Pyramids of Giza

The last surviving of the Seven Wonders of the World, Giza,s three immense pyramids, Khufu, Khafre and Menkaure, built over 4000 years ago, were the pharaohs' necropolis. Check out the Solar Barque Museum ancient cedarwood boat. Early morning is coolest.
Contrary to popular belief, it was only one of the pyramids, the Great Pyramid of Khufu, which was classified around the 5th century BC as a Wonder with a capital.
To build the Pyramid of Khufu, experts estimate hat 84,000 people employed for 80 days a year worked for 20 years to complete it. Incredibly, for 40+ centuries it was the tallest man-made structure on earth, only surpassed by the 19th century,s high-tech construction techniques.
The other two other pyramids in the complex - Khafre and Menkaure - while still pretty impressive, are easily overwhelmed by the sheer scope of their bigger cousin. But together they form a truly majestic spectacle. So why did a large fraction of Lower Egypt,s male population sweat for most of their adult lives to create this stupendously timeless structure? It seems Pharaohs went out of their way to prove their incredible stature for the present and for coming generations, competing with each other to the point where poor Pharaoh Khafre, who built his pyramid after Khufu, had to put his smaller pyramid on top of a mound to make it look bigger, as well as covering the lower steps with granite to make them look impressive.
Whatever their size, perhaps the most amazing thing about them is that a ruler actually had the sheer autocratic will and ambition to order them made! Turning the constructive efforts of a whole empire towards building a monument to oneself, for more than 20 years.
There are two entrances on the northern side of the pyramid. The first or ‘upper entrance’, found at a height of 11.5m, leads to a descending corridor which straightens out to join an ascending passage from the ‘lower entrance’. It is the lower entrance, at ground level which is used today to access the structure. This leads to a lower corridor which has an unfinished chamber cut into its western side and it is suggested that the lower gallery was begun on the assumption that the pyramid was to be built further north, or was intended to be larger, as the two entrances show. This may have been a serdab chamber however, similar the the ‘Queens Chamber’ in Khufu’s pyramid. The lower passage then ascends to meet the entrance corridor from above, and continues horizontally to the burial chamber.
Khafre’s burial chamber lies on the vertical axis of the pyramid and is simply constructed in a pit in the bedrock. The roof of the chamber is composed of pented limestone blocks, similar to those used in Khufu’s pyramid to relieve the weight of stone. The words ‘Discovered by G Belzoni – March 2 1816′ (in Italian) appear on the south wall of the burial chamber, although he had already discovered writing on the west wall showing that the pyramid had been entered previously, probably around the 12th century AD. The burial chamber was found to contain Khafre’s red granite sarcophagus, sunk slightly into the floor, it’s cover broken and a nearby pit which would have contained the canopic chest.
To the north of Khafre’s valley temple lies the Great Sphinx, inside its own enclosure. It is currently thought to have been modelled during Khafre’s reign, and would have been the first colossal statue in ancient Egypt.
For details and a virtual tour of Khafre’s Pyramid see Guardians Giza.
Entrance: The three main pyramids are open on an annual rotation with one of them usually being closed for restoration each year. Tickets for Khafre’s Pyramid are on sale at 8.00am and 1.00pm. The numbers may be limited.!