Stone replicas of sacred beetles being sold at the Panorama Point in Giza

The dung beetle was held as sacred in ancient Egypt, due to various symbolism (it was supposed to be close to the gods in the way that the young of the beetle emerged from their dung burrows, as well as being shown as pushing the setting sun across the sky).

Tourists, seen against the backdrop of the Great Pyramid, at Giza in Egypt

I really like this photo. It shows tourists at the Panorama point in Giza, just a few hundred meters from the Great Pyramids, and with a great view of all 3 Pyramids. In this photo, you can see tourists with the Great Pyramid in the background.

A outpost of the Egyptian tourist police at the Panorama Point near the Great Pyramids

The tourist police can be found at all popular tourist locations in Egypt. Ever since some years back, there were attacks on tourists, there has been a huge push to ensure that tourists are secure and have a feeling of safety. As a result, you have armed police everywhere, and when tourists have to go to remote locations to see some monument, they are escorted by police.

Muslim lady using a camera with a tripod to shoot the Great Pyramid

This is a photo of tourists at the Panorama point in Giza, from where you get a great view of all 3 Pyramids. It is also a great point to shoot photos of the 3 pyramids, and typically you will find somebody who has got a tripod to take some professional type photos of the pyramids.

Security Outpost, and tourists with a tripod at the Great Pyramid in Giza

A security outpost at the Panorama Point in Giza (the place is pretty crowded with tourists who want a Panoramic view of all 3 Pyramids); security is important in Egypt since there were some terrorist attacks on tourists in the past few years.

The head of a camel, at the Panorama Point in Giza

At the Panorama Point in Giza, near the Great Pyramids, there are a number of camels waiting in the desert. This is a photo of the head of a camel, seen in a close up.

Getting a camel to its feet at the Panorama Point in Giza

At the Panorama Point in Giza (near the Great Pyramids), there are a number of camels that wait in the desert, waiting for tourists to come and ride them for a short trip into the desert. In this photo, you can see a camel being brought to its feet in Giza.

A camel bares its teeth, seen at the Panorama Point in Giza

A photo of a camel with its mouth slightly open, showing its teeth. In the background, you can see other camels and tourists, with a lot of sand. This is a photo at the Panorama Point near the Great Pyramids in Giza.

Pigeons in full flight, as viewed with the background of the Great Pyramid in Giza

A number of pigeons in full flight, captured with the backdrop of the Great Pyramid in Giza. This photo was taken from the Panorama Point, from where you can get a view of all the 3 huge Pyramids.

Tourist standing on top of a hillock in the desert, near the Great Pyramids

A tourist standing on the top of a hillock in the desert, near the Pyramids (actually, at the Panorama point near the Pyramids from where all the Pyramids can be seen).

View of one Pyramid hiding behind another Pyramid at the Panorama Point in Giza

From the Panorama point in Giza, you get a great view of the Pyramids (although it can be a bit dusty with sand in the air, and hence the view can get a little less sharp). In this photo, you can see the view of one Pyramid getting obscured by another Pyramid.

A crow on the sand near the Great Pyramids in Giza

A crow on the sands near the Panorama Point in Giza; we normally did not see too many crows over there, with more pigeons visible in the area; so as soon as I saw a crow, I took a photo.

View of the Great Pyramids from the Panorama Point in Giza

A photo of the Great Pyramids, as seen in all their fine view, seen at a short distance from the Panorama point (a point from where all the Pyramids can be easily seen; when you are close to the Pyramids, you don't get such a view).

Cairo Desert - Camels along with tourists in the desert close to the Pyramids in Giza

A photo of camels with tourists at the Panorama Point in Giza, close to the Pyramids. The tourists are just setting off for a short ride into the desert, and given that this was February, it was not very hot.

Cairo Pyramid - A decorated camel waiting for tourists, at the Panorama point in Giza

At the Panorama point near the Great Pyramids, there are camels waiting for tourists who can take a short ride in the desert. These camels are typically very decorated, and in this case, you can see a camel, sitting, waiting for tourists to climb on.

Cairo Pyramid - Panoramic view of Great Pyramids along with buses on the road

A view of the Great Pyramids in all their sheer size and power, on the horizon, although there is a lot of dust in the air which makes the view a bit hazy. You can also see buses on the road.

Tourist starting to climb a camel at the Panorama point in Giza, near the Great Pyramid

A tourist climbing a camel at the Panorama point near the Great Pyramid. There are a number of camels available at the Panorama view point (from where a great view of all the Pyramids is available).

