Was not this pharaoh a distant cousin of the Sphinx who thought he was a lion! The kings of the jungle looked on in amusement. Passed Zaghloul were the legendary Kasr al-Nil Bridge lions by Jacquemart. Often considered an aging latter day Ramses, Zaghloul’s rule was shortened by ill-health Then, across the newly renamed Evacuation Bridge, under the watchful eyes of Egypt's former premier Ahmed Maher Pasha who was assassinated when he thought he could change the course of history.Ī small stretch later and Ramses passed under the imposing statue of nationalist leader Saad Zaghloul Pasha, whose great feats and charisma had mobilized an entire nation. The caged lions were said to have roared in unison as the convoy passed nearby. ![]() The rest was easy navigating.įirst, the drive by Giza's Zoo once a former Khedivial residence. Since it was unlikely that the trailers could handle the Giza underpass, a special crossing was improvised across Upper Egypt's' railway line. Pharaohs were making history again!Īfter a brief stop, the procession resumed its journey. ![]() Ramses The Great sightseeing the monuments of his noble ancestors Cheops, Chefren and Mykerinos. By the time the convoy reached Pyramids Avenue, the media men were amok trying to catch the historic footage. The crown of Ramses, weighing three tons, traveled on a separate truck as did his injured right leg. The scenery had not changed much since Pharaoh had visited last.Īs the convoy crawled northward across rickety rural bridges leading out of the Sakara and towards Giza's plateau, it was as though the distant pyramids, shimmering in the first morning light were beckoning. Buses bursting with media men were in hot pursuit of this unprecedented motorcade as it threaded along narrow country roads in between palm trees and water buffaloes turning listlessly around waterwheels. The made-to-order stretch trailer was preceded by outriders and tracked by a heavy security detail. The statue's 20th century journey started from its lonely resting place at Mit Rahina at 05:00. Pharaoh was being resurrected by a modern day Ramses. Uncovered for a second time, the great pharaoh was about to be transferred from his original temple near the Ancient Egyptian capital of Memphis, to the nearby metropolis of Cairo. Yet, for some unclear reason it was re-buried for another 67 years after its discovery in 1820, the same amount of years Ramses ruled Egypt. As centuries turned into millenniums the statue blended in with the surrounding scenery eventually being buried beneath it. It was also with the Hittites that Ramses signed history's first recorded peace treaty.Įver since it was sculpted out of red granite, the 125-ton, 11-meter high statue of Ramses laid on its back watching history go by. He had conquered and subdued the rebellious princes of Palestine and Southern Syria, and had waged war on the impregnable Hittites of Anatolia. The Pharaoh being moved to the center of Africa's oldest capital was that of Ramses The Great who reigned from 1304 to 1237 BC making him the second longest reigning monarch in Egyptian history. Perhaps one day, that other famous square, Midan al-Tahrir, would host the statue of Egypt's latest pharaoh, Nasser the First! Small wonder one of the first decisions regarding the remodeling of Cairo was that of placing the larger than life statue of Ramses II in the capital's busiest square. Nasser too was of humble decent with a military background and had toppled a ruling dynasty. The implicit parallel between this pharaoh’s ego and Egypt's strongman Gamal Abdel Nasser could not be missed. High Priests and general public alike went into absolute submission. ![]() Once settled on Egypt's gilded throne he consolidated the illustrious 19th Dynasty made up of like-minded military men. Not of royal descent, his family had taken over the reigns of power from the 18th Dynasty whose best known pharaohs included Akhenaton and his teenage successor Tutankhamon. Onlookers who had read the morning papers learned this was no ordinary Ancient Egyptian ruler. ![]() Your pain his gain !!!Įngineer Sadek Naguib Fahmi reviewing transportation plansĪt precisely 12:00 hours on Thursday, February 24, 1955, just before noon prayers, large crowds watched in bewilderment as a colossal pharaoh, they did not know which one, painstakingly inched his was by special convoy towards Midan Bab al-Hadid next to the Central Railway Station. Several of my articles on Garden City were plagiarized word for word by novelist MEKKAWI SAID (winner of the Egyptian State price for literature!!!!) and re-published under his own name in a three-part series in El-Masry El-Youm daily in September 2015.Ĭheers to our "talented" literature prize awardee. RAMSES RETURNS HOME, Thursday, suggests following articles VILLA PRINCESS FAWZIA.
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