Editor’s note: Egypt is a place I desperately want to visit. However, after the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel and the subsequent war, I would not personally feel safe going. I hope that will not last, and that I will be able to see these magnificent sites, and more. Fortunately, we have Sam’s visit from a long time ago to get us through for now. For more of Sam’s adventures, click here to visit his index page. You can also click here to read about his experiences in Cairo.

There are many tourist attractions that even if you have never been to them, you know them because you have definitely seen their pictures: the Statue of Liberty, Big Ben, the Taj Mahal, the Great Wall of China, etc. Most of these famous places that I have been to measure up to the hype, and some do not quite; however, I have had three attractions that I have visited where I figured “Okay, I know what to expect, because I have seen it so many times in pictures,” and yet, was left with my jaw hanging open as a picture was not able to capture its magnificence. These three were Michaelangelo’s David, the Grand Canyon, and what I will be writing about today, the Pyramids of Giza.

First, a few statistics so that you can truly understand how remarkable and historic the tallest building, the Great Pyramid of Khufu, is. The Great Pyramid of Khufu was built around 2600 BCE; at 481 feet, it was the tallest building in the world until 1311 CE, meaning it held the title of world’s tallest building for more than 3800 years. It is the oldest and the only one of the original Seven Wonders of the Ancient World that is still standing. Cleopatra was born nearly 2100 years ago, meaning that Cleopatra was born closer to the invention of the iPhone than she was the building of the pyramids.

Touring the pyramids was how I spent my 23rd, and one of my most memorable, birthday. However, before you tour the pyramids, it might be worth going to some museums to get some background information. One of the best museums that I have ever been to was the Egyptian Museum in the heart of Cairo next to Tahrir Square. While I only have a picture of the outside of the pink building as cameras were not allowed inside, I still vividly remember seeing countless priceless artifacts. The museum has 120,000 artifacts and is the largest museum in Africa. Of course, the prized collection of the museum is that of Pharaoh Tutankhamen, with his world famous golden mask, as well as other statues and his throne. I was especially excited to also see the decorative golden masks of the Egyptian nobleman Yuya and his wife Thuya, the grandparents of Akhenaten, who may have been the inspiration for the biblical Joseph. There are also numerous sarcophagi, statues, and pharaonic pieces of artwork and manuscripts. As these items were buried with the pharaohs and nobles, they did not see light for thousands of years and thus have not faded. Another highlight for me was the 3300 year old Merneptah Stele, which intricately details Merneptah’s military victories, and provides the first ever extrabiblical mention of the word “Israel”. The museum also has dozens of mummies that you can look at up close, which, despite being over 3000 years old, still had hair, skin, and eyelids, and were phenomenally preserved. I got a particular feeling of excitement when I found myself inches away from the face of Ramesses II, who ruled Egypt for over 60 years and is often cited as the pharaoh in the story of the Exodus from Egypt by the Israelites. In the week following my visit, during the revolution, a couple of the mummies were decapitated by looters. Also, Egypt has opened two new museums, one of which is in Old Cairo and called the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization. Upon the opening of this new museum in April of 2021, there was an event called the Pharaohs’ Golden Parade, in which the mummies of 22 pharaohs were transported from one museum to the other.

Giza also has an impressive new museum as well, the Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM), which was opened after 11 years of construction in 2023 to limited access. Once completed, it will be the largest archaeological museum in the world and highlight the findings of Giza. Many of the Tutankhamen artifacts have been transferred to this museum. When I visited Egypt, one of the neatest artifacts I saw was in Memphis, the ancient capital that is today in Giza, and that was the Colossus of Ramesses II. At the time, this 11 meter, 83 ton statue was lying flat for people to observe, with its intricate carving in red granite. Today, the statue is standing tall at the GEM.

This area also has the very first pyramid, known as the Step Pyramid of Djoser. Unlike the more iconic pyramids, this one has different levels. It was built by the high priest Imhotep in 2670 BCE and measures 205 feet in height. While some of the other pyramids may be more impressive, they would have never existed had the Step Pyramid of Djoser not been constructed. Its uniqueness and importance make it a must-visit. The Step Pyramid is also at the entrance of the funerary complex of Saqqara. The complex is surrounded by 34 foot walls and makes an interior T-shape that is full of rows of tall columns and relief designs.

The nearby Dahshur district of Giza was the capital of the Pharaoh Sneferu in 2600 BCE. Sneferu attempted to make the first true pyramid structure, as opposed to a step pyramid, and made one of history’s big architectural mistakes, one that led to an interesting attraction today. In an attempt to make a pyramid, the building rose out of the ground at an angle of 53 degrees, which was too steep. Sneferu tried to correct course and adjust it to 47 degrees, which was still too steep. Eventually, the top leveled off at 43 degrees, which led to a noticeably bent appearance, thus giving this 344 foot tall structure the name “Bent Pyramid.” Learning from his mistake, Sneferu built the adjacent 344 foot tall Red Pyramid, at the 43 degree angle. This reddish hued pyramid is the first true, smooth-sided pyramid, and is the largest pyramid in the Dahshur complex and third largest overall. I had the opportunity to go inside the Red Pyramid. While there is not much to see and the inside smelled terrible, it is exciting to be inside a pyramid.

The Red Pyramid’s claim of being the world’s tallest building was short lived, as Sneferu’s son and successor, Khufu, built what would become the tallest of the pyramids. The Great Pyramid of Khufu is one of three main pyramids at the Giza Plateau, with the other two being the Pyramids of Menkaure and Khafre, and their smaller associated pyramids alongside them. These three main pyramids are aligned next to each other, and though Khufu’s is the tallest, the one I found most impressive was the Pyramid of Khafre. The Pyramid of Khafre is only slightly shorter than Khufu’s, but it is the one in the center of the three and also, at 53 degree slope, is the most dramatic. The top of the Pyramid of Khafre still has its original façade, showing how the pyramids once appeared completely smooth on the exterior.

In addition to being the center of the complex, it is also directly behind the Great Sphinx. While sculptures of sphinxes, mythical creatures that had the head of human and body of a lion, were common throughout ancient Egypt, this sphinx is the grandest of them all. In the foreground of the pyramids, it greets visitors as a sculpture being 240 feet in length from paw to tail, 62 feet in height, and 66 feet wide. Unfortunately, as is common throughout Egypt, you will be hassled at the pyramids by people trying to sell you anything they can. However, though a tourist trap, it is essential that you get the experience of riding a camel in front of the pyramids.

While many of my articles are “off the beaten path” destinations, some of which are places nobody has ever heard of, everybody has heard of the pyramids. Upon going there, I understood that it is for good reason. If there is one place that you should add to your bucket list, it ought to be the last remaining Wonder of the Ancient World.