All Blog Posts from Political Hotsheet

Read all 'Sphinx' posts in Political Hotsheet

June 4, 2009 1:56 PM

Obama Checks Out Sphinx And Pyramids

(AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
Everyone says it when they see the pyramids of Giza and the Sphinx. And so did President Obama.

“It’s awe-inspiring,” he exclaimed as he gave those wonders of the world a final glance before bringing his one-day visit to Egypt to an end.

“Alright, I guess we got to go back to work,” he lamented as he gathered up his senior staff and headed to his motorcade.

Giza was the last stop on the president's Egyptian drop-by. He was in-country for just over 9 hours, principally to deliver his speech about starting “a new beginning” in U.S. relations with the Muslim world. That was the centerpiece of his visit, but the drop-by the pyramids was the cultural highpoint.

Here's video of the Sphinx tour (no sound):



Serving as Mr. Obama’s guide in Giza was Dr. Zahi Hawass, Secretary-General of Egypt’s Supreme Council of Antiquities. He led the way in and around the pyramids and the Sphinx, including a visit to the Tomb of Qar, who Hawass described as a well-known priest, scholar and judge in ancient Egypt. On the wall were hieroglyphs of Qar, primitive images engraved in the stone. He was a thin man man with big ears.

“That looks like me!” exclaimed President Obama. “Look at those ears.”

An image of the hieroglyph:

Read full post…

Tags:
Barack Obama ,
Pyramids ,
Sphinx
Topics:
Barack Obama

Exclusive Webshow

Gen. Ray Odierno, head of multinational forces in Iraq, on progress there and plans for Afghanistan. Watch Now

About Political Hotsheet

Stay up to the minute on the latest news and developments from Washington, from the White House to Congress and everything in-between with the best political reporters from CBS News and CBSNews.com.

E-Mail Political Hotsheet
Follow On Twitter

Add to your favorite news reader
google
yahoo
msn
HOTSHEET ON TWITTER