An Oasis Near Cairo

The massive pyramids of Giza, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, stand majestically in the distance in this scene in Egypt a century ago. The pyramids were built more than 4,000 years ago, when Egypt was one of the richest and most powerful civilizations in the world.

The Giza pyramids remain some of the most magnificent man-made structures in history, and seeing them is “like dropping back hundreds of years,” The Times reports. But the pyramids are now threatened by modern Cairo’s rapidly spreading urban sprawl. In addition, after the 2011 popular uprising in Egypt, tourism has collapsed, especially in Cairo, Giza, Luxor and other cultural destinations along the Nile River.

But The Times noted in 2016, “One of the unintended consequences is that in the chaotic metropolis of greater Cairo, you can enjoy the privilege of solitude at some of the world’s greatest historic sites.”