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The programme for day three threatened to be long and arduous. We aimed to visit Maidum, Hawara, Illahun and hopefully stop off to pay our respects to Princess Neferuptah whose pyramid remains are in a field close to her father Amenemhet III. The road to the Fayoum is via the desert road which is in no way as interesting as the route that I previously travelled. My old route was a scenic road that runs parallel with the Nile. Even so, the first sight of the Maidum Pyramid from the desert is stunning; after sweeping round the site, we arrived at the ticket office. The sign above the office states Forgineers LE 30.00 (What ever a Forgineer is?) I tell the clerk, "I am English, not a Forgineer!" My humour is lost on him; another poor soul with a sense of humour by-pass. I noticed the ubiquitous "No Photography" sign. The army are everywhere, understandably so, as we are out in the sticks. As we set off to the Pyramid, we are joined by four policemen in a Toyota, who follow us.
The climb to the entrance was difficult, although nowhere near as exhausting as when attempted in the oppressive heat of August. After ascending the iron staircase and entering through an iron door we descended into the pyramid. Huni's pyramid is unique because you enter the burial chamber through the floor. The ceiling, with its corbelled roof is the precursor of all the great pyramids of the 4th Dynasty.
In the burial chamber there is no sarcophagus or hieroglyphs; in fact there is very little worth photographing at all. After leaving the pyramid the group joined me to walk round to the mortuary temple; a small unimposing structure with two gigantic un-inscribed stelae. In fact the only mention of the pyramid appears in an 18th Dynasty inscription now sadly faded, stating that the great Sneferu was the builder. We walked past mastaba No.17, time didn't allow us to enter as we were on our way to Nefermaat and Itet No.16, then Rahotep and Nofret No.6, although now these mastabas are just mounds of mudbrick.
The group were now able to piece together a picture of how the pyramids and mastabas would have looked circa 2650bc, especially after having seen the treasures of these tombs in the Egyptian Museum the previous day. It's a little like detective work, putting all the aspects together until you build a clearer picture.
We were ready to leave, but were not allowed, the tourist police would not move until a coach that had arrived after us was ready to leave too. A short wait was inevitable. We pulled into a small school-like building, full of young children in their best clothes, some even in suits and very charming. Realizing we had a long drive ahead we asked to use the toilets. We were taken to refreshingly clean, in fact pristine facilities. I commended the attendant and he was delighted with our praise. Then I was off to play soccer with the local lads; much to the displeasure of the tourist police. What smashing kids - "Hogan! Hogan!" they shouted. One young girl built up the confidence to ask me my name, when I replied "Alan." she was bemused and I think disappointed to find out I'm not really Hulk Hogan.
I will remember that day for many years; the kids were charming, not one asked for baksheesh. We discovered later that they were the farmers' children on a day out. It was probably their only day out of the year. We left, waving as we went.
The next stop was Hawara in The Fayoum, and the pyramid of Amenemhet III the 6 th King of the XII Dynasty circa 1850bc. the last great ruler of the Middle Kingdom. As you approach The Fayoum the terrain becomes hostile and difficult to negotiate. We did not see another visitor or tourist again for the rest of that day.
An hour later we could see the mud brick pyramid in the distance. We had by now accumulated six guards at the front of the coach. We arrived at the ticket office and our sudden appearance caused a stir. Armed guards appeared from nowhere. After some lengthy negotiations between the army and our personal armed guard I was allowed to purchase the tickets LE30.00. We walked a hundred yards or so to the site. At this point we were surrounded by armed guards. Even the military have a presence here, with regular soldiers strategically positioned around the area.
I became the butt of the locals' amusement, "Hogan! How are you? So you want to go in the Pyramid?" Remembering the pyramid was flooded, even in Flinders Petrie's time, (1880's) I am sceptical to say the least. The door to the entrance swung open and I entered the darkness. We made a couple of feet progress and my eyes became accustomed to the dark. After thirty feet we were confronted by the water table; that no one could penetrate farther than this was a certainty. We walked the pyramid site and viewed the famed labyrinth. A temple with over three thousand chambers, fifteen hundred of them underground; with the burials of kings and sacred crocodiles all connected by winding passages. In his book the Histories II Herodotus the Greek writer (circa 484-430bc) states the Labyrinth outshone the Giza Pyramids. This must have been an impressive structure to rival that of the Pyramids. Today only two blocks remain - with reliefs to testify to the Labyrinth's greatness. One block of limestone has two defaced crocodiles; the other a torso of the King with a necklace. Nothing else remains. The site is in a sorry state; all this said the site does have a "sacred" and beyond "human comprehension" feel about it. I wonder, will we ever be conversant with her jealously kept secrets? I doubt it.
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