1 00:00:01,920 --> 00:00:04,855 I'm Alice Roberts and I'm on an adventure to look at 2 00:00:04,880 --> 00:00:08,015 the world's oldest and greatest civilisation. 3 00:00:08,040 --> 00:00:11,175 SHE SPEAKS ARABIC 4 00:00:11,200 --> 00:00:15,535 I'm going to be travelling the length and breadth of Egypt by train 5 00:00:15,560 --> 00:00:17,255 to discover its ancient past. 6 00:00:18,920 --> 00:00:23,735 I want to understand how the tombs, temples and pyramids came to be made 7 00:00:23,760 --> 00:00:27,055 and dig even deeper to understand what life was like 8 00:00:27,080 --> 00:00:30,015 for the ordinary people who made them. 9 00:00:30,040 --> 00:00:33,895 Along the way I'll be meeting archaeologists who are still working 10 00:00:33,920 --> 00:00:36,335 to uncover the story of ancient Egypt. 11 00:00:38,240 --> 00:00:41,375 I'll be looking at some familiar sights, 12 00:00:41,400 --> 00:00:44,415 but also learning about new discoveries. 13 00:00:44,440 --> 00:00:47,015 I'm now on the railway line that hugs the Nile 14 00:00:47,040 --> 00:00:49,255 all the way to Aswan via Luxor. 15 00:00:50,600 --> 00:00:52,975 In Luxor, I find out why it's known as 16 00:00:53,000 --> 00:00:55,455 the world's greatest open-air museum. 17 00:00:57,760 --> 00:01:00,855 In Aswan, I visit the land of the temples. 18 00:01:06,760 --> 00:01:10,295 Today I'll be making my base in Cairo. 19 00:01:10,320 --> 00:01:12,895 I'll visit the great Egyptian Museum... 20 00:01:18,760 --> 00:01:20,975 ...get up close with the pyramids... 21 00:01:23,880 --> 00:01:26,095 ...even going inside. 22 00:01:29,920 --> 00:01:32,335 Down in a souk, I find a hidden gem... 23 00:01:36,680 --> 00:01:39,255 ...and off the beaten track, the hillside graveyard 24 00:01:39,280 --> 00:01:41,815 where the elite are buried alongside the commoners... 25 00:01:43,800 --> 00:01:47,055 ...as I travel ancient Egypt by train. 26 00:01:58,320 --> 00:02:01,695 My first stop is the country's capital city. 27 00:02:01,720 --> 00:02:07,335 I started my journey in Alexandria, 140 miles away from Cairo. 28 00:02:07,360 --> 00:02:09,855 After a quick stop in Tanta, 29 00:02:09,880 --> 00:02:13,895 I'm now getting close to the Egyptian capital. 30 00:02:13,920 --> 00:02:17,775 I've been intrigued by ancient Egypt since I was a child, 31 00:02:17,800 --> 00:02:20,335 and it's down to one particular woman. 32 00:02:20,360 --> 00:02:22,695 In my local churchyard was the grave of 33 00:02:22,720 --> 00:02:26,615 the pioneering Egyptologist Amelia Edwards. 34 00:02:26,640 --> 00:02:31,615 Amelia travelled to Luxor and Aswan, starting her journey in Cairo. 35 00:02:38,000 --> 00:02:40,335 I'm sad to be saying goodbye to Alexandria 36 00:02:40,360 --> 00:02:44,975 and the Mediterranean sea, but my journey now lies to the south. 37 00:02:45,000 --> 00:02:47,655 I'm also leaving behind that more recent history, 38 00:02:47,680 --> 00:02:51,415 the Mamluk rulers, the Greeks, the Romans, 39 00:02:51,440 --> 00:02:53,895 and I'm going in search of the pharaohs. 40 00:02:53,920 --> 00:02:56,375 I'm heading towards the pyramids. 41 00:03:03,040 --> 00:03:07,335 This is the book that Amelia penned as she made her journey up the Nile. 42 00:03:11,680 --> 00:03:15,255 Amelia Edwards wrote that the first glimpse that many travellers would 43 00:03:15,280 --> 00:03:20,095 have of the pyramids was on this train ride from Alexandria to Cairo, 44 00:03:20,120 --> 00:03:23,655 so I'm hoping I might see them myself. 45 00:03:23,680 --> 00:03:26,815 And of course, they're the most famous landmarks in Egypt 46 00:03:26,840 --> 00:03:29,895 and surrounded in myth and mystery still. 47 00:03:29,920 --> 00:03:32,455 Some people say that they are the relics of 48 00:03:32,480 --> 00:03:35,215 an ancient technologically-advanced civilisation, 49 00:03:35,240 --> 00:03:38,375 others that they were built by aliens. 50 00:03:38,400 --> 00:03:41,415 But the archaeological truth is much more interesting, 51 00:03:41,440 --> 00:03:46,375 and I'm going to meet the experts who are delving into those secrets. 52 00:03:46,400 --> 00:03:50,015 I'm also hoping to uncover the origins 53 00:03:50,040 --> 00:03:52,295 of the great city of Cairo itself. 54 00:03:55,960 --> 00:03:58,335 As I pass through the city, it becomes clear 55 00:03:58,360 --> 00:04:01,175 that the pyramids can't be seen from the train any more. 56 00:04:03,760 --> 00:04:08,135 Cairo has grown dramatically since Amelia was here over 100 years ago. 57 00:04:10,240 --> 00:04:12,815 Egypt was the second country in the world, 58 00:04:12,840 --> 00:04:15,335 after Britain, to have a railway. 59 00:04:15,360 --> 00:04:19,095 It was built by British pioneer and designer Robert Stephenson. 60 00:04:20,560 --> 00:04:23,615 Stephenson was also contracted to make the trains. 61 00:04:30,160 --> 00:04:34,535 Cairo is the hub of the whole rail network, 62 00:04:34,560 --> 00:04:37,495 with hundreds of trains passing through it every day. 63 00:04:51,320 --> 00:04:56,295 Cairo station was renovated in 2014 and it is splendid. 64 00:04:59,600 --> 00:05:04,415 As the nation's main station, this was a no-expense-spared revamp, 65 00:05:04,440 --> 00:05:08,735 demonstrating just how proud the Egyptians are of their railways. 66 00:05:11,000 --> 00:05:13,935 The station also has its own museum 67 00:05:13,960 --> 00:05:16,575 dedicated to the nation's railway history. 68 00:05:19,120 --> 00:05:21,415 Oh, look, there's the plate. 69 00:05:21,440 --> 00:05:24,615 Robert Stephenson, Newcastle on Tyne. 70 00:05:27,400 --> 00:05:31,935 And just when I thought I'd finished with trains today, 71 00:05:31,960 --> 00:05:34,895 along comes Dianne from the museum to distract me. 72 00:05:34,920 --> 00:05:37,375 This to make it move. 73 00:05:37,400 --> 00:05:38,695 There it is. 74 00:05:42,040 --> 00:05:44,895 Dianne, when did the railways first open in Egypt? 75 00:05:44,920 --> 00:05:46,895 And where did it travel from and to? 76 00:05:46,920 --> 00:05:51,815 It started from Alexandria in 1852. 77 00:05:51,840 --> 00:05:58,735 From Alexandria, it reached Cairo, in stages, in 1856. 78 00:05:58,760 --> 00:06:01,495 With an engine built by Robert Stephenson? 79 00:06:01,520 --> 00:06:02,855 Yes. 80 00:06:05,440 --> 00:06:09,375 Today the Egyptian railway spans over 4,000 miles 81 00:06:09,400 --> 00:06:14,535 and every year more than 270 million journeys are taken by passengers. 82 00:06:19,360 --> 00:06:21,775 Cairo and its sister city Giza, 83 00:06:21,800 --> 00:06:24,935 directly across the Nile, form Greater Cairo. 84 00:06:26,160 --> 00:06:29,215 With a population of around 21 million, 85 00:06:29,240 --> 00:06:31,655 this isn't just the biggest city in Egypt, 86 00:06:31,680 --> 00:06:34,735 it's the biggest city in Africa. 87 00:06:34,760 --> 00:06:38,575 And yet, it's not big enough. 88 00:06:38,600 --> 00:06:42,215 The city's traffic is congested 24/7, 89 00:06:42,240 --> 00:06:45,775 making travelling anywhere quickly impossible. 