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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.
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