The Great Pyramid was the tallest man-made building constructed some 4,000 years ago. Visitors can enter the Great Pyramid through a passage in the masonry. The pyramids are notable for their incredible construction, which features a high degree of mathematical accuracy. They are constructed from limestone and granite. Many theories about how the pyramids were constructed without the assistance of modern machines have been postulated.
The Great Pyramid is also called the Pyramid of Khufu (Cheops), after the pharaoh who probably had the pyramids built. The other pyramids are called the Pyramid of Khafre and the Pyramid of Menkaure.
The Great Pyramid stands 137 meters (449 feet) high. Each side is oriented with one of the cardinal directions of the compass (north, south, east, and west). The Great Pyramid of Khufu is made up of two million blocks of stone, and is estimated to weigh 5.9 million tonnes.
The Pyramid of Khafre (Chephren) is situated to the southwest of the Pyramid of Khufu. Although it appears to be taller than the Great Pyramid, as it stands on higher ground, this pyramid is actually smaller than that of Khufu. This pyramid was built by Khufu’s son Khafre.
The third pyramid, the Pyramid of Menkaure (Mycerinus), which stands some 67m (220ft) high, was started by Khafre’s son Menkaure.
In front of the Great Pyramid stands the Sphinx, a statue of a creature with the body of a lion and the head of a man. The Sphinx, which stands 20 meters (66 feet) high, and measures about 73.5 meters long, was probably carved over 4,500 years ago out of sandstone.
The sights at Giza are among the most famous in the world and continue to fascinate hordes of visitors every year.
No comments:
Post a Comment