A TOMB WITH A VIEW
The only wonder of the Ancient World that remains today is the Great Pyramid of Khufu at Giza, and it's a wonder it remains. For by the time Cleopatra came to the throne of Egypt, the pyramid was already 2,500 years old - a longer spread of history than lies between the building of Rome's Colosseum and New York's Coliseum.
And besides its age, Khufu's unquiet grave has been subjected to more mauling and monkeying than any edifice on earth. No one knows when the original treasures and the body were stolen but it was probably soon after Khufu's death. When the Arabs conquered Egypt in the seventh century A.D. they stripped the pyramid of its fine cover of Tura limestone to build mosques in Cairo.
One Caliph, convinced that there were undiscovered treasures still in the tomb, brought a battering ram and set to on the flanks of the pyramid, using hot vinegar to crack the huge stone blocks. The Arabs finally gave up, but then down through the centuries came scholars and archaeologists - many of them amateurs - and the swarm reached its peak during the nineteenth century.
One amateur archaeologist found measuring and excavating too tiresome and resorted to blasting powder. In 1837, he had three crews working simultaneously - one blasting away inside the Great Pyramid, another boring a hole in the side of the Sphinx (he thought it was hollow) and another placing blasting powder under the blocks of the second pyramid.
His blasting finally brought results in the third pyramid and he discovered the basalt sarcophagus of Mycerinus. Unfortunately, the ship carrying the sarcophagus to England foundered off the coast of Spain and the sarcophagus, covered with hieroglyphics that probably told Mycerinus’ story, was lost to the world forever.
Passengers on the CARONIA Spring Mediterranean Cruise will be going to Giza on a Thos. Cook trip when the ship calls at Alexandria. These days not many visitors to Giza pant their way up the 450 feet of waist-high blocks to the top of Khufu's pyramid.
We are too spoiled by elevators that take us to the top of the Empire State and the Eiffel Tower, and funiculars that hoist us to the Jungfrau's peak. But back in the golden days of the Grand Tour it was the thing to do, and even Victorian ladies by the score gritted their teeth and hiked up their ankle-length skirts to make the steep ascent.
They scratched their names - Agatha, Maude, Matilda - in the stones and then relaxed and enjoyed the view. It's too bad we aren't as sporting, because whatever the marvel of New York from 1,250 ft., Paris from 902 ft., or the Swiss Alps at 13,668 ft., the vista across the ancient sands of Egypt from the top of man's oldest monument on earth is worth every bruise and ache and heavy breath. It's a mighty fine view!
[Produced for the Great World Cruise departing New York 29 January 1966]