90 00:06:45,800 --> 00:06:50,975 So the Egyptian solution is build a brand-new capital, 91 00:06:51,000 --> 00:06:54,855 New Cairo, just 30 miles away. 92 00:06:54,880 --> 00:06:58,655 This is a nation that isn't afraid to think big. 93 00:07:00,960 --> 00:07:04,735 I start this new chapter of my journey into the deep past 94 00:07:04,760 --> 00:07:07,735 in the Egyptian Museum, 95 00:07:07,760 --> 00:07:10,495 right in the heart of Cairo city centre. 96 00:07:24,680 --> 00:07:26,975 I'm meeting Yossra Ibrahim... 97 00:07:27,000 --> 00:07:29,375 Pleased to meet you. Very, very nice to meet you. 98 00:07:29,400 --> 00:07:31,375 ...an Egyptologist from the city 99 00:07:31,400 --> 00:07:34,775 who now works at the University of Mainz in Germany. 100 00:07:34,800 --> 00:07:36,615 INAUDIBLE 101 00:07:36,640 --> 00:07:38,975 So, tell me about this, then. I mean, this is extraordinary. 102 00:07:39,000 --> 00:07:40,695 When does it date to? 103 00:07:40,720 --> 00:07:43,015 It dates from about Dynasty I. 104 00:07:43,040 --> 00:07:46,855 It marks the unification of Upper and Lower Egypt. 105 00:07:46,880 --> 00:07:49,895 So this is the very beginning of that Pharaonic period? 106 00:07:49,920 --> 00:07:53,015 Yes, it's the beginning of a unified kingdom. Yeah. 107 00:07:53,040 --> 00:07:55,655 We have the pharaoh Narmer or the pharaoh Menes. 108 00:07:55,680 --> 00:07:58,695 He's the tallest one? Yes, he's the biggest character 109 00:07:58,720 --> 00:08:02,415 to denote his importance and his power as well. 110 00:08:02,440 --> 00:08:04,775 And who are these headless bodies over here? 111 00:08:04,800 --> 00:08:07,135 Yeah, so these people are supposed to be 112 00:08:07,160 --> 00:08:10,815 the enemies who were against Narmer or were against unification. 113 00:08:10,840 --> 00:08:12,735 When are we talking about, fourth millennium? 114 00:08:12,760 --> 00:08:14,535 Yes, possibly. BCE? Possibly, yes. 115 00:08:14,560 --> 00:08:16,295 Yeah, yeah. 116 00:08:16,320 --> 00:08:20,095 A very interesting detail - in the middle here, you see the circle? 117 00:08:20,120 --> 00:08:22,775 This is where the make-up pot would be prepared. 118 00:08:22,800 --> 00:08:25,295 It's a make-up pallet? It's supposed to be, 119 00:08:25,320 --> 00:08:27,575 but we're not sure if it was used or not. 120 00:08:29,560 --> 00:08:33,575 I'm drawn towards a face I'm familiar with. 121 00:08:33,600 --> 00:08:38,375 It bears a striking resemblance to the bust of Queen Nefertiti 122 00:08:38,400 --> 00:08:41,935 which resides in the Neues Museum in Berlin. 123 00:08:41,960 --> 00:08:45,575 She's one of the most copied works of ancient Egyptian art. 124 00:08:47,080 --> 00:08:48,615 This is Nefertiti, is it? 125 00:08:48,640 --> 00:08:51,135 This is an unfinished bust of Nefertiti. 126 00:08:52,280 --> 00:08:56,855 So the famous bust of Nefertiti currently in the Berlin museum... 127 00:08:56,880 --> 00:08:59,535 It's recognisably the same face. Yes, yes. Yeah. 128 00:08:59,560 --> 00:09:03,895 It's the same technique. The facial features are prominent. 129 00:09:03,920 --> 00:09:06,175 And she is, you know, she's... Yeah. 130 00:09:06,200 --> 00:09:09,255 ...chin up, yeah, looking out. 131 00:09:09,280 --> 00:09:11,095 Now that's really naturalistic. 132 00:09:11,120 --> 00:09:12,575 It's very naturalistic. 133 00:09:12,600 --> 00:09:16,535 Compared with these statues, which are quite bizarre. 134 00:09:16,560 --> 00:09:21,455 They are quite unique with reference to the Egyptian art 135 00:09:21,480 --> 00:09:25,415 because it's quite strange to see the pharaoh depicted in this manner. 136 00:09:28,120 --> 00:09:31,575 The museum's collection is spellbinding. 137 00:09:31,600 --> 00:09:35,375 They have artefacts from ancient Egypt spanning thousands of years. 138 00:09:36,960 --> 00:09:39,375 Both large... 139 00:09:39,400 --> 00:09:42,335 ...and small. 140 00:09:42,360 --> 00:09:45,175 But the treasures of one pharaoh in particular 141 00:09:45,200 --> 00:09:49,495 draw in visitors in their millions - Tutankhamun. 142 00:09:53,520 --> 00:09:56,135 Here we have the mummy mask. 143 00:09:56,160 --> 00:09:59,975 Ah... Do you know, I've seen so many pictures of this, 144 00:10:00,000 --> 00:10:03,495 but nothing quite prepares you for the real thing. 145 00:10:03,520 --> 00:10:05,295 It's exquisite. 146 00:10:05,320 --> 00:10:08,375 It's absolutely beautiful. 147 00:10:08,400 --> 00:10:11,935 It's made of gold, and you can see a lot of details. 148 00:10:13,120 --> 00:10:17,855 You can see a fake beard denoting the death of the pharaoh. Right. 149 00:10:17,880 --> 00:10:21,455 You can also see the cobra and vulture at the top 150 00:10:21,480 --> 00:10:24,375 or at the head in order to protect it. 151 00:10:24,400 --> 00:10:27,015 Just layers and layers of symbolism. Yes. 152 00:10:27,040 --> 00:10:30,615 And, you know, the symbolism of the wealth 153 00:10:30,640 --> 00:10:34,055 that is poured into this tomb and almost saying, 154 00:10:34,080 --> 00:10:35,775 "We can afford to just lose this, 155 00:10:35,800 --> 00:10:39,255 "we can afford to put all this gold away..." 156 00:10:39,280 --> 00:10:40,855 Yeah. "..and we're still rich 157 00:10:40,880 --> 00:10:44,255 "and we're still powerful and this dynasty will continue." Exactly. 158 00:10:44,280 --> 00:10:47,015 Now, can we see his name anywhere here? I really want to see the name. 159 00:10:47,040 --> 00:10:50,375 You can. You can see it on a number of objects. 160 00:10:50,400 --> 00:10:54,335 So this is a mummy case belonging to Tutankhamun, 161 00:10:54,360 --> 00:10:56,215 and here you can find his name, 162 00:10:56,240 --> 00:10:59,815 Twt-ankh-imn or Tutankhamun. 163 00:10:59,840 --> 00:11:02,695 This is the meaning of his name. And what's giving you the sound of "Tut"? 164 00:11:02,720 --> 00:11:07,415 So Tut is composed of these two semicircles, of the sound "T". Yeah. 165 00:11:07,440 --> 00:11:11,815 And then the "W" - the quail, that's the "W" so "Twt". 166 00:11:11,840 --> 00:11:14,335 The top one is the sound for the "M". Mm. 167 00:11:14,360 --> 00:11:16,655 And the zigzag is the "N", 168 00:11:16,680 --> 00:11:19,415 and the one on the right is the "E" or the "I", "Imn". 169 00:11:19,440 --> 00:11:20,695 That's a feather? 170 00:11:20,720 --> 00:11:22,495 That's a feather, yes. 171 00:11:22,520 --> 00:11:24,455 Oh, it's just... Isn't it incredible? 172 00:11:24,480 --> 00:11:27,295 Yes. You're making it a living language again. Ah, yeah. 173 00:11:27,320 --> 00:11:29,655 I'm so... Honestly, it's wonderful. 174 00:11:29,680 --> 00:11:32,135 Would you like to see the sarcophagus of Tutankhamun? 175 00:11:32,160 --> 00:11:34,495 Yes, I would like to see the sarcophagus. Of course. Please. 176 00:11:38,280 --> 00:11:40,335 Is this his sarcophagus as well? 177 00:11:40,360 --> 00:11:42,935 Yes, this one was placed inside this. 178 00:11:42,960 --> 00:11:45,615 How many sarcophagi, how many cases were there? 179 00:11:45,640 --> 00:11:47,895 Well, these were several cases. 180 00:11:47,920 --> 00:11:50,455 There were about four on the inside, 181 00:11:50,480 --> 00:11:52,815 and then there are two surrounding, 182 00:11:52,840 --> 00:11:56,735 or two emboxing the coffins. 183 00:11:56,760 --> 00:11:59,055 And again, you've got these ornate patterns, 184 00:11:59,080 --> 00:12:01,015 but you've also got hieroglyphs, 185 00:12:01,040 --> 00:12:03,975 and these hieroglyphs are inlaid. Yes. 186 00:12:04,000 --> 00:12:08,375 And even at his feet you've got that extraordinary detail. 