The Seven Wonders were first defined as themata (Greek for 'things to be seen’ by Philo of Byzantium in 225 BCE, in his work On The Seven Wonders but he was not the only one to note these ancient places, Herodotus, Callimachus of Cyrene and others also noted these amazing sites. Of the original seven, only the Great Pyramid exists today. The Great Pyramid at Giza was constructed between 2584 and 2561 BCE for the Egyptian Pharoah Khufu (known in Greek as `Cheops') and was the tallest man-made structure in the world for almost 4,000 years. Excavations of the interior of the pyramid were only initiated in earnest in the late 18th and early 19th centuries CE and so the intricacies of the interior, which so intrigue modern people, were unknown to the ancient writers. It was the structure itself with its perfect symmetry and imposing height which impressed ancient visitors. And us. It impressed us.
Our tour began with the pyramids: The Royal necropolis of Sakkara to visit the Step Pyramid of Djoser (considered the oldest in Egypt), the ancient city of Memphis (the first capital of Egypt), the Colossus of Ramses II. Then finally, the Great Pyramid of Giza. And a camel ride... will we try it?
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