the famous step pyramid of King Zoser, designed by the quasi-legendary Imhotep. But we also explored the complex that surrounds it, including a view southward toward the “Bent Pyramid” and other large pyramids, as well as the ruinous but tremendously significant little pyramid of Unas, with its wonderful “Pyramid Texts.” I’ve been in it several times, but, alas, not on this go-round.
Before leaving Saqqara, we entered into the mastaba-tomb of the vizier Kagemni, with its decorative scenes of agricultural life, bird-watching, and hunting and fishing along the Nile, as well as the pyramid of King Teti, the interior walls of which are decorated with at least portions of the Pyramid Texts.
Not far from Saqqara, we visited the Akhenaten Carpet School, where our group heard about carpet weaving and, in many cases, bought carpets. Then we went to the ruins of ancient Memphis, where we spent most of our time near the impressive colossus of Ramses II. After a quite late lunch, we made the lengthy drive back to our hotel.
Tomorrow, we’ll fly to Aswan, where we’ll board a Nile riverboat for three nights. It’s very likely, I think, that I’ll have no internet while on the River. Will I survive that?
Incidentally, we’re planning to repeat pretty much this trip next year at about the same time.
Posted from Cairo, Egypt
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