187 00:12:08,400 --> 00:12:11,655 This is the goddess Isis stretching her wings 188 00:12:11,680 --> 00:12:16,775 in order to aid the protection of the deceased, of Tutankhamun. 189 00:12:16,800 --> 00:12:19,815 And in the pantheon of Egyptian gods and goddesses, 190 00:12:19,840 --> 00:12:21,415 what was the division of power? 191 00:12:21,440 --> 00:12:24,935 How important were the goddesses compared with the gods? 192 00:12:24,960 --> 00:12:28,295 I would say they assumed equal importance 193 00:12:28,320 --> 00:12:30,775 because you have several female deities 194 00:12:30,800 --> 00:12:33,215 and several male deities as well, 195 00:12:33,240 --> 00:12:37,855 and Isis is a very important and a powerful figure 196 00:12:37,880 --> 00:12:40,535 who doesn't just represent motherhood. 197 00:12:40,560 --> 00:12:44,055 I just think that's such a wonderful image with those beautiful wings. 198 00:12:45,760 --> 00:12:49,455 Isis was the goddess of fertility and motherhood, 199 00:12:49,480 --> 00:12:52,375 death and rebirth, and this image of her 200 00:12:52,400 --> 00:12:56,255 at the feet of Tutankhamun's sarcophagus is so beautiful. 201 00:13:01,040 --> 00:13:05,415 It's night-time when the city really comes to life. 202 00:13:05,440 --> 00:13:08,535 Cairo's souk is at least 600 years old. 203 00:13:10,320 --> 00:13:13,655 A kilometre of shops and street traders. 204 00:13:13,680 --> 00:13:15,975 And you couldn't ask for more of a contrast 205 00:13:16,000 --> 00:13:18,215 from the tranquillity of the museum. 206 00:13:20,680 --> 00:13:22,935 I love that one. 207 00:13:22,960 --> 00:13:25,255 That's gorgeous. 208 00:13:25,280 --> 00:13:27,935 And it's the perfect place for the weary traveller 209 00:13:27,960 --> 00:13:30,815 to part with some money at the end of a long day. 210 00:13:30,840 --> 00:13:33,775 That's 50? What about... 211 00:13:33,800 --> 00:13:36,055 .. 2577 212 00:13:36,080 --> 00:13:37,135 307 Yeah. 213 00:13:37,160 --> 00:13:38,615 Thank you. 214 00:13:38,640 --> 00:13:43,295 There's so much to be tempted by, but one craftsman caught my eye. 215 00:13:47,720 --> 00:13:50,535 Ah, isn't that lovely? 216 00:13:50,560 --> 00:13:53,215 I've seen a design. I don't know... I don't know if you have it, 217 00:13:53,240 --> 00:13:57,615 but it is on Tutankhamun's sarcophagus... 218 00:13:57,640 --> 00:14:01,135 ...Isis with her wings out. Can you do a plate with that on? 219 00:14:01,160 --> 00:14:03,455 Yeah, OK. You can do that for me? 220 00:14:03,480 --> 00:14:04,735 Yeah. Mumkin? 221 00:14:04,760 --> 00:14:07,055 Ah, mumkin! Mumkin. Yeah. 222 00:14:07,080 --> 00:14:11,455 "Mumkin" is a little bit of Arabic I picked up meaning "if possible". 223 00:14:11,480 --> 00:14:13,775 Welcome. Thank you. Have a nice time. Thank you. See you later. 224 00:14:13,800 --> 00:14:16,095 CALL TO PRAYER ECHOES 225 00:14:21,760 --> 00:14:24,455 Beside the souk is a huge mosque 226 00:14:24,480 --> 00:14:26,735 and I want to see if I can have a look around. 227 00:14:29,280 --> 00:14:31,895 Is this the Qalawun mosque? 228 00:14:31,920 --> 00:14:34,495 Yeah, this is the Qalawun complex. 229 00:14:34,520 --> 00:14:39,455 So, it's the tomb of Qalawun himself? Yeah. And he built it? 230 00:14:39,480 --> 00:14:42,575 He built this, yes, in 1285. Yeah. 231 00:14:42,600 --> 00:14:44,655 He was a slave, but he became king. 232 00:14:44,680 --> 00:14:47,415 He was a Mamluk? He was a slave soldier? Mamluk, yeah. 233 00:14:47,440 --> 00:14:48,935 Yeah. He built this? 234 00:14:48,960 --> 00:14:50,855 Yeah, the tomb. 235 00:14:50,880 --> 00:14:52,095 The tomb over here. 236 00:14:52,120 --> 00:14:54,455 Mm-hm. Here is the mosque and school. On that side. 237 00:14:54,480 --> 00:14:57,295 And front, this is a hospital. You want to have a look? 238 00:14:57,320 --> 00:14:59,335 I'd love to. Can I go and explore? 239 00:14:59,360 --> 00:15:01,775 It's OK. Thank you. HE SPEAKS ARABIC 240 00:15:05,320 --> 00:15:10,175 Built in the 13th century, this is a mosque with a school attached. 241 00:15:10,200 --> 00:15:13,215 The student accommodation was arranged around this courtyard. 242 00:15:16,320 --> 00:15:20,135 This is absolutely stunning, right in the centre of Cairo. 243 00:15:20,160 --> 00:15:23,535 You can hear the traffic outside, you can hear the souk, 244 00:15:23,560 --> 00:15:25,815 and then you come into this sacred space. 245 00:15:27,440 --> 00:15:30,215 And this is all part of this complex 246 00:15:30,240 --> 00:15:33,655 which includes the school, but it's also a mosque, 247 00:15:33,680 --> 00:15:36,375 a place for learning about Islam. 248 00:15:36,400 --> 00:15:38,735 And the architecture's so beautiful. 249 00:15:40,360 --> 00:15:46,295 This really is a jewel of Islamic Mamluk architecture. 250 00:15:49,280 --> 00:15:52,975 Another important part of this complex was a hospital, 251 00:15:53,000 --> 00:15:55,695 which also functioned as a medical school. 252 00:16:00,880 --> 00:16:04,175 And these buildings capture what has been going on in Egypt 253 00:16:04,200 --> 00:16:10,255 for thousands of years - recycling and reusing features from the past. 254 00:16:10,280 --> 00:16:14,895 This is such stunning medieval architecture. 255 00:16:16,680 --> 00:16:19,455 But there are also more ancient elements here as well. 256 00:16:20,800 --> 00:16:25,375 These pillars are Roman. They come from Alexandria. 257 00:16:27,320 --> 00:16:33,695 And these huge columns here are Pharaonic, from Luxor. 258 00:16:38,320 --> 00:16:43,175 The most elaborate architecture and decoration is seen in the mausoleum. 259 00:16:49,680 --> 00:16:53,575 When Qalawun died, his body was kept nearby for two months 260 00:16:53,600 --> 00:16:55,535 while they completed this tomb for him. 261 00:16:57,000 --> 00:16:59,895 And later, his family members would be added. 262 00:17:04,040 --> 00:17:08,055 So this is the tomb of Qalawun lying in the centre 263 00:17:08,080 --> 00:17:10,495 of this complex that bears his name. 264 00:17:11,960 --> 00:17:15,695 Just like the pharaohs in their pyramids, 265 00:17:15,720 --> 00:17:17,975 he made sure that he'd be remembered. 266 00:17:21,680 --> 00:17:25,615 The Qalawun mosque complex is a hidden gem, 267 00:17:25,640 --> 00:17:29,015 a wonderful piece of history that is still functioning 268 00:17:29,040 --> 00:17:31,735 in a contemporary world, 269 00:17:31,760 --> 00:17:35,775 buried deep in a city that not only embraces change, 270 00:17:35,800 --> 00:17:37,415 it thrives on it. 271 00:17:39,960 --> 00:17:42,735 Before the night is done, there's just enough time for me 272 00:17:42,760 --> 00:17:45,055 to check on my Tutankhamun plate design. 273 00:17:46,240 --> 00:17:47,895 Is it nearly done? Oh, welcome back! 274 00:17:47,920 --> 00:17:50,935 Oh, wow, look at that! You like it? 275 00:17:50,960 --> 00:17:54,255 ... I think it's absolutely beautiful. She's fantastic. 276 00:17:54,280 --> 00:17:56,295 Thank you. You're welcome. Have a nice time. 277 00:17:56,320 --> 00:17:58,935 Thank you so much for doing that. I really... That's lovely. 