A security post and police vehicle at the Panorama point in Giza, near the Great Pyramids

As part of the effort to ensure that tourists have a sense of security and to protect them from terrorists, there are security personnel at every tourist point, as at the Panorama point in Giza.

A decorated camel waiting for tourists at the Panorama point in Giza, in the desert

At the Panorama point in Giza (near the Great Pyramids), there are many camels and horses available so that tourists can go for a short ride into the desert. This is a photo of a camel, all ready and waiting for tourists.

Security staff and police personnel at the Panorama point in Giza, ensuring security for tourists

Egypt is highly dependent on tourists for a large section of its economy, and as a result of some previous attacks on tourists by religious extremists, it takes the protection of tourists very seriously, and there are security staff at every tourist location.

Great Pyramid - View of rubbish in the sands near the Great Pyramid in Giza

A photo of rubbish on the sands of the desert, right next to the Great Pyramid in Giza (it was not a nice feeling to see such rubbish near a wonder of the world).

Great Pyramids - view of the majestic Great Pyramid, with the view a bit hazy because of sand

A view of the majestic Great Pyramid, as seen from the Panorama point near the Pyramids; with the view a bit hazy because of sand in the air.

Person leading tourists on camels at the Panorama point in Giza, in the desert very close to the Great Pyramids

A person leading tourists on camels near the Panorama point in Giza, from where tourists go for short excursions into the desert. The person is leading 2 camels through the desert.

Cairo Pyramids - Tourists with their cameras at the Panorama point near Giza

A photo of tourists with their cameras at the Panorama point in Giza (the Panorama point is the location where people can get a view of all 3 cameras at a single view).

Closer view of a bus carrying tourists from the Panorama point to the Great Pyramid, with the base of the Pyramid being visible

A photo of a bus making its way back from the Panorama point to the Great Pyramid; in the background, the vast structure is actually the lower point of the Great Pyramid.

Pigeons flying all around a couple of people on horses, in the desert near the Great Pyramids in Giza

A photo of pigeons surrounding people on horses (most probably tourists out for a quick ride into the desert) at a point very close to the Great Pyramids in Giza.

Cairo Pyramid - Camels carrying tourists in the desert for a quick trip, close to the Great Pyramids

A photo of camels carrying tourists for a quick trip in the desert, at the Panorama point in Giza. There are a number of camels over there who charge 10 Egyptian pounds for a quick trip into the desert (and where these tourists can get photographed on camels).

Great Pyramids - Camels at the Panorama point near the Pyramids in Giza, waiting for tourists

At the Panorama point in Giza (at a short distance from the Pyramids, from where a great view of the Pyramids is available), there are a number of camels assembled there, waiting for tourists to come and take these camels for a short ride in the desert.

Cairo Pyramid - Crow flying against the backdrop of the Great Pyramids, as seen from the Panorama point

A photo of a crow flying against the backdrop of the Great Pyramid. In this photo, you can see buses plying between the Pyramids and the Panorama point (from where a view of the Great Pyramids looks great).

A panoramic view of buses with the background of the Pyramids in Giza

From the Panorama point in Giza (where all the pyramids in Giza can be viewed), here is a view of the buses heading from the Pyramids to the Panorama point. It is a short distance.

Panorama point in Giza - tourist buses to and from on the road between the Panorama point and the pyramid

There is a short distance between the Panorama point in Giza (from where all the 3 Pyramids are visible) and the Pyramids, with a road connecting them. In this photo, you can see buses heading on this road to and fro the Panorama point.

Giza Pyramids - Tourist buses driving to the Panorama point, from the Pyramids

In the suburb of Giza, there is a Panorama point where you can see all the 3 Great Pyramids, located at a short distance from the pyramids. In this photo, you can see a bus driving to the Panorama point (with the bus looking very small as compared to the huge Pyramid).

Giza Panorama Point - Tourists on horses and camels in the desert near the Pyramids in Cairo

When we were near the Panorama point in Giza (from where a view of all the Great Pyramids are visible), we could see a number of tourists on horses and camels, enjoying a quick ride in the desert.

Giza Panorama Point - Horses and tourists on the sand of Giza near the Pyramids

In this photo, you can see tourists on horses near the Panorama point in Giza. It makes for some nice picture, with the photo of a tourist on a horse looking great on the desert.

Giza Panorama Point - Camels near the panorama point on the sand of the desert, waiting for tourists

This is a view of a large number of tourists and camels at the Panorama Point near the Great Pyramids in Giza. The camels are there for tourists to take a short ride in the desert, and these make for some great pictures. Taking a photo of a person taking a ride on a camel in the desert can be a very memento of the visit.

