"Road to Memphis"

Long before the founding of Cairo proper, the mighty capital of the Old Kingdom was Memphis, located not far southwest of the modern capital. This is where King Menes first united the southern valley and the northern delta which laid the foundations for the civilization of the Pharaohs. Only a museum marks the site today, the rest is buried or vanished. But the ancient cities glories are reflected in its vast necropolis at Saqqara, which was in use as burial grounds for 2,500 years. North and south of Memphis are the associated Pyramid fields of Giza, Abu Sir, Saqqara, Dahshur and Meidum. All six locations are connected by one highway which runs south from Giza along the edge of the Pyramid fields next to the Nile. A trip down this road is a trip into the past, a modern road connecting the new with the old. Mud houses close to farming areas are evidence of communities where life is a daily struggle and survival is not to be taken for granted. This is the reality of Egypt, a land of strong contrasts that draws on a cultural inheritance that has no equal.

Plate # 18
"Road to Memphis"

Al-Bahr Al-Azam st. Saqqara, Egypt 2002.

Silver gelatin print.