278 00:17:58,960 --> 00:18:01,415 Nice to meet you. Bye. Thank you. Nice to meet you too. Bye-bye. 279 00:18:09,600 --> 00:18:14,535 Today is the big day. It's all about the pyramids and the pharaohs, 280 00:18:14,560 --> 00:18:17,095 and I'm heading for Saqqara to find out 281 00:18:17,120 --> 00:18:19,775 where the idea of the pyramids came from. 282 00:18:21,480 --> 00:18:25,015 But I also want to find out what was here in Cairo 283 00:18:25,040 --> 00:18:27,015 before it was called Cairo. 284 00:18:28,400 --> 00:18:30,935 The expansion of modern day Cairo 285 00:18:30,960 --> 00:18:34,375 has consumed legendary cities from ancient times. 286 00:18:36,240 --> 00:18:40,055 In the north of the city are the remnants of Heliopolis, 287 00:18:40,080 --> 00:18:44,375 one of the oldest cities In ancient Egypt and a former capital. 288 00:18:45,360 --> 00:18:49,735 This last remaining obelisk was one of many in Egypt. 289 00:18:49,760 --> 00:18:53,455 A few were taken by the Romans to adorn other cities, 290 00:18:53,480 --> 00:18:56,895 and one can even be seen on the Victoria Embankment in London. 291 00:19:00,720 --> 00:19:04,695 Heliopolis is in what's now a small suburb of Cairo, 292 00:19:04,720 --> 00:19:08,215 and from here it's a 40-minute drive to Saqqara, 293 00:19:08,240 --> 00:19:10,615 right on the edge of the city limits. 294 00:19:13,640 --> 00:19:18,495 Saqqara is a site of around 40,000 acres. 295 00:19:18,520 --> 00:19:20,735 It has hundreds to tombs... 296 00:19:22,360 --> 00:19:25,135 ...and the very first pyramid ever. 297 00:19:30,840 --> 00:19:32,775 Known as the Step Pyramid, 298 00:19:32,800 --> 00:19:38,255 it was built almost 4,700 years ago for the pharaoh Djoser. 299 00:19:41,960 --> 00:19:45,055 Look here. These niches, they had statues in here. 300 00:19:45,080 --> 00:19:46,695 Yeah. All this. 301 00:19:46,720 --> 00:19:49,815 I'm meeting Yomna Salama, an Egyptologist, 302 00:19:49,840 --> 00:19:52,975 tour guide and university lecturer with a focus on 303 00:19:53,000 --> 00:19:55,895 the role of women throughout Egyptian history. 304 00:19:55,920 --> 00:19:58,895 They say sometimes it's older than Stonehenge. 305 00:19:58,920 --> 00:20:01,215 Yeah, it is older than Stonehenge, and it's also... Yeah. 306 00:20:01,240 --> 00:20:03,815 It's also more nicely made. 307 00:20:03,840 --> 00:20:05,775 And this is a pharaoh's tomb? 308 00:20:05,800 --> 00:20:09,735 Yes, that's King Djoser, the founder of the third dynasty 309 00:20:09,760 --> 00:20:13,695 so we're talking about 2700 BC. 310 00:20:13,720 --> 00:20:15,055 It's astonishing, isn't it? 311 00:20:15,080 --> 00:20:16,735 I mean, it's absolutely enormous. 312 00:20:16,760 --> 00:20:19,935 I mean, that took a lot of work to create. 313 00:20:19,960 --> 00:20:24,335 We actually consider the building of Djoser's pyramid 314 00:20:24,360 --> 00:20:27,055 as a revolution in architecture in Egypt, 315 00:20:27,080 --> 00:20:32,215 because before the time of Djoser, it was mainly mud brick 316 00:20:32,240 --> 00:20:35,935 and wood used in the construction and building. Right. 317 00:20:35,960 --> 00:20:40,575 So, actually, the first time to construct something in stone, 318 00:20:40,600 --> 00:20:44,135 limestone, was here. 319 00:20:44,160 --> 00:20:46,775 This is the first pyramid? 320 00:20:46,800 --> 00:20:49,895 Yes, that's the first pyramid in the world. 321 00:20:49,920 --> 00:20:54,735 This idea of the pyramid. Do we have any idea where it comes from? 322 00:20:54,760 --> 00:20:57,935 It actually started with a pit under the ground 323 00:20:57,960 --> 00:21:00,495 and then a shaft leading to this pit 324 00:21:00,520 --> 00:21:04,495 and then a mastaba, which is a rectangular superstructure... Right. 325 00:21:04,520 --> 00:21:07,055 ...on top of this shaft and the burial pit. 326 00:21:07,080 --> 00:21:09,935 And it's interesting cos it's quite steep-sided, isn't it, 327 00:21:09,960 --> 00:21:12,255 when you look at each layer? Mm. 328 00:21:12,280 --> 00:21:14,975 If you look, it's nothing but six mastabas, 329 00:21:15,000 --> 00:21:18,095 six rectangular superstructures above each other. 330 00:21:18,120 --> 00:21:20,535 There is all solid stone. 331 00:21:20,560 --> 00:21:22,255 The burial chamber is underneath. 332 00:21:23,600 --> 00:21:28,775 Here in Saqqara, also it's not just a necropolis for people. 333 00:21:28,800 --> 00:21:32,615 We have burial shafts for birds and animals, 334 00:21:32,640 --> 00:21:36,975 and last year we discovered a mummified small lion, 335 00:21:37,000 --> 00:21:38,575 baby lion. Really? 336 00:21:38,600 --> 00:21:42,255 Yes, so it's birds, animals, cats and falcons, 337 00:21:42,280 --> 00:21:44,935 hundreds of mummified animals. 338 00:21:44,960 --> 00:21:47,975 Do we have literature from ancient Egypt telling us... Yes. 339 00:21:48,000 --> 00:21:51,815 ...you know, why these animals are being given very similar treatment? 340 00:21:51,840 --> 00:21:54,855 The Egyptians, for the soul of the dead person, 341 00:21:54,880 --> 00:21:59,455 they made sacrificial gifts and the mummified cats and falcons, 342 00:21:59,480 --> 00:22:02,975 those were actually sacred animals. 343 00:22:03,000 --> 00:22:05,935 But to mummify falcons and cats, 344 00:22:05,960 --> 00:22:09,135 this is something very unusual and very Egyptian. 345 00:22:09,160 --> 00:22:11,495 Yes. I like that, very Egyptian. 346 00:22:11,520 --> 00:22:15,415 Everything in ancient Egypt is related to one concept, 347 00:22:15,440 --> 00:22:17,975 life after death and the circle of life. 348 00:22:18,000 --> 00:22:19,535 And it's incredible to come here, 349 00:22:19,560 --> 00:22:21,335 actually, and realise that it isn't... 350 00:22:21,360 --> 00:22:22,855 I mean, I say "just the pyramid." 351 00:22:22,880 --> 00:22:25,295 The pyramid's really impressive, but this is... wWell, yeah. 352 00:22:25,320 --> 00:22:27,895 This is all fantastic as well, this archaeology. 353 00:22:27,920 --> 00:22:30,935 You need to stay at least one month with me here to see everything. 354 00:22:30,960 --> 00:22:34,535 That sounds great! But we'll try to cover the highlights. Yeah, we'll do that, then! Yeah! 355 00:22:37,040 --> 00:22:39,735 Coming here to Saqqara, there's so much. 356 00:22:39,760 --> 00:22:42,455 What is all this around the pyramid? 357 00:22:42,480 --> 00:22:45,335 Well, this is very important, actually, what you mention. 358 00:22:45,360 --> 00:22:49,815 Pyramids are one architectural component of what we call a burial 359 00:22:49,840 --> 00:22:52,255 or a funeral complex of the pharaoh. 360 00:22:52,280 --> 00:22:55,535 So here, for example, in Saqqgara, you see the open court, 361 00:22:55,560 --> 00:22:59,135 you see a temple, you see gates leading to the complex. 362 00:23:01,080 --> 00:23:03,935 This is a funerary complex that has all kinds 363 00:23:03,960 --> 00:23:06,535 of wonderful architectural features. 364 00:23:06,560 --> 00:23:10,215 This gateway leads into a narrow colonnaded room. 365 00:23:10,240 --> 00:23:12,775 This is the door or entrance, 366 00:23:12,800 --> 00:23:16,695 the only true entrance of the 14 gates. 367 00:23:16,720 --> 00:23:20,375 And that's the wall that used to surround the entire complex. 