From Germany to South Africa-Part 3

Egypt: Saqqara, Aswan

In the last part, I mentioned the Great Pyramid of Khufu at Giza. About a century before its construction, the title of the tallest man-made structure in the world was held by the stepped Pyramid of Djoser at Saqqara, which is located about 30 kilometers south of Giza. The Pyramid of Djoser was built around 2600 BC for the burial of Pharaoh Djoser. It is the first Egyptian pyramid ever built, and a cornerstone in the history of human civilization. Time is slowly turning it into rubble and dust, and a team of Egyptian and British experts is battling to save it. Hence, understandably, tourists are not allowed to enter the pyramid. We did get a chance, however, to go inside the nearby Pyramid of Teti, which too is part of the ancient Saqqara burial ground. Time has not been kind to the upper part of the pyramid. Today, at first glance, it looks like a small hill. The chambers and corridors below the ground, however, are in exceptionally good condition. We marveled at the hieroglyphic texts engraved on the walls of the burial chamber, which tell stories of a time long gone. It is believed that King Teti was murdered by his bodyguards, for reasons unknown to this day.
After spending five days in and around Cairo, we headed east through the desert and then south along the Gulf of Suez to Hurghada, where we spent the night. From Hurghada, we rode to Luxor in the country’s interior. After a brief visit to the Karnak Temple Complex there, and another night, we followed the Nile south, and reached Aswan on May 21. Aswan is Egypt’s ancient southern frontier, and one of the driest places on earth. We spent our first night in Aswan at Adam’s Home, a campsite on the edge of the Sahara desert. The cold of the night gave way to almost unbearable heat as soon as the first ray of light struck in the early morning. It is true what they say about the extreme differences between day and night temperatures in the desert. The remaining nights, we spent at a more comfortable place, a simple hotel in Aswan’s souk.
As we waited for our tickets for the Lake Nasser ferry from Aswan to Wadi Halfa in Sudan, we got some time to explore. We hired a felucca, a traditional wooden sailing boat, that took us across the Nile to a Nubian village, and to the Aswan Botanical Garden on Elnabatat’s Island. We also did some culinary exploration, and it was in Aswan that I think I first had kushari. Some sources claim that the popular Egyptian dish was inspired by the South Asian dish khichdi, which is commonly known as khichuri in Bangla. The main ingredients of kushari are rice, macaroni, tomato sauce, vegetable oil, onions, cumin and lentils. Some people add chickpeas or spaghetti. Usually, kushari is vegan, as are ful and falafel, two other popular dishes in Egypt. I bet you, too, will love the food in Egypt!

To be continued.

The writer is a moral philosopher at Rice University in Texas, USA.

From Germany to South Africa-Part 3

Egypt: Saqqara, Aswan

In the last part, I mentioned the Great Pyramid of Khufu at Giza. About a century before its construction, the title of the tallest man-made structure in the world was held by the stepped Pyramid of Djoser at Saqqara, which is located about 30 kilometers south of Giza. The Pyramid of Djoser was built around 2600 BC for the burial of Pharaoh Djoser. It is the first Egyptian pyramid ever built, and a cornerstone in the history of human civilization. Time is slowly turning it into rubble and dust, and a team of Egyptian and British experts is battling to save it. Hence, understandably, tourists are not allowed to enter the pyramid. We did get a chance, however, to go inside the nearby Pyramid of Teti, which too is part of the ancient Saqqara burial ground. Time has not been kind to the upper part of the pyramid. Today, at first glance, it looks like a small hill. The chambers and corridors below the ground, however, are in exceptionally good condition. We marveled at the hieroglyphic texts engraved on the walls of the burial chamber, which tell stories of a time long gone. It is believed that King Teti was murdered by his bodyguards, for reasons unknown to this day. After spending five days in and around Cairo, we headed east through the desert and then south along the Gulf of Suez to Hurghada, where we spent the night. From Hurghada, we rode to Luxor in the countrys interior. After a brief visit to the Karnak Temple Complex there, and another night, we followed the Nile south, and reached Aswan on May 21. Aswan is Egypts ancient southern frontier, and one of the driest places on earth. We spent our first night in Aswan at Adams Home, a campsite on the edge of the Sahara desert. The cold of the night gave way to almost unbearable heat as soon as the first ray of light struck in the early morning. It is true what they say about the extreme differences between day and night temperatures in the desert. The remaining nights, we spent at a more comfortable place, a simple hotel in Aswans souk. As we waited for our tickets for the Lake Nasser ferry from Aswan to Wadi Halfa in Sudan, we got some time to explore. We hired a felucca, a traditional wooden sailing boat, that took us across the Nile to a Nubian village, and to the Aswan Botanical Garden on Elnabatats Island. We also did some culinary exploration, and it was in Aswan that I think I first had kushari. Some sources claim that the popular Egyptian dish was inspired by the South Asian dish khichdi, which is commonly known as khichuri in Bangla. The main ingredients of kushari are rice, macaroni, tomato sauce, vegetable oil, onions, cumin and lentils. Some people add chickpeas or spaghetti. Usually, kushari is vegan, as are ful and falafel, two other popular dishes in Egypt. I bet you, too, will love the food in Egypt! To be continued. The writer is a moral philosopher at Rice University in Texas, USA.