Egypt, 1951

[Music] 20th century wings high over Egypt. Ancient cradle of many civilizations. Here is the new and here is the old in dramatic contrast. The camel caravan outdating the memory of man. Still transporting the commerce of this land of desert. Five times each day, the faithful face to Mecca for prayer. This exacting ritual has been performed without change for centuries for those millions of Egypt's people who would follow the teachings of Muhammad. [Music] Thoroughly metropolitan, Cairo, capital of all Egypt, is a thriving city of some 2 million. An oriental Paris in an exotic setting. What traveler does not know Shepherd's Hotel rich in tradition, one of the world's most famed hostelies, gathering place of this intriguing crossroads of the world. Cairo is building and the trend is toward the modern style of architecture. But the min of course remains as part of the Egyptian scene. Ultraodern in design and fashionable suburb of Cairo is Helopoulos rebuilt on the site of its ancient historical namesake. Egypt is predominantly Mohammed. Temples of the faith are exotic mosques with sky piercing minoretses as silent sentinels over the everyday scene. Of course, no trip to Cairo would be complete without paying a leisurely visit to the famous Bazaar district. Here, an artisan hammered in silver wire into brass to create a design of delicate beauty. You'll be fascinated as you move along the narrow streets, pausing at stalls and shops of merchants of every nationality, at the veiled Egyptian woman passing by. An interesting study in the Egyptian parade. And to relax for a moment, try a cool smoke on an Egyptian water pipe, better known as a hookah. Egypt and the Suez Canal, one of the world's busiest and certainly one of the most important inter ocean waterways. Joining the Mediterranean with the Red Sea, this water level lockless canal has long been a prize of ownership. He who would control the Suez controls much of the destiny of the Middle East and beyond. For this is the vital water link with India and the Orient. Egypt also travels on rails. We speed southward through the Nile Valley, a countryside of irrigated, well-ultivated fields to Carac in upper Egypt. Many centuries ago, the pharaohs were born along this avenue of the sphinxes to the temple of Carac there to worship Aman, god of light. Today, this crumbling picture reflects the truly great civilization that once existed here. Even before the Greeks became a nation, and even before the days of Troy's greatness, Egypt was the seat of a civilization already old and rich. The age of the living has vanished into history, leaving behind unspeaking sculptured figures cut from single blocks of stone, some 80 to 90 ft high, and weighing as several huge locomotives. Many of the hieroglyphics have been translated, adding immeasurably to our knowledge of the great civilization that flourished centuries ago. The massive temples and columns at Luxor attest to the heights the ancient Egyptians reached in the arts of construction and carving. Nowhere else in the world can be found such complete evidence of man's engineering greatness. Here is history in its most dramatic form. Monument to a way of life shrouded in antiquity and mystery. yet eternally recorded in structures and art forms which surpass any succeeding generation in engineering skill and artistic genius. This indeed is true evidence of a civilization that existed in fact then to disappear almost completely. A civilization which by any measure or comparison was certainly one of rare distinction and unequaled achievement. On a sandy rise just beyond Cairo are two of the seven wonders of the ancient world. The great pyramid of Chops which some scientists date back to 2650 BC and the mighty Sphinx. Riddle of the ages is the silent sphinx crouching forever guarding the secret of her being fashioned centuries before the shadowy figure of Queen Cleopatra. All three of the huge pyramids constructed on this site were once covered with a smooth surface of shiny alabaster. The surface stone has been removed until today. The shiny tip of the middle pyramid is all that remains. The ancient Egyptians believed that the soul lives after death and that the soul could return to its body to enjoy comforts laid away. So the early pharaohs had great pyramids built as tombs to keep their bodies safe through the ages. Near to the base of Chops, the king had a smaller flattop tomb constructed for the nobles and lesser members of the royal house. Here are found the texts, prayers, and incantations to assist the dead over the dangers of their long journey to the lower world. Hieroglyphics carved and paint the walls, picturing the life of the great estate over which the nobles ruled. The great pyramids represent a real architectural mystery. How could such mighty structures have been constructed entirely by hand? How could such enormous blocks weighing many tons be transported from quaries miles removed? And how could such enormous stones be raised into position to achieve the incredible architectural triumph of forming an absolute perfect plane? It is believed that some 100,000 slaves spent 20 years performing this herculean task. But whatever the secret of the construction plan, it has disappeared with the agent. Here is one man who can certainly qualify as a rugged individualist. He makes his living simply by wagering, doubting tourists that he can climb to the top of the 500 ft pyramid and come down again in less than 8 minutes. Certainly, if there is such a thing as a perfect demonstration of sure-footed, if not foolardy stamina, this must be it. You wonder how the human mechanism can stand such a grueling pace. How he repeats this performance several times a day under a cloudless Egyptian sky with a temperature well over a 100 is difficult to imagine. But there he is at the top in just over 5 minutes. Now he has only a little more than 2 minutes left to down again. Perfect timing and balance, not to mention muscles of iron and a powerful heart are essentials of this energetic vocation. down, down, down with the fleetness of the shorefooted gazelle. But he knows every stone, every step. And if you're the tourist who wages with him, well, you lose every time because this entrepreneur always makes the round trip with some 30 seconds to spare, earning every pia he wins. Such is fascinating Egypt, as ancient as her longforgotten yesterdays. And by the richness of the ages. A magic land of mystic memories, ever beckoning those who would travel this world of ours. [Music]