Built as tombs for Kings and Queens, surrounded by myths and mystery, the Pyramids were the target of tons of movies and books, and attract a massive number of tourists to Egypt. The most famous of them all, are the three Pyramids
of Giza: Khufu, Khafre - his son, and Menkaure – his grandson.
of Giza: Khufu, Khafre - his son, and Menkaure – his grandson.
The Pyramid of Khufu (Cheops in Greek), also called the Great Pyramid, is the oldest, the largest, the tallest and most intact. Situated near Cairo, it is the last Wonder of the World still standing. Built over a 20 year period around 2560 BC, it is considered an architectural masterpiece. It has an angle of 52 degrees and its four sides face the four cardinal points precisely. It contains around 1,300,000 blocks ranging in weight from 2.5 tons to 15 tons and is built on a square base with sides measuring about 230m! The original height was 146.5m – only 137m in the present, due to the theft of the fine quality limestone covering, or casing stones. As almost every Pyramid in Egypt, its entrance lays at the northern side. There are actually 2 entrances: the original, 17m above ground level, and a forced entranced located below it, made by the stonemasons of Khalif El-Mamoun in the 9th Century A.D, who wanted to get his hands on the treasures kept hidden inside the Pyramid. They opened up an entrance, and cut it midway across the centre of the northern side. The tunnel they cut goes 35m into the Pyramid, and connects at the end with the original inner corridors. He found nothing inside, as it was plundered in antiquity. Today this entrance is considered a shortcut and is used by visitors. From the main entrance there is a descending corridor for about 100m, to an unfinished burial chamber, 24m below ground level, and inaccessible today. 20m in the descending corridor there’s a connected corridor, taking you up into the Pyramid’s heart. This corridor ends in the Grand Gallery, a large, long, rectangular hall, 49m long, and 15m high, with a long tunnel, at the bottom, leading to the 2nd chamber, called the “Queens Chamber”. It has nothing to do with a Queen though, it was given its name by the early Arabs, who entered the Pyramids.
At the end of the Grand Gallery lays the entrance to the real burial chamber of King Cheops, where his stone sarcophagus is found, made out of one block of granite. The chamber is made out of granite brought from Aswan, 1000km away, and it has a rectangular form, and a flat roof, made of 9 slabs of granite, each one about 50 tons in weight! The huge weight above could have caused the chamber to collapse, so to be able to sustain it the Ancient Egyptians build 5 small relieving chambers above the roof. These chambers are also made of granite, about 1m above each other. The tops of the first 4 are flat, while the 5th one has a pointed top to divert the enormous pressure away from the burial chamber. The northern and southern walls of the burial chamber have two small tunnels with rectangular entrances called “star shafts” that in the ancient cult were believed to connect the King with the stars.
At the end of the Grand Gallery lays the entrance to the real burial chamber of King Cheops, where his stone sarcophagus is found, made out of one block of granite. The chamber is made out of granite brought from Aswan, 1000km away, and it has a rectangular form, and a flat roof, made of 9 slabs of granite, each one about 50 tons in weight! The huge weight above could have caused the chamber to collapse, so to be able to sustain it the Ancient Egyptians build 5 small relieving chambers above the roof. These chambers are also made of granite, about 1m above each other. The tops of the first 4 are flat, while the 5th one has a pointed top to divert the enormous pressure away from the burial chamber. The northern and southern walls of the burial chamber have two small tunnels with rectangular entrances called “star shafts” that in the ancient cult were believed to connect the King with the stars.