368 00:23:20,400 --> 00:23:22,735 So 13 of these gates are just false entrances? 369 00:23:22,760 --> 00:23:25,495 Yes, just to amaze the tomb robbers and the thieves. 370 00:23:26,960 --> 00:23:29,295 Wow, yeah. And here you can see the columns 371 00:23:29,320 --> 00:23:31,615 on the right and on the left side, 372 00:23:31,640 --> 00:23:34,455 they are imitating a bunch of papyrus reeds tied together. 373 00:23:34,480 --> 00:23:35,855 Yes. 374 00:23:35,880 --> 00:23:38,215 And of course, the gaps here, right and left, 375 00:23:38,240 --> 00:23:41,895 were occupied by statues of the pharaoh sitting on his throne. 376 00:23:43,600 --> 00:23:46,695 The courtyards and walkways would be places for festivals, 377 00:23:46,720 --> 00:23:50,215 but there are also areas for quiet reflection and paying respects. 378 00:23:52,760 --> 00:23:57,135 Look at this. We have here a frieze of cobra snakes. 379 00:23:57,160 --> 00:23:59,975 And it's just a feature along the top of the wall all the way around? 380 00:24:00,000 --> 00:24:03,655 All the way round. Thousands of cobras for protection. 381 00:24:03,680 --> 00:24:07,015 That's why you see cobras on the forehead of the pharaohs, 382 00:24:07,040 --> 00:24:08,615 hey are protective. 383 00:24:11,880 --> 00:24:15,295 At the end of the Saqgara site, pyramids of ancient rulers 384 00:24:15,320 --> 00:24:18,095 can easily be mistaken for mounds of earth. 385 00:24:20,480 --> 00:24:25,655 This is the tomb of King Teti, who died more than 4,000 years ago. 386 00:24:25,680 --> 00:24:28,375 It certainly hasn't stood the test of time. 387 00:24:28,400 --> 00:24:31,855 But Yomna is taking me to a well-preserved tomb 388 00:24:31,880 --> 00:24:34,135 of one of King Teti's employees. 389 00:24:35,800 --> 00:24:37,775 So whose tomb is this? 390 00:24:37,800 --> 00:24:40,695 This is the tomb of the high official Mereruka. 391 00:24:40,720 --> 00:24:42,655 He is the Prime Minister 392 00:24:42,680 --> 00:24:45,655 or the supervisor of all the work of King Teti. 393 00:24:45,680 --> 00:24:47,015 Is this him? 394 00:24:47,040 --> 00:24:49,575 That's him represented in a noble style. 395 00:24:49,600 --> 00:24:53,415 He's wearing a stretched kilt with a walking stick and a sceptre. 396 00:24:53,440 --> 00:24:55,775 And who's this here under his skirt? 397 00:24:55,800 --> 00:24:58,335 This is his wife. Here she's very small. 398 00:24:58,360 --> 00:25:01,175 Here she's small because the tomb belongs to him originally. Yeah. 399 00:25:01,200 --> 00:25:04,295 But inside you will see her as equal. 400 00:25:04,320 --> 00:25:05,655 Can we go in? 401 00:25:05,680 --> 00:25:08,535 Yes, let's go inside the silence of the dead. 402 00:25:10,360 --> 00:25:14,695 And here you will see Mereruka and his wife holding hands. 403 00:25:14,720 --> 00:25:16,655 Oh. They are represented as equal. 404 00:25:16,680 --> 00:25:19,015 Ah, so this time she's the same height as him? 405 00:25:19,040 --> 00:25:22,415 Yes, and they're holding hands, a very loving and caring attitude. 406 00:25:22,440 --> 00:25:24,215 And all the men are in action, 407 00:25:24,240 --> 00:25:27,095 so that shows you the daily life in Egypt. 408 00:25:27,120 --> 00:25:31,455 This man, for example, is giving his master water to drink. 409 00:25:31,480 --> 00:25:33,855 And you can see the lotus flowers 410 00:25:33,880 --> 00:25:36,175 are beautiful here in the River Nile. Yeah, yeah. 411 00:25:36,200 --> 00:25:38,015 Fishing scenes with nets. 412 00:25:38,040 --> 00:25:42,655 It's stylised, but there's also these naturalistic elements to it, 413 00:25:42,680 --> 00:25:45,335 and the fish are brilliant. All the different kinds of fish. 414 00:25:45,360 --> 00:25:47,695 There's a catfish! There is the catfish. 415 00:25:47,720 --> 00:25:50,015 Isn't it wonderful? It tells a story, doesn't it? 416 00:25:50,040 --> 00:25:52,055 Exactly. 417 00:25:52,080 --> 00:25:56,055 So, here we have a big statue of Mereruka right here, 418 00:25:56,080 --> 00:25:58,415 the owner of this tomb, to your right. 419 00:25:58,440 --> 00:26:01,935 And to your left-hand side, you see him represented in a noble style. 420 00:26:03,320 --> 00:26:06,215 He's wearing the panther skin. 421 00:26:06,240 --> 00:26:09,695 Oh, yes. You can see the head of the panther up there. Exactly. 422 00:26:09,720 --> 00:26:13,575 So wearing the panther skin shows his status. 423 00:26:13,600 --> 00:26:16,135 There's all these animals here. I can see some COWS. 424 00:26:16,160 --> 00:26:20,175 Yes, and even you can see they are turning ones upside down 425 00:26:20,200 --> 00:26:23,575 to be slaughtered, to be given as sacrificial gifts. 426 00:26:23,600 --> 00:26:27,255 It's brilliant to have such a detailed record of life 427 00:26:27,280 --> 00:26:31,695 in ancient Egypt, and not just for the elite but the whole economy. 428 00:26:31,720 --> 00:26:33,055 Exactly. 429 00:26:33,080 --> 00:26:36,015 And where was his actual tomb, then? I mean, obviously this whole thing 430 00:26:36,040 --> 00:26:38,695 is his tomb, but where is... Was there a sarcophagus? 431 00:26:38,720 --> 00:26:42,495 Yes, there is a shaft in this tomb, in this room behind us, 432 00:26:42,520 --> 00:26:46,135 and his sarcophagus or coffin should be in this shaft. 433 00:26:46,160 --> 00:26:47,655 It was inserted down into the floor? 434 00:26:47,680 --> 00:26:49,135 Yeah, under the ground. Yeah. 435 00:26:49,160 --> 00:26:51,455 Was it sealed after his death or did people come in? 436 00:26:51,480 --> 00:26:54,455 No, no, no. After the burial, 437 00:26:54,480 --> 00:26:57,295 the tomb will be sealed and shall never be entered again. 438 00:26:57,320 --> 00:27:01,175 They have only 40 to 70 days, the mummification time, 439 00:27:01,200 --> 00:27:04,095 to bring all the furniture and the personal belongings 440 00:27:04,120 --> 00:27:08,095 of the dead person and all the sacrificial gifts, 441 00:27:08,120 --> 00:27:10,775 and then the tomb will be sealed and closed. 442 00:27:10,800 --> 00:27:14,055 I mean... And that sealing of these tombs, 443 00:27:14,080 --> 00:27:16,775 that's why they've been so well preserved 444 00:27:16,800 --> 00:27:19,095 and that's why we get this astonishing insight 445 00:27:19,120 --> 00:27:20,855 into ancient Egypt through them. 446 00:27:20,880 --> 00:27:24,575 That's one of the major reasons and also because of documentation. 447 00:27:24,600 --> 00:27:28,255 They documented everything, so we can tell what's missing. Yeah. 448 00:27:35,720 --> 00:27:38,095 I've been in Cairo for a couple of days now 449 00:27:38,120 --> 00:27:40,415 and I'm already getting a good feel for it. 450 00:27:42,560 --> 00:27:46,295 There's a fascinating old European grandeur to its architecture. 451 00:27:46,320 --> 00:27:49,455 The broad city streets carry a seemingly endless flow 452 00:27:49,480 --> 00:27:51,455 of traffic day and night. 453 00:27:54,720 --> 00:27:58,135 Today I'm heading to the other half of Greater Cairo, 454 00:27:58,160 --> 00:28:01,335 directly across the Nile - the city of Giza. 455 00:28:04,640 --> 00:28:07,815 At the edge of this vast city, where it meets the desert, 456 00:28:07,840 --> 00:28:10,135 it reveals its claim to fame... 457 00:28:21,240 --> 00:28:23,575 ...the Great Pyramids of Giza... 458 00:28:28,240 --> 00:28:29,975 ...as well as the Sphinx. 