The Great Tours: A Guided Tour of Ancient Egypt

For the ancient Egyptians, the Nile is the source of all life; Egypt's ancient cities and monuments; the rich pantheon of Egyptian gods; the role of Egyptian kings as divine intermediaries; the symbolism of Egyptian architecture, art and ritual.

Using objects from Cairo's three great museums; tracing 5,000 years of Egyptian history; Narmer Palette sets the conventions for Egyptian art; what a statue of King Khafre and Tutankhamun's golden throne tell about Egypt from various periods.

The origins of the Egyptian pyramids; the symbolism of their architectural form; the methods of pyramid building; the pyramids' orientation to the cardinal points; the techniques of construction; the funerary rituals that accompany royal interments.

Khufu, builder of the Great Pyramid; the engineering and administrative feat of the construction; pyramid's network of internal passages and funerary chambers; how the burial chambers are sealed; the royal necropolis complex that adjoins the pyramid.

The stunning monuments of the Giza Plateau; the pyramid complex of Khafre and its remarkable necropolis; the legendary Sphinx; the Sphinx Temple and the tomb of Queen Meresankh; the pyramid complex of Menkaure; the Lost City of the pyramid builders.

King Djoser's Step Pyramid complex at Saqqara; how a traditional mastaba tomb is transformed into the famous Step Pyramid; the 37-acre complex; its courtyards and underground tombs and galleries; their extraordinary architectural features and decor.