CAIRO (continued).

CAIRO - Cont.
The Pyramids are mammoth things - nearly 500 feet high! The quarries, from where the sandstone was obtained, can be seen on the outskirts of Cairo in the distance. The outer surfaces were covered with alabaster - a type of marble - from quarries 500 miles away! About 500 years ago, the alabaster was removed to build the large Mosques.
The pyramids housed the tomb of an old ruler, and his queen. Napoleon removed all the valuables from the tombs during his visit. He also knocked off the nose of the Sphinx, and painted the head red, which still remains. He also ordered the Egyptians to pay more taxes through the prophets. When the people refused, Napoleon shelled the mosques with his cannons, not doing much damage to the mosques, as I can still see the ball-shot stuck in the walls of the mosque.
The Sphinx had been buried, until not too long ago, when an American excavator dug the rest of the it out. The Sphinx has the head of a man, the face of a woman and the body of a lion - denoting Wisdom; Beauty and Strength, in their religion. There is a tablet - with hieroglyphic lettering, which explains the past history. The chin of the sphinx is propped up with sand bags, for protection during the war.
There’s a hole in the forehead, from where the priest would step out, and call all the faithful to prayer - facing East. Once a week, the religious would come down from Memphis; which was under water, many years ago. (to be continued)