Queen Mary has paid a visit to the Great Pyramids of Giza, Egypt, during a sunrise trip to the iconic landmark.
The Danish Royal Court shared photos of Queen Mary’s visit to the pyramids, writing that: “As the sun rose over the pyramids and the Sphinx of Giza at six o’clock this morning, Her Majesty the Queen visited the iconic monuments, of which the largest pyramid is the only one of the Seven Wonders of ancient times still standing.”
The Great Pyramid of Giza was built around 2600 BC and houses the tomb of Khufu, a pharaoh of the Old Kingdom. It is the oldest—and last—wonder of the ancient world; the six other wonders of the ancient world include the Colossus of Rhodes, the Temple of Artemis, the Lighthouse of Alexandria, the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus, and the Statue of Zeus at Olympia.
The Great Sphinx of Giza was built around the same time period as the Great Pyramid of Giza, though mystery surrounds who it represents and what its original name and meaning were.
Queen Mary was in Egypt over the weekend to attend the opening of the Great Egyptian Museum, which is the world’s largest museum that’s dedicated to ancient Egypt. There are more than 50,000 artefacts on display, including the Golden Burial Mask of Tutankhamun and the Obelisk of King Ramesses II.
The Danish queen joined other royals, including King Felipe, King Philippe, Prince Albert II, as well as world leaders and heads of state for the official opening. Queen Mary was joined by Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen, and the pair attended a reception at the Danish Embassy before the grand opening. Queen Mary also paid a visit to Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al Sisi.
Following Queen Mary’s visit to the pyramids, she and Lars Rasmussen received a tour of the Great Egyptian Museum and saw many artefacts up close.
Queen Mary’s official visit to Egypt comes on the heels of a State Visit to Latvia, in which she joined her husband for several days of engagements surrounding the two countries’ cultural and military ties.