459 00:28:32,240 --> 00:28:35,535 Giza is a big draw for tourists. 460 00:28:35,560 --> 00:28:38,335 I'm getting there early to avoid the crush. 461 00:28:40,720 --> 00:28:43,375 I'm meeting Ashraf Mohie EL-Din, 462 00:28:43,400 --> 00:28:46,175 the man with the best job title in the world... 463 00:28:47,960 --> 00:28:50,935 ...the Director of the Pyramids. 464 00:28:50,960 --> 00:28:54,335 Ashraf, this is beautiful. And I think...you see the Sphinx, 465 00:28:54,360 --> 00:28:56,655 but actually there's so much more around the Sphinx as well. 466 00:28:56,680 --> 00:28:57,855 Yes. 467 00:28:57,880 --> 00:29:01,535 This was remains of ancient harbour. Oh, really? 468 00:29:01,560 --> 00:29:04,695 So the boat which bring the blocks was parked here. 469 00:29:04,720 --> 00:29:07,535 So there was a river just here? Yes. 470 00:29:07,560 --> 00:29:10,495 On the right-hand side, we have the Sphinx temple. 471 00:29:10,520 --> 00:29:13,695 It is the oldest and the first sun temple 472 00:29:13,720 --> 00:29:18,055 to worship when the sun rises and to worship when the sun sets. 473 00:29:18,080 --> 00:29:19,615 Yeah, yeah. 474 00:29:19,640 --> 00:29:21,535 You have to remember everything started, 475 00:29:21,560 --> 00:29:24,575 created on this land! Right here? 476 00:29:24,600 --> 00:29:26,415 Yes! 477 00:29:26,440 --> 00:29:28,735 It's really a huge temple. 478 00:29:28,760 --> 00:29:31,775 Ashraf, what is this temple, then? What was it for? 479 00:29:31,800 --> 00:29:36,175 This the Valley Temple of the King Kha-ef-ra, 480 00:29:36,200 --> 00:29:38,895 Khafre. Khafre. It's a huge temple. 481 00:29:38,920 --> 00:29:43,455 Dates back to Dynasty IV, 4,600 years. 482 00:29:43,480 --> 00:29:46,375 The temple itself, it was built from limestone 483 00:29:46,400 --> 00:29:49,935 and was cased inside and outside with granite blocks. 484 00:29:49,960 --> 00:29:53,375 Each pillar, it's about 60 tonnes. 485 00:29:53,400 --> 00:29:55,215 If you have a look from here, 486 00:29:55,240 --> 00:29:58,455 you can see all the pillars in one straight line. 487 00:29:58,480 --> 00:30:01,735 That's amazing, isn't it? I mean, that engineering. Yes. 488 00:30:01,760 --> 00:30:03,735 And that degree of precision. 489 00:30:03,760 --> 00:30:06,215 It's exactly one straight line. 490 00:30:06,240 --> 00:30:09,055 Yeah. It's almost like brutalist architecture. 491 00:30:09,080 --> 00:30:12,855 It's very simple and very powerful. 492 00:30:12,880 --> 00:30:14,575 Yes. 493 00:30:14,600 --> 00:30:16,135 This would have been roofed over? 494 00:30:16,160 --> 00:30:18,655 Yes. It would have been a dark, mysterious place. 495 00:30:18,680 --> 00:30:23,055 That's right, but there are some niches in the ceiling over there... 496 00:30:23,080 --> 00:30:27,135 Yeah, yeah. ..to bring the sun rays to the statues, who were shining, 497 00:30:27,160 --> 00:30:31,655 because when the sun rays went to the statues, we get the reflection. 498 00:30:31,680 --> 00:30:34,015 So do you think right at this point, then, 499 00:30:34,040 --> 00:30:36,575 there's that kind of identification of the sun as a deity 500 00:30:36,600 --> 00:30:39,015 and the king as, effectively, that deity? 501 00:30:39,040 --> 00:30:42,415 Of course, yes, because the king, he's the son of the god. 502 00:30:42,440 --> 00:30:45,135 After the death, he became the god himself. Yeah. 503 00:30:45,160 --> 00:30:48,015 So all the people come to worship the god, 504 00:30:48,040 --> 00:30:50,735 bring offerings to the god, to where? In his temple. Mm. 505 00:30:52,640 --> 00:30:55,695 And it's so perfectly fitted. I mean, do you think they were 506 00:30:55,720 --> 00:30:58,095 finishing these blocks once they'd placed them in situ? 507 00:30:58,120 --> 00:31:01,175 We have workshops. We have workshops outside. Yeah. 508 00:31:01,200 --> 00:31:05,135 So they brought the granite, cut it and polish it, 509 00:31:05,160 --> 00:31:07,855 and after they finish it, they brought the block to here. 510 00:31:07,880 --> 00:31:10,215 I mean, it's so neat. I mean, look at these joints 511 00:31:10,240 --> 00:31:13,015 and you just see that precision. Just incredible. 512 00:31:13,040 --> 00:31:14,615 It's really perfect. 513 00:31:16,720 --> 00:31:19,975 This is so beautiful and enormous. 514 00:31:20,000 --> 00:31:21,975 I mean, it's just amazing 515 00:31:22,000 --> 00:31:24,575 to even think about how they started this sculpture. 516 00:31:26,160 --> 00:31:30,655 Sphinx was cut from one single rock, just one piece. 517 00:31:30,680 --> 00:31:33,895 This is literally carved out of the mountain in situ? 518 00:31:33,920 --> 00:31:35,215 Yes. 519 00:31:36,640 --> 00:31:41,695 It represent the King Khafre as the sun god. 520 00:31:41,720 --> 00:31:45,535 It takes the face features of Khafre and the body of a lion. 521 00:31:45,560 --> 00:31:49,015 It's a combination between the wisdom of the human face 522 00:31:49,040 --> 00:31:51,815 and the power, strength of the lion. 523 00:31:51,840 --> 00:31:55,015 It's really complex beliefs, isn't it? Really complex symbolism. 524 00:31:55,040 --> 00:31:57,335 Yes, of course. 525 00:31:57,360 --> 00:31:59,655 Do you get the impression that this religion was something 526 00:31:59,680 --> 00:32:01,695 which inspired fear or joy? 527 00:32:01,720 --> 00:32:04,015 The workers, they have a strong belief in god, 528 00:32:04,040 --> 00:32:05,775 they have a belief in the afterlife, 529 00:32:05,800 --> 00:32:08,135 they believe in rebirth and resurrection, 530 00:32:08,160 --> 00:32:10,855 so they were doing this by their desire. 531 00:32:10,880 --> 00:32:13,215 They were not forced, they were not slaves. 532 00:32:13,240 --> 00:32:17,135 If you have the belief, you will do miracles. 533 00:32:18,720 --> 00:32:21,095 We do many studies, we do many excavations, 534 00:32:21,120 --> 00:32:25,495 and from excavations we found loads of information 535 00:32:25,520 --> 00:32:28,895 telling us about the history. This is what I think is so incredible 536 00:32:28,920 --> 00:32:31,215 about ancient Egyptian archaeology 537 00:32:31,240 --> 00:32:34,615 is that you have this documentary evidence that goes alongside it. 538 00:32:34,640 --> 00:32:36,975 You've got the writing, you've got the written word, 539 00:32:37,000 --> 00:32:39,335 you've got what was in the minds of the makers. 540 00:32:39,360 --> 00:32:43,815 We were lucky, because they were recording everything on papyri, 541 00:32:43,840 --> 00:32:47,895 on the walls of the tombs, so we got loads of information. 542 00:32:47,920 --> 00:32:52,295 From 4,500 years ago. I mean, it's incredible. 543 00:32:52,320 --> 00:32:54,095 And in terms of this miraculous construction, 544 00:32:54,120 --> 00:32:55,855 what kind of tools are they using? 545 00:32:55,880 --> 00:32:57,735 Actually, this is limestone. 546 00:32:57,760 --> 00:33:01,055 Around, you know, we found workshops, 547 00:33:01,080 --> 00:33:04,175 and in the workshops, we found tools from granite, 548 00:33:04,200 --> 00:33:06,895 because granite's harder than limestone. 549 00:33:06,920 --> 00:33:08,655 So they're not using metal tools? 