The largest of the Great Pyramids was built by the Pharaoh Khufu (Cheops) of the 4^th Dynasty between 2589 - 2566 BCE. It is believed to have been built over 20 years. It was originally 145.75 m (481 ft) high. Over the years it lost 10 m (30 ft) off its top. It was the tallest man made structure for 4300 years. The Eiffel Tower was the first structure to surpass the Great Pyramid in height. The sides of all the pyramids were covered with a casing of white stones. It must have been an awesome sight, this huge white structure, gleaming in the sun.

The base is a square of 229 m (751 ft) on a side. The slope of the faces of the pyramid is 51° 51'. The sides are aligned with the cardinal compass directions. The structure was build from about 2 million stone blocks, each weighing more than two tons. The area covered by the Great Pyramid can accommodate St. Peter's in Rome, the great cathedrals in Florence and Milan, and Westminster and St. Paul's in London combined.

The entrance to the burial chamber is on the north face. A number of corridors, galleries, and escape shafts are inside the pyramid. The Pharaoh's burial chamber was in the heart of the pyramid, accessible only through the Great Gallery and an ascending corridor. The Pharaoh's sarcophagus is made of red granite, the same material as the inner walls of the burial chamber.

Next to the pyramid was buried the Sun Boat. It was only discovered in 1954. It is believed to have carried the body of Khufu on his last journey on earth, before he was buried inside the pyramid.

The next smaller pyramid was build by the son of Khufu, Khafra (Chephren) around 2570 BCE. It is slightly smaller, but built on higher ground, so its top is higher than Khufu's. It was originally 143.5 m (478 ft) high, it's present height is 136.4 m (455 ft). It's base was 215.25 m (717 ft) on a side. The angle of its faces was 53° 10'. This pyramid still shows some of the casing at the top.

The third of the Great Pyramids is the Pyramid of Menkaura, son of Khafra. It was originally 66.45 m (217 ft) high. The angle of its faces was 51° 20'. The length of the bases is 104.6 m (343 ft). It had a causeway approaching it that was 608 m (1995 ft) long. It had several temple complexes around it, as well as three smaller Queen's pyramids. The Queens' pyramids were up to 28.4 m (93 ft) high, with bases between 31.24 m (102 ft) and 44 m (144 ft).

This Sphinx is the largest single sculpted statue in the world, carved directly from the rock of the plateau of Giza. It is 57 m (260 ft) long, and 20 m (65 ft) high. No one knows for certain when it was built. Based on the current head, many researchers have concluded that the Sphinx was built by the Pharaoh Khafra (Chephren) in the 4^th Dynasty around 2500 BCE.

In the evening I went to a light show at the Great Sphinx. It was interesting to watch but a little kitschy.

View of all three pyramids, with modern day Cairo in the background. (208k)	Full view of the largest of the pyramids, the Pyramid of Khufu. (364k)	One corner of the Pyramid of Khufu. (428k)	North face of the Pyramid of Khufu with the entrance. (419k)	Entrance to the Pyramid of Khufu. (281k)
Close-up of the stone blocks making up the pyramids. (329k)	The sun over the Pyramid of Khufu. (339k)	The sun at the top of the Pyramid of Khufu. (153k)	The sun over the Pyramid of Khufu. (99k)	North-east corner of the Pyramid of Khufu with a Queen's Pyramid behind it. (347k)
Queen's pyramids near the Khufu Pyramid. (322k)	The Great Sun Boat of the Pharaoh Khufu. (341k)	The Great Sun Boat of the Pharaoh Khufu. (339k)	The Great Sun Boat of the Pharaoh Khufu. (362k)	The Great Sun Boat of the Pharaoh Khufu. (375k)
Temple area south of the Pyramid of Khufu. (345k)	The Pyramid of Khafra in the foreground, with the Pyramid of Khufu behind it. (320k)	Full view of the Pyramid of Khafra. (321k)	North-west corner of the Pyramid of Khafra. (369k)	South face of the Pyramid of Khafra. (542k)
South-west corner of the Pyramid of Khafra. (319k)	The Pyramid of Khafra, with a camel waiting for the next tourist going for a ride. (581k)	The sun over the Pyramid of Khafra. (131k)	The sun over the Pyramid of Khafra. (190k)	View of the Pyramid of Menkaura past the Pyramid of Khafra. (387k)
West face of the Pyramid of Menkaura. (254k)	Closer view of the west face of the Pyramid of Menkaura. (247k)	The Pyramid of Menkaura with its three Queen's Pyramids. (332k)	The three Queen's Pyramids of Menkaura. (274k)	Queen's Pyramids of Menkaura with Cairo in the background. (177k)
The Great Sphinx, seen from the Great Pyramids. (498k)	The Great Sphinx in front of the Great Pyramids of Khufu (right) and Khafra (left). (283k)	The Great Sphinx with the Pyramid of Khafra behind it. (183k)	The Great Sphinx with the Pyramid of Khafra behind it. (144k)	The Great Sphinx in front of the Pyramid of Khafra. (265k)
The Great Sphinx with the large paws. The Pyramid of Khufu and two Queen's Pyramids in the background. (322k)	The Great Sphinx in front of the Pyramid of Khufu. (302k)	Close-up of the Great Sphinx, with the Pyramid of Khufu behind it. (343k)	Close-up of the head of the Great Sphinx. (204k)	Close-up of the head of the Great Sphinx. (185k)
Stone walls in the temple below the Great Sphinx with incredibly accurately shaped and set stones. (466k)	Temple walls in the temple below the Great Sphinx. The accuracy of the stone work is reminiscent of Inca walls in Cuzco, Peru. (396k)	Close-up of the stone work in the Sphinx Temple. (658k)	Lights on the Pyramid of Khufu. (253k)	Lights on the Pyramid of Khufu. (289k)
Lights on the Pyramid of Khafra. (182k)	Lights on the Pyramid of Khafra, with the eyes of the Great Sphinx lit up. (164k)	Lights on the Great Sphinx and the Pyramid of Khafra. (229k)	Lights on the Great Sphinx and the Pyramid of Khafra. (208k)	Lights on the Great Sphinx and the Pyramid of Khafra. (217k)
Lights on the head of the Great Sphinx. (139k)	The head of the Great Sphinx how it might have looked once. (137k)

Here are the links to the other pages on Egypt:

Today's Egypt		Ancient Egypt
People	Nature	Architecture	Mythology	Pharaohs

All pictures are © Günther Eichhorn

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