Google has stated its committment to capture the world's most iconic places in its Street View camera so the people around the world can take a virtual trip to different places without leaving their homes. Adding to the vast gallery of Street View on Google Maps are the sights of the Great Pyramids and five other Egyptian sites, including the Great Sphinx of Giza, the Hanging Church, Abu Mena, the Cairo Citadel and the Citadel of Qaitbay.
Google announced the new additions in an official blog post Wednesday. The Egyptian monuments are iconic. First off, Google had the pyramids and the Sphinx on top of the list and further explored into other iconic locations around Cairo to give a deeper sense of Egypt's history to the virtual explorers.
"Now the Egypt of your imagination can be brought to life with new Street View imagery in Google Maps, and you can take a virtual walk among the stunning monuments and rich history of this ancient civilization," Google's Head of Marketing for Middle East and North Africa, Tarek Abdalla, wrote in a blog.
Google first captured the top tourist spot of Egypt, the Pyramids of Giza. The Great Pyramid, which is the last standing wonder of the ancient world, was captured along with other pyramids in Street View. The Great Pyramid of Giza was the tallest man-made structure for almost 3,800 years and stands 456 feet high, Google said.
Towards the east is the Great Sphinx, the oldest and the largest monumental sculpture in the world built during the rule of Pharaoh Khafre, and it stands about 240 feet long and about 66 feet high. Through Google's Street View, many people around the world who cannot travel to Egypt can explore the iconic Sphinx from Google Maps.
Other iconic structures digitalized using Street View cameras show the legacy of Egypt. The Hanging Church is one of the oldest Coptic churches in the world. The Cairo Citadel is an ancient Islamic fortification, and the Citadel of Qaitbay is a defensive fortress built during the 15th century. Google also captured one of the oldest sites of Christianity in Egypt, Abu Mena, for its Street View.
Google captures the images using a camera attached to Trekker, Google's backpack which houses the camera on top, to collect images. The technology lets Google teams access places where Street View cars cannot reach, like the bottom of the Grand Canyon or Angkor Wat.
