At the city of Giza, a necropolis of ancient Memphis, and today
part of Greater Cairo, Egypt.
Contrary to the common belief, only the Great Pyramid of Khufu
(Keops), not all three Great Pyramids, is on top of the list of Wonders. The
monument was built by the Egyptian pharaoh Khufu of the Fourth Dynasty around
the year 2560 BC to serve as a tomb when he dies. The tradition of pyramid building
started in Ancient Egypt as a sophistication of the idea of a mastaba or "platform"
covering the royal tomb. Later, several stacked mastabas were used. Early pyramids,
such as the Step Pyramid of King Zoser (Djoser) at Saqqara by the famous Egyptian
architect, Imhotep, illustrate this connection.
The great pyramid is believed to have been built over a 20 year period. The
site was first prepared, and blocks of stone were transported and placed. An
outer casing (which disappeared over the years) was then used to smooth the
surface. Although it is not known how the blocks were put in place, several
theories have been proposed. One theory involves the construction of a straight
or spiral ramp that was raised as the construction proceeded. This ramp, coated
with mud and water, eased the displacement of the blocks which were pushed (or
pulled) into place. A second theory suggests that the blocks were placed using
long levers with a short angled foot.
Throughout their history, the pyramids of Giza have stimulated human imagination.
They were referred to as "The Granaries of Joseph" and "The Mountains
of Pharaoh". When Napoleon invaded Egypt in 1798, his pride was expressed
through his famous quote: "Soldats! Du haut de ces Pyramides, 40 siècles
nous contemplent". (Soldiers! From the top of these Pyramids, 40 centuries
are looking at us)
Today, the Great Pyramid is enclosed, together with the other pyramids and the
Sphinx, in the touristic region of the Giza Plateau. Also in the area is the
museum housing the mysterious Sun Boat, only discovered in 1954 near the south
side of the pyramid. The boat is believed to have been used to carry the body
of Khufu in his last journey on earth before being buried inside the pyramid.
It may also serve him as a means of transportation in his afterlife journey
according to Ancient Egyptian beliefs.
When it was built, the Great pyramid was 145.75 m (481 ft) high.
Over the years, it lost 10 m (30 ft) off its top. It ranked as the tallest structure
on Earth for more than 43 centuries, only to be surpassed in height in the nineteenth
century AD. It was covered with a casing of stones to smooth its surface (some
of the casing can still be seen near the top of Khefre's pyramid). The sloping
angle of its sides is 51 degrees and 51 minutes. Each side is carefully oriented
with one of the cardinal points of the compass, that is, north, south, east,
and west. The horizontal cross section of the pyramid is square at any level,
with each side measuring 229 m (751 ft) in length. The maximum error between
side lengths is astonishingly less than 0.1%.
The structure consists of approximately 2 million blocks of stone, each weighing
more than two tons. It has been suggested that there are enough blocks in the
three pyramids to build a 3 m (10 ft) high, 0.3 m (1 ft) thick wall around France.
The area covered by the Great pyramid can accommodate St Peter's in Rome, the
cathedrals of Florence and Milan, and Westminster and St Paul's in London combined.
On the north face, is the pyramid's entrance. A number of corridors, galleries,
and escape shafts either lead to the King's burial chamber, or were intended
to serve other functions. The King's chamber is located at the heart of the
pyramid, only accessible through the Great Gallery and an ascending corridor.
The King's sarcophagus is made of red granite, as are the interior walls of
the King's Chamber. Most impressive is the sharp-edged stone over the doorway
which is over 3 m (10 ft) long, 2.4 m (8 feet) high and 1.3 m (4 ft) thick.
All of the interior stones fit so well, a card won't fit between them. The sarcophagus
is oriented in accordance with the compass directions, and is only about 1 cm
smaller in dimensions than the chamber entrance. It might have been introduced
as the structure was progressing.
New theories concerning the origin and purpose of the Pyramids of Giza have
been proposed... Astronomic observatories... Places of cult worship... Geometric
structures constructed by a long-gone civilization... Even extraterrestrial-related
theories have been proposed with little evidence in support... The overwhelming
scientific and historic evidence still supports the conclusion that, like many
smaller pyramids in the region, the Great Pyramids were built by the great Ancient
Egyptian civilization off the West bank of the Nile as tombs for their magnificent
Kings... Tombs where Khufu, Khefre, and Menkaure could start their mystic journey
to the afterlife.