The Pyramids of Giza
by: Steven N. Ng
The most famous Egyptian pyramids to be built are the Great Pyramids
of Giza, located in the outskirts of present-day Cairo. There are over
100 Egyptian pyramids of various sizes, and over 50 more in neighboring
Sudan. However, the three Great Pyramids of Giza earn their fame by
being the largest of these.
In the most popular pictures of the Pyramids of Giza, like the one
shown below, the middle pyramid, that of Khafre (Chephren), appears
larger due to the angle and because it was built on higher ground. The
largest pyramid is actually the Great Pyramid of Khufu (Cheops), the
one on the left.
The Great Pyramid of Khufu
Contrary to popular belief, not all the Great Pyramids of Giza are
considered part of the Seven Wonders of the World. Only the largest,
the Great Pyramid of Khufu, is a member, and is the only one of the
Seven Wonders that still stands. Egypt was also home to another of the
Seven Wonders of the World, the Lighthouse of Alexandria, which was
destroyed long ago.
The Pyramid of Khufu has a height of 145 m (475 ft) and a base area
of 52,400 sqm (562,500 sqft). That area is large enough to fit over
20 Olympic-size swimming pools! And for thousands of years, until the
rise of modern-day skyscrapers, the pyramid was the tallest building
in the world.
What makes the pyramid an architectural triumph and one of the Seven
Wonders of the World is the fact that the rocks used in its construction
each way more than 2 tons. And there are more than 2 million of those
rocks.
Greek travelers to ancient Giza wrote that it took a hundred thousand
slaves 20 years to construct the pyramid. However, since they visited
Egypt more than 2 thousand years after the Egyptian pyramids were built,
the truth of their accounts are suspect. Modern engineers estimate that
it would likely take less people and less time to build the pyramid
using technology that was available at that time.
Treasures of the Pharaoh
The Pyramid of Khufu was built by the Egyptian Pharaoh Khufu (Cheops)
in the 4th Dynasty circa 2560 BC, making it over 4500 years old! It
is widely accepted that the pyramid was built to bury Pharaoh Khufu
when he died. However, many other conspiracy theories abound as to why
the pyramids were built, ranging from astronomical observatories to
alien artifacts.
Since Egyptian Pharaohs were noted for being buried with their great
treasure, Arab conquerors attempted to gain entrance into the Pyramid
of Khufu in order to plunder it.
They managed to find a few narrow passages that led both up into the
center of the pyramid, and down beneath the massive structure. However,
all they managed to find at the end of these passages were empty chambers.
No mummies or treasure was found in the pyramid.
During the Arabs' excavation of the Pyramid of Khufu, they encountered
various boulders and slabs that were used to seal the passages and chambers
within the pyramid. They also found hidden doors. This probably fueled
the many myths about the Egyptian pyramids being booby-trapped, and
where a grave robber who managed to get in would never get out alive.
A 17th century Englishman managed to uncover another shaft connecting
the passages, but still no treasure was to be found.
Two conclusions can be derived from this. One, ancient tomb raiders
have long since plundered all the treasure from the pyramid, leaving
behind nothing but a few empty chambers. Or two, Khufu's mummy and treasure
is still cleverly hidden within (or beneath) the Great Pyramid.
For more information on the Pyramids, visit http://www.nekhebet.com/w_pyramids.html
About The Author: Steven maintains the informational
website Wonders of Ancient Egypt at http://www.nekhebet.com.
Do visit if you want to find out more about the wonders of Egypt such
as the Pyramids and the Lighthouse; or mysteries such as mummifcation
and conspiracy theories; or its religion and history. webmaster@nekhebet.com
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