The Great Pyramids of Giza: History And Interesting Facts
One of the ancient seven wonders of the world, is the pyramid erected on a rocky plateau, which defines the symbol of Egypt is the Great Pyramids of Giza.
The Great Pyramid of Giza (also Gizeh) is located on the Giza plateau near the city of Cairo. It was built over a twenty-year period during the reign of the king Khufu of the 4th Dynasty. It is also the oldest of the Seven Wonders of the ancient international and the best one to remain largely intact.
The pyramid rises to a height of 479 feet (146 metres) with a base of 754 feet (230 metres) with over two million blocks of stone used in the construction. Some of these stones are of such immense size and weight that the logistics of raising and positioning them so precisely seems impossibility to modern standards. What makes the pyramid special is that, before the building of the Eifel Tower in France, the pyramid was the tallest building in the world.
Recommended reading… Travel Guides and Requirements To Egypt
Who built the pyramid of Giza?
There are numerous speculations about who constructed Egypt’s pyramids, including enormous groups of oppressed Jewish individuals and more thoughts, like occupants of the ‘lost’ city of Atlantis or even aliens. Notwithstanding the speculations or theories, there are no concrete proofs to back them up.
The pyramids could not have been constructed by Jewish slaves, as no archaeological remains that can be directly linked to the Jewish people have been found in Egypt that date back to 4,500 years ago, when the Giza pyramids were built, archaeological research has revealed. Additionally the story told in the Hebrew Bible about Jews being slaves in Egypt refers to a city named “Ramesses”. A city named pi-Ramesses was founded during the 19th dynasty (about 1295-1186 B.C.) and was named after Ramesses II, who ruled 1279–1213 BC. This city was constructed after the era of pyramid construction had ended in Egypt.
Why the pyramids were built?
With the widely accepted theory, the pyramid was built to serve as the purpose of a tomb to the King. During the period of pyramid building, the ancient Egyptian rulers created funerary places in a kind of standard sets. The set generally consisted of a pyramid, a pyramid temple, a causeway, and a valley temple. Some pyramid complexes included queens’ pyramids.
The building of pyramids which was a tradition in Egypt lasted for about 1,000 years, from the 3rd dynasty (c.2649 BC) until c.1640 BC. But all the great pyramids of Giza were constructed in a period over just 60 years in the era of the Old Kingdom. Until today it is not known how the Pyramids were constructed. There are various theories about the construction techniques, but the ancient builders keep most of their secrets.
Among other Pyramids of Giza are Menkaure which was constructed around 2510 circa BC. The smallest of the three main Pyramids of Giza is ‘just’ 65 m (213 ft) tall. Menkaure (or Mykerinos) was the fifth (or sixth) Pharaoh (a ruler or king in ancient Egypt) of the 4th dynasty of the Old Kingdom of Egypt (2686–2181 BC). According to archaeological evidence, he was the successor of King Khafre (Chephren). He was married to his sister Khamerernebti II.
The Pyramid of Khafra (or Chephren) is the second-tallest pyramid on the Giza plateau. Little is known about Khafra except that he was a Pharaoh of the 4th dynasty of the ancient kingdom of ancient Egypt. He was the son of Pharaoh Khufu and the throne successor of Djedefre. He is credited to have built the Second Pyramid, the Sphinx Temple, and the Sphinx.
The Great Sphinx of Giza on the Giza Plateau is a statue of a reclining sphinx looking east. A sphinx is one of the legendary creatures with the head of a human and the body of a lion (some also have wings), their duty is to guards treasures.
The Great Sphinx is one of the world’s largest and oldest statues. Historians assume that the Sphinx was built around 2500 BC by Pharaoh Khafra. The body of the 73 m long sculpture consists of soft bedrock limestone, the head is of a much harder stone.
The Cheops pyramid is the only remaining monument of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Since 1979 Memphis and its Necropolis – the Pyramid Fields from Giza to Dahshur is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Plan your next destination tour to the great pyramids in the land of Egypt and explore more historical and interesting attractions.
Thank you for reading about the Great Pyramids of Egypt.
Kindly follow our social media handles and let’s get interactive.