550 00:33:08,680 --> 00:33:11,815 Not, because wasn't invented at this early time yet. 551 00:33:14,120 --> 00:33:17,455 Just across from the Sphinx are the Pyramids. 552 00:33:17,480 --> 00:33:21,415 Their enormous scale is all about the status of the Pharaoh, 553 00:33:21,440 --> 00:33:24,855 whose body is entombed deep inside. 554 00:33:24,880 --> 00:33:29,295 But they also stand as testament to the ancient Egyptians' ability 555 00:33:29,320 --> 00:33:34,135 to construct monumental architecture on a superhuman scale. 556 00:33:34,160 --> 00:33:36,495 They're saying, "Look at us. 557 00:33:36,520 --> 00:33:39,095 "We can make the greatest buildings in the world." 558 00:33:41,600 --> 00:33:44,735 It's really difficult to get a sense of scale, isn't it? 559 00:33:44,760 --> 00:33:46,695 It's really huge. Yeah, yeah. 560 00:33:46,720 --> 00:33:49,775 I mean, I can see there's a little horse-drawn cart 561 00:33:49,800 --> 00:33:51,855 just disappearing over there. Yeah. 562 00:33:51,880 --> 00:33:55,015 And suddenly you actually appreciate the... 563 00:33:55,040 --> 00:33:57,975 ...the immensity. They are huge. 564 00:33:59,400 --> 00:34:02,335 We have three big pyramids of Giza. 565 00:34:02,360 --> 00:34:03,815 Khufu. 566 00:34:03,840 --> 00:34:07,175 And the second one, his son is Khafre, 567 00:34:07,200 --> 00:34:08,895 or Kha-ef-ra. 568 00:34:08,920 --> 00:34:12,735 And the grandson is Menkaure. 569 00:34:12,760 --> 00:34:17,975 And the small pyramids for the queens, the wives of Menkaure. 570 00:34:18,000 --> 00:34:20,335 And this is a family 571 00:34:20,360 --> 00:34:23,975 and their tombs just kind of securing that idea 572 00:34:24,000 --> 00:34:26,255 of a dynasty in the landscape. 573 00:34:26,280 --> 00:34:28,095 Yes, this is one dynasty, 574 00:34:28,120 --> 00:34:32,575 dates back - Dynasty IV - 4,600 years. 575 00:34:32,600 --> 00:34:34,255 Oh, it's just incredible! 576 00:34:36,280 --> 00:34:38,655 Museums here and across the world 577 00:34:38,680 --> 00:34:42,295 are full of artefacts from ancient Egypt, 578 00:34:42,320 --> 00:34:45,855 and yet it's estimated they've only found a tiny fraction 579 00:34:45,880 --> 00:34:49,135 of the archaeological remains under the sands. 580 00:34:49,160 --> 00:34:51,695 There is still so much more to be discovered. 581 00:34:53,800 --> 00:34:58,175 Presumably the pharaoh has to start the work on this 582 00:34:58,200 --> 00:35:00,975 when he comes to the throne? Of course, yes. 583 00:35:01,000 --> 00:35:03,735 Building a pyramid takes about 20 years. 584 00:35:03,760 --> 00:35:08,095 And the Khufu pyramid's about 2.3 million blocks. 585 00:35:08,120 --> 00:35:10,455 It's about 13 acres square. 586 00:35:10,480 --> 00:35:12,135 Yeah. It's really huge. 587 00:35:12,160 --> 00:35:14,175 Do they build the chamber first 588 00:35:14,200 --> 00:35:17,255 and then start accumulating the pyramid around the chamber? OK. 589 00:35:17,280 --> 00:35:18,615 How does it work? 590 00:35:18,640 --> 00:35:21,375 It's a very good question. I will answer to you. 591 00:35:21,400 --> 00:35:24,255 This is the base of the pyramid. 592 00:35:24,280 --> 00:35:26,255 They make a ramp from sand. 593 00:35:28,560 --> 00:35:33,775 So this ramp goes up in a circular way around the pyramid 594 00:35:33,800 --> 00:35:38,335 and start to build the chambers, the tunnels, the passages. Yeah. 595 00:35:38,360 --> 00:35:41,855 And they're going up course by course, level by level. 596 00:35:41,880 --> 00:35:45,055 So it all has to be planned out from the very beginning? Yes. 597 00:35:45,080 --> 00:35:47,415 That's right. And they're going up course by course. 598 00:35:47,440 --> 00:35:52,375 So this ramp goes up in a circular way to be easy for the sledges 599 00:35:52,400 --> 00:35:55,495 which hold, you know, the blocks to go up 600 00:35:55,520 --> 00:35:58,855 until they reach the top of the pyramid. 601 00:35:58,880 --> 00:36:02,335 So they start to case the pyramid from outside 602 00:36:02,360 --> 00:36:04,895 with fine and white limestone 603 00:36:04,920 --> 00:36:10,135 and were removing the ramp from the top to the bottom down there. 604 00:36:10,160 --> 00:36:14,655 Oh! So, if you imagine how the pyramid looked like in ancient time, 605 00:36:14,680 --> 00:36:18,575 it was so smooth, so flat. Yeah, yeah. So white. 606 00:36:18,600 --> 00:36:20,135 So what's happened to the casing? 607 00:36:20,160 --> 00:36:22,895 Because, you know, that middle one has still got some casing. Yes. 608 00:36:22,920 --> 00:36:24,175 But most of it's gone. 609 00:36:24,200 --> 00:36:28,575 They were stripped out to be used in the modern buildings. Right. 610 00:36:28,600 --> 00:36:31,895 They didn't care about the pyramid. They used the pyramid as a quarry. 611 00:36:31,920 --> 00:36:35,175 So what we see of the surface today, that stepped effect, 612 00:36:35,200 --> 00:36:38,015 that wouldn't have been there. It would have been completely smooth. 613 00:36:38,040 --> 00:36:39,975 Smooth and flat. 614 00:36:40,000 --> 00:36:44,415 And you can see remains of the outer casing on the top of Khafre. Yeah. 615 00:36:44,440 --> 00:36:47,775 Because the robbers didn't go to the top of the pyramid. 616 00:36:47,800 --> 00:36:49,335 So we can imagine it. 617 00:36:49,360 --> 00:36:52,095 We can imagine what it would have looked like. Yes. 618 00:36:55,760 --> 00:36:59,695 I'm lucky to have been given half an hour to see the tomb of Khufu 619 00:36:59,720 --> 00:37:03,575 deep inside the Great Pyramid before it opens to the public. 620 00:37:04,680 --> 00:37:07,015 I'm told it's a bit of a steep climb, 621 00:37:07,040 --> 00:37:10,255 around 70 metres and over 400 steps. 622 00:37:14,600 --> 00:37:16,935 And I'm just about to leave all the tourists behind 623 00:37:16,960 --> 00:37:20,295 because thanks to Ashraf, I'm incredibly privileged 624 00:37:20,320 --> 00:37:24,615 to be going inside the Great Pyramid of Khufu on my own. 625 00:37:33,640 --> 00:37:36,255 I'm climbing deep inside the Great Pyramid, 626 00:37:36,280 --> 00:37:38,255 looking for the tomb of Khufu. 627 00:37:43,040 --> 00:37:45,335 I can see a shaft descending down there... 628 00:37:47,000 --> 00:37:49,975 ...to a chamber far below me, but I'm... 629 00:37:51,520 --> 00:37:53,815 ...heading up to the King's Chamber. 630 00:38:02,360 --> 00:38:04,255 This is just incredible. 631 00:38:05,720 --> 00:38:07,575 It's like being in a cave or a mine... 632 00:38:09,680 --> 00:38:13,215 ...but actually, I'm going deep inside a pyramid. 633 00:38:15,480 --> 00:38:17,175 It's opening out. 634 00:38:19,720 --> 00:38:23,095 Oh, my God! Look at this space. 635 00:38:23,120 --> 00:38:25,815 It keeps on going into the heart of the pyramid. 636 00:38:34,840 --> 00:38:38,495 It's getting hotter and hotter the higher I climb. 637 00:38:43,760 --> 00:38:45,495 Phew! 638 00:38:45,520 --> 00:38:47,935 And now a bit of a crawl. 639 00:39:06,600 --> 00:39:08,175 This is it. 640 00:39:08,200 --> 00:39:12,135 This is the central chamber right in the heart of the pyramid. 641 00:39:12,160 --> 00:39:14,895 And this space is... 642 00:39:14,920 --> 00:39:17,175 ...is incredible. It's austere. 