Was Egypt a desert when the pyramids were built?
Was Egypt a desert when the pyramids were built? Desertification pushed people to regroup along the Nile and create a country. However, in Khufu's time there was still a large strip of savannah along the river valley. We can also see scenes of hunting gazelles or lions in Egyptian tombs. So the pyramids were not built in the desert but in a dry savannah.
Was Egypt once green?
There is evidence that the Sinai once was green – as recently as 4,500 to 8,000 years ago. Cave paintings found there depict trees and plants. Records in the 1,500-year-old Saint Catherine's monastery, near Mount Sinai, tally harvests of wood.