As you are preparing to travel to Egypt, the pyramids at Giza are bound to be on your list of sights to see. They are perhaps some of the best-known historical structures in the world, and make for an impressive sight.
We've compiled 22 of our favorite fun facts about the Pyramids of Giza to help you learn a little more about them, and get you excited about a trip to Egypt!
1. The Pyramids of Giza are located in Giza, just west of Cairo in Egypt, near the ancient Egyptian city of Memphis.
2. The three pyramids were built by three generations of pharaohs. The Khufu Pyramid (the Great Pyramid) was built by King Khufu, and his son Khafre built the Pyramid of Khafre, and his son Menkaure built the third pyramid the Pyramid of Menkaure. The Pyramid of Khafre looks bigger because it was built on slightly elevated land, but the Khufu Pyramid is the biggest one with subsequent generations building slightly smaller pyramids.
3. The Pyramids of Giza were actually built more than 1,200 years before the reign of Egypt's most famous emperor, King Tutankhamun. This helps put the duration of the ancient Egyptian dynasties in perspective! Pyramids took on average about 23 years to build, according to scientists' research.
4. The Great Pyramid of Giza was the best example of pyramid construction, as is visible in some of the angles and construction. Earlier pyramids, the Step Pyramid of Djoser, for example, show a lot of adjustments to construction methods throughout the building.
The Pyramids of Giza, EgyptSuggested reading: How to Plan Your First Trip to Egypt — 7 Easy Steps
The Pyramids of Giza and the Sphinx, Egypt
5. The Pyramids of Giza are the only wonder of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World that are still standing. Other wonders on this list include the Lighthouse of Alexandria, also in Egypt, the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus and the Temple of Artemis in Ephesus in modern day Turkey.
6. The Great Pyramid, a.k.a. the Khufu Pyramid, is allegedly made of over 2.2 million stone blocks, and it would've taken around 100,000 people to finish this amazing construction. It's unsure whether these workers were slaves or whether they were employed willingly and paid. Each block that was used weighs about 2.5 tonnes on average, and the pyramid has 203 steps in total.
Contact us if you want to know more about Egypt trip.
Pharaoh Khufu Pyramid and Ancient Temle, Egypt 7. The Great Pyramid of Giza has an estimated mass of 5.9 million tonnes and a volume of 2.5 million cubic meters (88.3 million cubic feet).
8. The pyramids were likely built using a ramp. Although there is no hard evidence of this, these are some of the only theories that could explain how the pyramids were built given the time period in history in which they were constructed and the tools available at the time. Unfortunately, no documentation has been left behind to confirm this.
The Pyramids of Giza, Egypt9. The mortar that was used to seal the stones together is incredibly adhesive, and scientists today have been unable to figure out what exactly it is made of. About 5 million tonnes of this mortar was used and has stayed in place, and kept the stones in place, for about four and a half centuries, which is amazing!
10. All pyramids in Egypt are located on the west bank of the Nile, because this is where the sun sets, symbolizing the realm of the dead and the pyramids' importance in the afterlife as they were tombs meant to set pharaohs up for their next life as gods. The Great Pyramid of Giza is also aligned to true north within a tenth of a degree, but how this was achieved at the time is something which scientists are unable to explain.
Recommended tour: 8-Day Egypt Essence with Nile Cruise Tour
11. Besides the fact that the pyramids were on the west bank of the Nile, the precise location of Giza was also picked in part because of the ease of transportation of materials over the Nile. Granite was transported from Aswan via boat, for example.
12. The Great Sphinx of Giza, stood in front of the pyramids, was built to protect the Pyramid of Khafre and the tomb inside. The status, containing a lion body and a human head, is world famous and worth a visit while you're in Giza. The Sphinx is also the earliest known royal statue to have been built in Egypt.
Suggested reading: The Great Sphinx of Giza: Uncover Its History and Facts You Didn't Know
The Great Pryamids stand majestically over the Nile River running through the land of Egypt.
13. For thousands of years (about 3,800 years to be precise), the Great Pyramid of Giza was the tallest man-made structure in the world. This was the case until the Lincoln Cathedral was built in 1311 CE, which stood at 160 meters tall (525 feet).
14. However, today, the Khufu Pyramid has shrunk by about 7.6 meters (25 feet) due to losing its outer casing as well as general erosion from exposure to the wind and other elements.
The Pyramids plateau is dominated by the massive pyramids of Khufu, Khafre, and Menkaure
15. The temperature within the pyramids is a constant moderate 20 degrees Celsius (68 degrees Fahrenheit), regardless of how hot it gets in Egypt in the summer. If you decide to enter the pyramid, you'll notice that it is usually cooler inside than outside.
16. The granite sarcophagus that can be found within the Great Pyramid of Giza is bigger than the passageways inside the pyramid itself, and is made out of a solid piece of granite. This means it couldn't have been brought in through the entrances to the pyramid. This has lead some historians to speculate that the pyramid was built around the sarcophagus in the King's Chamber.
The Precision Granite Sarcophagus at the Pyramid17. Everything else that was once in the Great Pyramid of Giza, Khufu Pyramid, has been taken by looters. There are accounts of human remains still being found around the 9th century, but there is no concrete evidence of this. The sarcophagus mentioned above is the only thing left.
18. Allegedly the Great Pyramid had a swivel door at one point, one that was too hidden to see from the outside but easily opened from inside the pyramid. There were allegedly also more than one entrance into this pyramid, which excavators have found through careful examination of the structure.
Stairway of the tomb in the center of a pyramid at Giza, Cairo in Egypt19. The pyramids' foundations were a great example of how advanced ancient Egyptian civilization was: the cornerstones of the pyramids were built in a ball and socket construction to be able to withstand expansion due to extreme temperatures or even earthquakes.
20. The pyramids would have been glittering at the time they were first built, as they were built out of limestone white casting which would have reflected the sunlight. These coverings have since fallen off, so you will no longer see them as shiny as the ancient Egyptians would have seen them. Some of the Pyramid of Khafre's limestone covering is still in-tact, giving a glimpse of what the pyramids would've looked like right after they were built.
The Sound and Light Show at the Pyramids of Giza, Egypt21. The ancient Egyptians were not the first people to build pyramids! The Nubians were known to have built pyramids before this, but they mostly did not survive the test of time the way the ancient Egyptian pyramids have.
22. Many believe that the pharaohs inside the pyramids are protected by a pharaoh's curse. Some archaeologists and experts that have gone inside pyramids or tombs throughout Egypt have mysteriously fallen ill, but scientists believe it is likely unrelated or a result of bacteria. This is one of the mysteries about ancient Egypt that we will never be able to confirm!
Suggested reading: Top 10 Things You Cannot Do in Egypt
Get Inspired with Some Popular Itineraries
|
|
|
|
|