643 00:39:18,920 --> 00:39:20,455 There's nothing on the walls, 644 00:39:20,480 --> 00:39:24,015 no inscriptions, no carving. 645 00:39:25,480 --> 00:39:29,295 But we know that this was the resting place of Khufu 646 00:39:29,320 --> 00:39:32,375 because of graffiti elsewhere. 647 00:39:32,400 --> 00:39:35,575 And this is his great granite sarcophagus 648 00:39:35,600 --> 00:39:37,895 and it would have held his mummy. 649 00:39:37,920 --> 00:39:41,935 But when the chamber was opened just over 200 years ago, 650 00:39:41,960 --> 00:39:47,015 it was like this. It was just as I'm seeing it now, empty. 651 00:39:47,040 --> 00:39:49,735 It had been plundered centuries before. 652 00:39:52,000 --> 00:39:54,615 It's completely awe-inspiring. 653 00:39:56,560 --> 00:39:59,375 But there's also something quite terrifying about it. 654 00:40:01,240 --> 00:40:04,695 I'm getting quite a strong sense that I shouldn't be here. 655 00:40:07,000 --> 00:40:10,895 The Great Pyramid is a monumental piece of history, 656 00:40:10,920 --> 00:40:14,735 a statement from a civilisation whose kings were all-powerful, 657 00:40:14,760 --> 00:40:18,135 whose architects were heroic. 658 00:40:18,160 --> 00:40:21,735 It feels incredibly special to be this close to it, 659 00:40:21,760 --> 00:40:25,175 to be able to touch it. But there are some rules. 660 00:40:26,280 --> 00:40:28,335 That sign definitely wasn't here 661 00:40:28,360 --> 00:40:31,615 when Amelia Edwards came to visit in 1873. 662 00:40:34,760 --> 00:40:39,815 Amelia did her whole journey up the Nile 663 00:40:39,840 --> 00:40:42,535 and then comes back to the Pyramids at Giza, 664 00:40:42,560 --> 00:40:47,575 and she climbs this one, the Great Pyramid of Khufu. 665 00:40:47,600 --> 00:40:50,535 "The view from this place is immense." she writes. 666 00:40:50,560 --> 00:40:52,895 "The country is so flat, the atmosphere is so clear, 667 00:40:52,920 --> 00:40:57,615 "the standpoint so isolated that one really sees more and sees further 668 00:40:57,640 --> 00:41:02,015 “than from many a mountain summit of 10,000 or 12,000 feet. 669 00:41:02,040 --> 00:41:03,895 "The ground lies, as it were, immediately under one, 670 00:41:03,920 --> 00:41:07,375 "and the great necropolis is seen as in a ground plan. 671 00:41:07,400 --> 00:41:09,735 "Without ascending the pyramid, it's certainly not possible 672 00:41:09,760 --> 00:41:11,735 "to form a clear notion of the way in which 673 00:41:11,760 --> 00:41:14,255 “this great burial field is laid out. 674 00:41:14,280 --> 00:41:18,095 "We see from this point how each royal pyramid is surrounded 675 00:41:18,120 --> 00:41:22,935 "by its quadrangle of lesser tombs, some in the form of small pyramids, 676 00:41:22,960 --> 00:41:26,175 "others partly rock-cut, partly built of massive slabs 677 00:41:26,200 --> 00:41:28,855 “like the roofing stones of the temples. 678 00:41:28,880 --> 00:41:35,255 "We see how Khufu and Khafre and Menkaure lay 679 00:41:35,280 --> 00:41:37,575 "each under his mountain of stone 680 00:41:37,600 --> 00:41:40,895 "with his family and his nobles around him. 681 00:41:40,920 --> 00:41:43,935 "They are the grandest graves in all the world." 682 00:41:52,800 --> 00:41:56,455 Back on the train, and this next journey is symbolic. 683 00:41:56,480 --> 00:41:59,735 I'm following the Nile south from Cairo to Min ya. 684 00:42:07,320 --> 00:42:10,095 This is such a beautiful, fertile landscape, 685 00:42:10,120 --> 00:42:14,975 and here on the banks of the Nile are some of the most iconic temples 686 00:42:15,000 --> 00:42:18,535 and the most prestigious tombs in all of ancient Egypt. 687 00:42:21,160 --> 00:42:24,655 The railway crosses from Lower Egypt to Upper Egypt, 688 00:42:24,680 --> 00:42:27,895 and Min ya is a border town that links the two. 689 00:42:33,600 --> 00:42:36,815 I'm not too far now from the land of the temples, 690 00:42:36,840 --> 00:42:40,495 the Valley of the Kings and Queens. They're next. 691 00:42:40,520 --> 00:42:44,295 But now I'm going somewhere well off the main tourist trail. 692 00:42:55,640 --> 00:42:59,295 A short trip from the station brings me to a place called Beni Hasan. 693 00:43:02,040 --> 00:43:04,975 I suspect there's a lot more steps to come. 694 00:43:05,000 --> 00:43:08,175 It's an ancient Egyptian cemetery. 695 00:43:08,200 --> 00:43:10,175 Here the tombs are protected 696 00:43:10,200 --> 00:43:13,295 and well away from the flood plain of the Nile. 697 00:43:13,320 --> 00:43:16,295 The cemetery dates back around 4,000 years 698 00:43:16,320 --> 00:43:19,375 and, in more recent times, some kind person has built 699 00:43:19,400 --> 00:43:21,015 a long set of steps. 700 00:43:23,680 --> 00:43:27,375 Now, the name of Beni Hasan comes from that town over there, 701 00:43:27,400 --> 00:43:29,335 that abandoned Arab town. 702 00:43:37,160 --> 00:43:40,175 I'm down amongst the graves of the lower cemetery here 703 00:43:40,200 --> 00:43:43,215 and these are all shaft graves. 704 00:43:43,240 --> 00:43:47,615 There's about 900 of them across this hillside. 705 00:43:47,640 --> 00:43:50,415 This whole site was excavated by John Garstang 706 00:43:50,440 --> 00:43:54,815 from Blackburn, Lancashire at the beginning of the 20th century. 707 00:43:54,840 --> 00:43:58,135 He discovered two separate areas for burials. 708 00:43:58,160 --> 00:44:01,895 Here, all over the hillside, is for the ordinary people - 709 00:44:01,920 --> 00:44:06,295 small rectangular holes one after the other. 710 00:44:06,320 --> 00:44:09,175 I'm heading up to the upper cemetery, and that's where the elite 711 00:44:09,200 --> 00:44:12,255 were buried in these rock-cut tombs. I can just see the entrances. 712 00:44:16,360 --> 00:44:21,175 At the very top are 39 tombs for the upper echelons of society. 713 00:44:23,080 --> 00:44:24,895 Ah! 714 00:44:24,920 --> 00:44:27,895 Made it to the upper cemetery. 715 00:44:31,040 --> 00:44:35,335 This is the tomb of Amenembhat, a local ruler and priest. 716 00:44:36,920 --> 00:44:40,895 The tomb artwork reflects his interests and hobbies in life. 717 00:44:40,920 --> 00:44:44,815 He seems to have liked music, wine and sport. 718 00:44:44,840 --> 00:44:47,695 There are also some wrestling or fighting scenes. 719 00:44:53,280 --> 00:44:56,295 Khnumhotep Il was buried in this one. 720 00:44:56,320 --> 00:44:58,935 He came from a family of local governors. 721 00:45:00,040 --> 00:45:03,535 The scenes in here tell the story of a group of traders, 722 00:45:03,560 --> 00:45:06,695 perhaps coming from the eastern desert, 723 00:45:06,720 --> 00:45:08,935 bringing pigment for eye paint. 724 00:45:12,760 --> 00:45:15,895 Each tomb also contains a burial shaft 725 00:45:15,920 --> 00:45:18,575 for the sarcophagus of the mummified body. 726 00:45:42,120 --> 00:45:43,335 Thank you so much. 727 00:45:43,360 --> 00:45:46,975 Cairo, Giza and Beni Hasan have given me an incredible insight 728 00:45:47,000 --> 00:45:48,695 into ancient Egypt. 729 00:45:54,480 --> 00:45:59,135 My next location is Luxor, the Valley of the Kings, 730 00:45:59,160 --> 00:46:02,855 the Temple of Karnak, and the Avenue of the Sphinxes. 731 00:46:28,960 --> 00:46:31,935 Subtitles by Red Bee Media