Pyramids of Giza-The Last of the Seven Ancient Wonders of the World

September 2021: The Seven Ancient Wonders of the World were a collection of extraordinary constructions recognized by Greek travelers during their journeys through the known world at the time, including Egypt, Greece, Babylon, and Persia. Of the seven, only one remains today—the Great Pyramid of Giza, which was built 5,000 years ago. The other six wonders have long since been lost to time and natural disasters, but their stories endure. Here are the other six:

1. Hanging Gardens of Babylon – This legendary garden, said to be an oasis of beauty with cascading terraces, was located in what is now Iraq. Its existence is debated, and its precise location remains a mystery.

2. Statue of Zeus – A 40-foot statue of the Greek god Zeus, crafted by the sculptor Phidias, was housed in the Temple of Zeus in Olympia, Greece. The statue was destroyed by an earthquake.

3. Temple of Artemis – An enormous temple dedicated to the Greek goddess Artemis, located in Ephesus (modern-day Turkey). It was destroyed by a ruler seeking fame for bringing it down, though his name is often less remembered than the temple itself.

4. Mausoleum of Halicarnassus – A grand tomb built for Mausolus, the Persian satrap of Caria, and his wife Artemisia, located in modern-day Turkey. It was destroyed by an earthquake, but its grandeur inspired the term “mausoleum” for monumental tombs.

5. Colossus of Rhodes – An enormous statue of the sun god Helios, standing at the entrance of the harbor in Rhodes (Greece). This towering statue was also brought down by an earthquake.

6. Pharos (Lighthouse) of Alexandria – A towering lighthouse located on the island of Pharos in Alexandria, Egypt, which guided sailors into the harbor. It was one of the tallest man-made structures of its time and was destroyed by earthquakes, with much of it now submerged beneath the Mediterranean Sea.

This left just one remaining ancient wonder of the world—the Great Pyramids of Giza in Egypt. Since we were already in the country, I promised Paula we would visit them, even though I had seen them three times before. Despite this being my fourth visit, the sight of the pyramids still takes my breath away. Each time, I feel awe-struck, and I’m certain I’ll continue to be every time I see them in the future.

We woke up early at 3 AM and left Siwa, aiming to arrive at the Giza pyramids before they closed at 4 PM. We made good time and arrived around 1 PM, but in the midday heat of early September, it was sweltering, and the lack of shade made it feel even hotter. The crowds were smaller than usual, likely due to COVID, which meant fewer tourists. There were a few tour groups, mostly from Russia and India, but for the most part, we had the area to ourselves.

We still had our vehicle and guide from Siwa, which was incredibly useful given the vastness of the pyramid complex. Rather than walking from one point of interest to another under the scorching sun, we took advantage of our car to drive to several key spots. This allowed us to see more of the area while staying as cool as possible. The pyramids never fail to impress, and no matter how many times I’ve seen them, they always feel just as magnificent.

Enormous Magnitude of the Giza Pyramids

Enormous Magnitude of the Giza Pyramids-Paula on the Largest of the Pyramids

Paula by the Pyramids

Me Struggling to Crawl Down the narrow Tunnel Inside the Pyramid

The highlight of our visit was entering the second-largest pyramid of Khafre. While entering Khafre’s pyramid is similar to entering the Great Pyramid, the key difference is the price—entry to the Grand Pyramid costs four times more. Crawling through the tunnels of Khafre’s pyramid was a challenge for me, as the ceiling was so low that I had to descend on my hands and knees. Paula, on the other hand, had no such trouble—being shorter, she could walk upright and had a good laugh at my expense as she moved through the narrow passages.

The tunnel descended past a locked gate that blocked off another tunnel, which piqued our curiosity. The tunnel was dark and mysterious, and I couldn’t help but wonder what secrets it might hold. Despite all the years of excavations, the pyramids still have much to reveal. Many archaeologists believe there are more chambers and undiscovered passageways yet to be explored.

At the end of the tunnel, we entered a large, empty room with a stone sarcophagus in the center. The sarcophagus was empty, likely looted centuries ago. Interestingly, the sarcophagus of the neighboring pyramid had also been looted in the early 1800s by the British, who took it along with its treasures—only for the ship carrying them to be lost at sea. Somewhere, deep in the world’s oceans, an ancient Egyptian gold coffin and its treasures lie at the bottom of a dark sea, waiting to be rediscovered. The thought of these long-lost artifacts still being out there, hidden beneath the waves, added an extra layer of mystique to our visit.

Sphinx 

he last stop on our tour was the Sphinx, the iconic statue of the half lion, half human figure that stands guard over the pyramid of Khafre. After taking in the grandeur of the Sphinx, we walked outside the pyramid grounds to our hotel, the Great Pyramid Inn. There are many hotels in the area with names referencing the pyramids, but we specifically chose this one for its unique advantage: our room had a direct view of the pyramids. In fact, our room was as close to the pyramids as you could possibly get, offering a perfect vantage point for the evening’s activities.

After settling in, we headed up to the rooftop for dinner, enjoying the stunning view of the pyramids as the sun began to set. As night fell, we prepared for one of my favorite experiences—the pyramid laser light show, which takes place nightly in a small viewing area just beneath the pyramids. This was my third time watching the show, and while the experience had changed little over the years, there was a sense of nostalgia. The same rusty old chairs, the same British-sounding narrator—whose voice was unmistakably reminiscent of the Charleston Hesston narration—made it feel as though time had not passed at all. The background music, along with the mesmerizing beams of light that illuminated the pyramids, created an awe-inspiring atmosphere that amplified the mystique surrounding these ancient structures.

The show itself, unchanged after all these years, still resonates with me. The words of the narrator, “They say humans fear time, but time fears the pyramids,” have stayed with me since my first show over 20 years ago, and they continue to haunt me with their profound message about the enduring power of the pyramids through the ages.