The Sakkara step pyramid : A privileged sight of ancient history everyday

While in Manila enjoying my recent retirement from the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), I had an unexpected consultancy request to assist our regional office based in Cairo. Having served in this regional office for almost 3 years, prior to my reassignment to Headquarters, I felt a strong desire in my heart to accept it and I did. So here I am in Maadi (a bustling business and residential neighborhood in Greater Cairo).
For this short assignment of a few months, I have decided to stay in a hotel, The SofitelCairo Maadi Towers and Casino Hotel. (Ignore the casino part, I am not into it, never was and never will). This is contrary to my previous experience of renting an apartment in Zamalek, another part of Cairo which boasts of the most number of Foreign Embassies present in one neighborhood.
Being on the 14th floor of a 15-floor Hotel, I have a beautiful view of the Nile river, and across it, on a clear day, a daily sight of the oldest pyramid in Egypt, the Sakkara step pyramid. What a privilege! Many tourists pay much to see this ancient site, and here I am, seeing it everyday. Pleased to note that my daughters, grandson and sons in law also got to see this, among other places, when they came to visit me in Egypt in 2010.
The step pyramid of Sakkara was built in 2689 BC, built by Imhotep, the first famous architect in the world, himself an expert in mathematics, astronomy and medicine, and in later times was even worshipped as a god.
Most of the pyramids in Egypt were built by pharaos of the Old and Middle Kingdoms as their tombs. The first pyramid in history was the Sakkara, built for King Djoser. However, the three most famous pyramids were built at Giza. They include the biggest pyramid in the world, belonging to King Khufu (sometimes called Cheops).
Being here this time, and having been here many other times before.. I feel so fortunate to wake up everyday to the beauty of ancient history. I also get to catch this sight in the afternoon before sunset, during this holy month of Ramadan when I get back to the hotel earlier than usual due to shortened office hours.
Imagine being in an ancient city in a country with such rich history, culture and arts!  I just read that Cairo has no less than 600 classified monuments dating from 7th-20th centuries, some of them I have visited in the past.

What an enriching and unique chance to be here again, and to witness a new kind of history in the making.