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The Pyramids are the only one of the Seven Wonders of the
World that has withstood the ravages of time. Located on the
outskirts of the town of Giza on the West Bank of the
Nile, opposite Cairo, they are the most visited site
in the whole of Egypt.
What's the history here?
The Pyramids were built as the spectacular tombs of three
of the Pharoahs of ancient Egypt. The largest and the first
to be built is that of Cheops. It was built between
2589 - 2566 BC and tested the skill of hundreds of mathematicians
and architects and hundreds of thousands of workers - not
to mention the two and a half million limestone blocks!
Cheops was the second king of the 4th dynasty. His father,
King Snofru, had built two pyramids at Dashur,
27 miles south of Giza, and it's not known why Cheops chose
to locate his at Giza - although it may have been because
his palace was located nearby. Snofru had revolutionalised
the style of funerary pyramids and Cheops adopted the new
geometric fashion for his own monument, but departed from
tradition by positioning the burial chamber actually within
the pyramid, rather than beneath it. It was, in fact, the
centre piece of a complex of smaller monuments and mastaba
tombs which may have been the burial sites of members of Cheops'
immediate family. The entire complex was intended to ensure
the immortality of the great god-king.
The second pyramid was built for Cheops' son, Chephren,
the third for his grandson Mycerinus. The smallest
of the Pyramids was intended for Mycerius' wife. They are
actually the first in a string of 70 pyramids which stretch
form Giza to the Sudanese border, so it's clear that the pyramid
building tradition continued for many more generations.
Just south of Chephren's pyramid is a huge mythical creature
with a human head and a lion's body, known as the Sphinx.
The Sphinx was traditionally associated with the Sun God,
Amun, but although the Sphinx has been damaged by adverse
weather conditions and pollution, in this instance it seems
that the workmen sculpted the creatures face to resemble King
Chephren. Some say it was built out of stone left over from
the Pyramid, others say that it was meant to guard Chephren's
tomb.
Excavations at Giza and elsewhere are far from complete.
In fact, it's likely that future archaeological finds will
add to our understanding of the Pharaohic age. However early
attempts to uncover the treasure of the Pharaohs have hampered
interpretation of the site: in 820 AD a team of men led by
Abdullah Al Mamun, unable to locate the hidden entrance to
the Great Pyramid, bore an intrusive tunnel though the wall
of the pyramid in their quest for riches.
What's there to see & do?
- These days, visitors have an easier time exploring the interior
of the Pyramids than Abdullah Al Mamun. You can join a tour
group to take you deep inside, where you'll experience the
mysterious history of the monuments first hand.
- The pyramids can be visited on a day trip from Cairo, in
fact Giza can be easily reached as a stop on the underground
from Cairo. Because of the crowds of tourists and touts who
descend on the site daily, the Pyramids are more atmospheric
early in the morning or late at night.
- Sound and light shows illuminate the Pyramids after dark,
retelling the history of the Pyramids for the tourists.
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