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The fascinating and rewarding journey South along Egypt's main artery to Maidum takes one hour & twenty minutes, passing at first the heavy industrial sites consuming the environs of the metropolitan City of Cairo. Finishing in the blissfully serenic beauty of Pharaonic Fayoum where the fields tended by rural farmers are surely little effected since the halcyon days of Nefermaat & Rahotep 4500 years ago.
On approaching the site you are stopped at a check point by the police, who curiously question my driver Sabry ( why only him, who is he ? the questions flowed ) they are eventually satisfied thank goodness. Although quite happy they insist on 4 tourist police packed in a Toyota corolla to accompany me , I am used to this by now they are only there to protect tourists probably from themselves. We arrive after a very impressive sweeping drive at the ticket office " only one he says " after looking around I say yes the cost Le 16.00 + Le 5.00 for the camera.
The sight of the Pharaohs Pyramid from the desert road is majestic unaffected by the world around, as it has been since its collapse millennia ago in the forgotten mists of time. The beneficiary of this strangely misshapen edifice and last resting place is believed to be King Huni the last monarch of Manetho,s 3rd Dynasty he would be followed on to the throne of the two lands by the Great King Sneferu the progenitor of the epoch of prodigious Pyramid construction. My aim this visit is clear, having entered and photographed both interiors available for observation that of Huni,s ingeniously corbelled burial chamber the precursor of all Sneferu,s work at Dahshur along with the enigmatic Mastaba ( no 17 ) the possessor of the oldest sarcophagus yet discovered predating Khufu,s by 50 years. Leaving us with the thought provoking mystery of when and who among the robbers placed the wooden mallet under the pink granite sarcophagus lid 4500 years ago. In doing so violating the defleshed burial of an heir to the throne this had all been achieved on my last visit. This time I was determined if allowed to walk the whole site, after some misunderstanding I was begrudgingly permitted.
I started my labours two or three hundred yards North of the Pyramid at the Tomb of Nefermaat & Itet ( no 16 ) now sadly an amorphous mound of mud brick savaged by man and the ravages of time. Part of the Eastern Facade has been frugally restored and that's about it. The panelled walls formerly 10 meters high must have been dazzling with there white plaster reflecting the Sun,s rays now alas very little remains although scrutiny will be rewarded. Nefermaat held the highest official titles of the land,
1) Chief Justice & Vizier.
2) Overseer of all the works of the King.
were among his administrative posts, his Royal titles were
1) Hereditary Prince.
2) Count.
3) Guardian of Nekhen.
4) Sealbearer of the King of Lower Egypt.
5) Kings Eldest Son.
There are numerous works of Nefermaats almost unique art form ( along with Hemiunu statue base ) in the Egyptian Museum in Cairo, his artisans being the first to use sunken relief filled with pigment blended paste. A double mastaba shared with his wife Itet the Kings Acquaintance. Who of us hasn't marvelled at the artistic proportion of the so called Maidum Geese it is now difficult to reconcile the exiguous remains with the hieroglyphic inscription that has come down to us " He is one who fashions his representations in writing that cannot be erased " although on reflection he is probably correct.
The next stop the Tomb of Rahotep & Nefert ( no 6 ) around another 100 meters to the North, the sun is now relentlessly beating down and shade is non existent the result the same an amorphous mud brick mound, thankfully I am not disappointed why because I knew all this it is just a great feeling to be here where some of the greatest treasures of Old Kingdom history have been discovered. I stand above the place where the wonderful statues of Rahotep & Nefert first saw the light of day after 4500 years of slumber. They could never have known 1000,s of people from all the corners of the world reverently file past their life like effigies making them amongst the most recognisable of Ancient Nobility. Rahotep was also a Kings Son and Nefert a Kings Acquaintance,
to think the first official excavator of this important site be it only for a day or so was a Monsieur Vigne a merchant and amateur
archaeologist from Alexandria in 1871. He discovered a piece of a limestone stele as soon as the news spread his efforts were suspended pending investigation by the Authorities but that's another story. Since Vigne some of the greats have excavated at Maidum Mariette 1872, Petrie 1891, Wainwright 1909/1910 1910/1911, Rowe 1929/1932 all have come and gone Petrie and Wainwright dismantling and shipping Nefermaat and Rahoteps chapels to Cairo in 1910. Luigi Vassali cut the Maidum Geese from the walls of Itets chapel in 1872, Rahotep and Neferts statues where discovered in 1871 by Mariette,s Deputy Albert Daninos what an interesting and somewhat amusing tale that is. There are many Old Kingdom Royal Tombs here at Maidum including Ranofer & Nyhap both Princes although it has to be said they are best visited in conjunction with a trip to the Egyptian Museum in Cairo. At the Museum you can view the art treasures retrieved from the site over the last 130 years not forgetting the British Museum and Manchester even have a relief or two.
