Memphis and Saqqara

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Memphis

Memphis, the oldest capital of Egypt, was built by King Menes, and lies 24 kms south-west of Cairo, in Al Badrasheen. What to see in Memphis.

• The colossal statue of Ramses II., exhibited in the museum. This is the most beautiful representation of Ramses II. It is made of fine-grained limestone, 13 metres long, and weighs 120 tons.

• The Temple for Embalming the Sacred Apis Bull, which shows the various steps of embalming.
• The Alabaster Sphinx of King Tuthmosis III.


Saqqara

Saqqara is the oldest Ancient Egyptian cemetery. It lies on a desert plateau, south-west of Cairo. Above rises the step-pyramid and mortuary compound, built by the engineer Imhotep for King Zoser the first of the III Dynasty pharaohs. It is of the mastaba-type. The pyramid is composed of six receding mastabas on top of each other.

The later pyramid builders developed this concept into the familiar even-sided pyramids. The step-pyramids measures 123.5 by 107 ms, at the base and about 59 ms in height.

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Places to see in Egypt

» Cairo & Giza » Alexandria » Sharm El Sheikh » Hurghada » Nuwebie » Saint Catherine » El Arish » Safaga » Mersa Alam

» Ras Sedr » Sinai » Luxor » Aswan » Mersa Matrouh » Oases » El Ain El Sukhna » Dahab » Taba

» The Red Sea » Sahl Hasheesh » Port Said » Rasheed » Siwa » The New Valley