The Great Pyramids of Giza is
part of the Giza Necropolis that includes the three prominent pyramids of
Menkaura (Mycerimus), Khufu (Cheops), and Khafra (Chephren). The Giza
Necropolis is also home to the Great Sphinx, several cemeteries, an industrial
complex as well as a laborer’s village. Pyramids were constructed and named to
contain the corpses of deceased Pharaohs who had at one time reigned over
Ancient Egypt.
The Egyptian people believed that
death was merely the beginning of another journey. For that reason, pyramids
were constructed not just as burial places but also as vaults with the capacity
to hold items the departed Pharaohs would need in the next life. The Great
Pyramids of Giza are situated west of the Nile, near Cairo, Egypt, and are
believed to possess been built between 2300 B.C. and 2500 B.C.
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| The Great Pyramid of Giza (pic courtesy: pixabay) |
The largest and most magnificent
of the Great Pyramids and the only remaining Seven Wonder of the Ancient World
still largely intact today is the Pyramid of Khufu (Greek name, Cheops).
Experts believe that the Great Pyramid of Khufu was constructed as the burial
place for Khufu, a Fourth Dynasty Egyptian Pharaoh. Spanning 13 acres, The Great Pyramid of Khufu is generally thought to be composed over two million
stone blocks weighing an average of two tons. Although there are several
theories, it is generally thought that the Egyptians moved the massive stones
using log rollers and sleds. With the slope of the faces at approximately 51.5
degrees, the Great Pyramid of Khufu is 241 meters (756 feet) square and 153
meters (481 feet) tall. Completing the trio of pyramids is that the pyramid of
Khufu’s son, Khafra, and his grandson, Menkaura. Oblique walls originally
constructed to imitate the rays of Ra, the Sun God, were assembled as stairs
and then filled in using limestone.
The Great Pyramid of Giza
contains three identified chambers. The King and Queen’s chambers are elevated
above the lowest chamber. The lowest chamber is carved into the rock layer upon
the bottom of the pyramid and was unfinished. The Great Pyramid of Giza is that
the sole Egyptian pyramid proved to possess both upward and downward
passageways. The major section of the Giza complex is a grouping of structures
made up of two mortuary shrines in honor of Khufu (one near the pyramid and one
close to the Nile), three lesser pyramids for the wives of Khufu, an even less
significant outpost pyramid, an elevated walkway linking the two temples, and
small rectangular tombs, called mastabas for nobles.
The Pyramids of Menkaura, Khufu,
and Kafhre were not finished by the end of each Pharaoh’s term in power. This
was a common occurrence in Egypt simply due to the time involved in
constructing such massive structures. The Great Pyramids of Giza and the entire
Giza Necropolis, also known as the Giza Valley, is a fabulous testament to the
superb craftsmanship that had to be implemented to construct the pyramids.
The sheer size of the pyramids aside,
the fact that all construction was done without the aid of modern-day tools and
equipment is a tribute to the incredible organization and motivation needed to
carry out such a monumental undertaking.