Standing on the top of Nefermaat,s Tomb looking South I now review with excitement and anticipation my next objective, to walk the environs of the Pyramid and Mastaba ( no 17 ) at my leisure the silence is such assistance to my contemplation. After I have completed my task and what a joy it has been even in extreme heat, I walk over to the large granite torso ( maybe Sneferu / Huni ) who knows a large sarcophagus now stands in the open full of hieroglyphs alas I haven't brought my reading glasses although it certainly isn't Old Kingdom I take slides of it to decipher when I return home.
In the distance , my goodness another car does this mean I have to share the site with someone else I'm aggrieved. As the vehicle pulls up I realise it's Robert Bauval of "The Orion Mystery" fame accompanied by a Television Producer a very nice South African lady. I walked over to his vehicle saying aren't you Bauval yes he answered who are you , we then proceeded to have a very interesting and for me informative 30 minute conversation exchanging email addresses photo's were taken I for one came away very impressed with him as a man if not agreeing with his philosophy. He is a friendly sincere man unaffected by his fame, I did find out we are both aweinspired by Alexander the Great and of course the Pyramids, surely that's not a bad start to any friendship.
He even returned my Ray-Ban sunglasses that had fallen out of my pocket and of course he's Egyptian born, you guessed it in Alexandria.
Now for Lisht, accompanied by our police escort with a certain amount of sadness i left the amazing site of Maidum. It has to be said the local route from Maidum to Lisht is quite the most stunningly beautiful drive, the lush green vegetation in stark contrast to the dazzling heat of the desert not 1/2 a mile distant. Our escort has now left us, we stop by the side of the Bahr el Libeini to photograph the Pyramid across the farmland hope my endeavours do the scene justice surely this is as close as you can get to Pharaonic Egypt.
On arrival at Lisht village we needed assistance noway could we find our way through the narrow alley's help was required luckily we found young Mohammed he just appeared I swear from nowhere. This short but interesting journey through uneven mud packed backstreets some ending in blind alley's could have been tricky the locals though friendly are not used to visitors. You feel as though you are invading their privacy and of course that is the case. Finally we arrive at the desert edge to be confronted by a large Moslem Cemetery that we had to cross there was no other way, I am always conscious of their beliefs though we have no problems today. A head of us the 12th Dynasty Pyramid of Amenemhet 1st ( 1985/1955BC ) the founder of a new powerful Dynasty a reformer he moved the Capital of Egypt to a new site ( location undiscovered to this day ) naming his residence Ititawi " the seizer of the two lands" . As I walk around the Pyramid Complex I can't help pondering, did Sinuhe the Egyptian actually tread where I am now treading millennia ago ?, was Amenemhet really assassinated in a harem conspiracy we will never know. The heat is now becoming oppressive, by the way Mohammed cannot speak a word of English although by now we have become pals. The site is covered with wind blown sand this doesn't detract or lessen the sites magnetism one has to be careful there are many open shafts tourism will never reach here. I thrust a Le 10.00 note in Mohammed's hand he is delighted then I point to the Pyramid of Senwosret 1st, the Pyramid is approximately 2 km South the sun is now blisteringly hot we return to the car Mohammed jumps in and off we go . If I thought Amenemhet was difficult to get to this would be impossible without help. Back we return via chickens , cattle, donkeys, stagnant canals, young kids running in front of us the alleys become narrower we can only just pass. Eventually we arrive at the desert edge after skirting another Moslem Cemetery and a refuse dump covering half the track, we drive as far as we can into the inhospitable desert to our chagrin we have to walk the rest. Senwosret 1st son and coregent of Amenemhet 1st reigned (1965/1920BC) the Pyramid Complex offers more discernable remains though no hieroglyphs remain although I managed to uncover a relief of Hapy the Nile God on the South Side of the Pyramid.
Mohammed shouted Malik, Malik, Malik, he thought it was the King " I think". The heat is now totally unbearable we will have to call it a day, it seems an endless walk back across the sand dunes to the car. We are both glad to reach the air-conditioning and cool down its well over 100 degs out there.I give Mohammed another Le 10.00 he is now overjoyed , a smashing young man I wonder if we will ever meet again ? I think it's unlikely.
Sabry ( my driver ) back to the Sheraton El Gezirah please I need a stella.
Alan M Fildes.
www.nemes.co.uk
Please goto Photo's to see my encounter with Robert Bauval
July 2001.