Giza Pyramids - Tourists on horses near the Great Pyramids in Cairo

Near the Great Pyramids, there is a panorama point, where you can see the Great Pyramids on the horizon. There are locals over there with horses, so that tourists can go for a short ride near the desert and on the sand.

View of the Great Pyramids at the horizon, view from the Panorama point in Giza

This was a photo where I tried to capture the view of the Great Pyramids over the horizon, while adjusting the exposure so that the picture has a slightly dusty look. Unfortunately, I also caught the heads of a few tourists (which can be removed from the picture through some software tool experimentation).

Camels, fully decorated, waiting for tourists to take the ride on the sands for a small consideration

Near the Great Pyramids, there is a panorama point where all the 3 Great Pyramids are visible. At this panorama point, the desert has just started, and there are plenty of people with camels (which gets tourists a paid ride into the desert for 10 minutes) waiting for tourists to climb and enjoy.

Photo - Closer view of camels, with tourists just about to climb on, at the base of a hillock right next to the Great Pyramid

In the previous photo, you can see camels in the distance. In this photo, you can see the camels at a much closer distance (using a zoom lens), and you can see the heads of tourists near the camels, just ready to climb the camel.

Cairo Pyramid - Camels traversing sand hillocks in a location right next to the Great Pyramids

I really like this scene. You can see the tops of camels in the desert, just about to be fully visible beyond the sand hillock in the desert right next to the Great Pyramids. We were visiting the Great Pyramids, and this scenario was just next door.

Cairo Pyramid - the hillock near the Cairo Pyramids, with the desert being visible, and a camel in the distance

The Great Pyramids in the Egyptian suburb of Giza are the point where you can see the desert starting. This photo is of a point pretty close to the pyramids, and you can see this hillock. In the distance, you can see a camel with riders.

Cairo Pyramids - The small hillocks surrounding the Great Pyramid in Giza, with the desert starting at this point

This is a view of the surrounding countryside, right next to the Great Pyramids. There are hillocks, and it is not yet the fine sand that forms the Sahara desert, but it is getting close to those conditions.

Cairo Pyramids - Tourists posing with the backdrop of the Great Pyramids at the Panorama Point in Giza

In this photo, you can see tourists posing with the Great Pyramids of Giza as the backdrop. When we were there, we could see people really enjoying the location, especially with the Wonders of the World looking great in the distance.

Cairo Pyramids - Vendors selling curios (sculptures, items, etc) at the Panorama point near the Great Pyramids

At the Panorama point near the Great Pyramids (from where all the 3 Great Pyramids are visible), there are a number of vendors selling different types of curios (such as small statues of Cleopatra, Tutankhamen, etc). Very tempting to pick up one of these curios from here.

Cairo Pyramids - People standing at the Panorama point in Giza from where you can see all 3 Great Pyramids

The Panorama point in Giza is a place from where you can see all 3 Great Pyramids (located a short distance from the actual pyramids). In this photo, you can see a number of tourists standing at the Panorama Point, taking in the view.

Cairo Pyramids - A truck near the Panorama point at the Pyramids in Giza

A normal photo, nothing out of the ordinary. This is a photo of a truck used for carrying stones and other material that is used for the restoration work, or is a by-product of the excavation work.

Cairo Pyramids - A security post at the panorama point of the Great Pyramids

The Egyptian Government is very concerned about the security of tourists (more so since there have been 2 attacks on tourists in the past by Islamic militants). As a result, there is a heavy security presence at tourist locations, such as this security post at the panorama point near the Great Pyramids (from where you get a view of all 3 Great Pyramids).

Cairo Pyramids - A heavy vehicle and a tourist cab just on the side of the Great Pyramid

In this photo, you can see a view of the Great Pyramid of Giza towards the right side of the photo. This is essentially a view of the road of the Great Pyramid complex, and here you can see a heavy machine used for transport.

Cairo Pyramid - Young men standing on the edge of a small cliff, with a view of the suburb of Giza

This is a photo taken a bit far from the Great Pyramid, but a part of the same complex. In this photo, you can see young men standing on the edge of a small cliff, with a view of the structure of the Cairo suburb of Giza (blurred and out of focus).

Cairo Pyramid - People walking in a part of the Great Pyramid complex, near the boundary wall

In this photo, you can see people moving around near the boundary of the Great Pyramid complex, although the pyramids are not visible in this photo. You can see people on camels, and also a lone tree near the wall and gate.