My first full day in Egypt really allowed me to connect with the country’s deep and ancient history as my group and I went to see the Great Pyramids of Giza, the Sphinx, and the Egyptian National Museum.

The Sphinx and the Great Pyramids of Giza really allow you to understand how advanced the culture of the Egyptians really was.  I never knew the individual blocks of stone that the Egyptians used to make the pyramids were so large, a fact I became aware of when I saw that the base stones came up to around my shoulders.  Standing next to them, I could not understand how such an ancient civilization could move such large stones. The pyramids themselves are simply overpowering pieces of construction.  They are so big that focusing on the whole structure at once is quite a difficult task.  Interestingly, when you look at the top of the pyramid from its base it loses its angular shape and looks like stairs going towards the heavens.

Set about a five minute bus ride from the Pyramids, the Sphinx is also an amazing sight to see both for its sheer size and because of the way that the Great Pyramids are picturesquely set in its background.  Also, some myths about these structures were dispelled by my tour guide.  According to her, archaeological evidence shows that the Great Pyramids were made by neither aliens nor Jewish slaves, but rather by skilled Egyptian craftsmen and engineers.  Additionally, the claim that the nose of the Sphinx was blown off by French troops because it was that of African face is untrue.  Rather, it was blown away because of early Muslim rulers believed that such a large portrayal of a person’s fame was blasphemous.

As the afternoon wore on, my group and I went to the Egyptian National Museum. Home to treasures such as King Tut’s mask, the museum was quite an experience. Unfortunately, the museum does not allow any photos; however, the memories I have are unbelievable.  The King Tut exhibit was definitely amazing.  While I was impressed at the Pyramids by the way in which the Egyptians were able to construct so massive a structure, I was impressed at the museum by the way in which the Egyptians were able master such small details in the fields of artisanry and craftsmanship.