Giza Pyramids and Sphinx

Cairo Top Tourist Attractions

Giza pyramids and Sphinx is one of Cairo Top Attractions that a tourist must see during his tour to Cairo, they are three pyramids for three kings Cheop, Chephren and Menkaure, and 6 small pyramids for the queens and princesses 

Giza pyramids:

The most famous and popular monument in the whole world, the most astonishing landmark of Egypt, and one of the oldest buildings in history, the Pyramids of Giza are the most magnificent evidence of the greatness of the Pharaohs.
Situated at the West Bank of the Nile in Giza, about 20 kilometers to the South West of the heart of Cairo, the pyramids of Giza are located on a high plateau at the end of a street that holds the same name; El Ahram or the pyramids in the Arabic language. The pyramids welcome a large number of tourists who visit Egypt.
The ancient Egyptians constructed pyramids in fact to be the royal burial chambers of their kings, queens, and some of the high-ranked royal family members. The pyramids of Giza were the last successful step in a complicated process that remained for hundreds of years.
However, why did the Pharaohs prefer the shape of the pyramid in particular? The shape of the pyramid represented the idea of the cosmogony or the origination of the world. They believed that the pyramid is the mean that takes the soul of deceased
use to reach the sky and the afterlife according to the Pharaonic religious texts. This is why we observe the shape of the pyramid at the top of some obelisks and even smaller tombs in Southern Egypt.
The Grand Pyramid of Cheops
King Cheops, the second Pharaoh of the 4th dynasty of the Old Kingdom of ancient Egypt, constructed the grand pyramid of Giza in 2560 BC.
The construction work of the pyramid took more than 20 years to be completed. The building of the Pyramid of Cheops still amazes the tourists who travel to Egypt.
The Pyramid of Cheops, or the Grand Pyramid in Giza is surly one of the most astonishing constructions in the whole world and one of the Seven Wonders of the Old World. This huge pyramid weighs approximately more than six million tons. Some of the stone that were used in its construction weighs from 3 to 25 tons. However, the pyramid was accurately built with exact measurements that you couldn’t find even a half- millimeter mistake. Maybe this is why many travellers visit Egypt to view the greatness of the Pyramid of Cheops.
The original height of the Grand Pyramid of Giza was 146 meters while now this remarkable monument is no higher than 138 meters. Each side of the pyramid is exactly 230.4 meters. To be accomplished in 20 years, the ancient Egyptian workers had to transfer, cut, and build more than 800 tons of stones every single day. The great pyramid of Giza; along with many other Pharaonic monuments attract travelers from all over the world to spend their vacations in Egypt.
Explored everyday by numerous tourists who spend their holidays in Egypt, the Grand pyramid of Giza remained as the highest building in the whole world for more than 3800 years. The pyramid became the second highest construction in
the world until the completion of the Lincoln Cathedral, built in England in the 13 th century AD.
The accuracy of the sides of the Pyramid of Cheops is extraordinarily amazing. The measurements of the three sides of the pyramid are: 230.252, 230.454, and 230.391. Another amazing fact about the Pyramid of King Cheops in Giza is that four sides of the pyramid are accurately parallel to the four directions of the compass; West, East, North, and South. Many travelers who tour Egypt would love to explore the wonders of the Pyramids of
Giza.
The original entrance to the Grand Pyramid of Giza is situated 17 meters above sea level in the Northern side of the pyramid. Above the original entrance, there are two layers of huge stones that are believed to be roofing the passageway from the entrance to the burial chamber down below.
Tourists who travel to Egypt enter the pyramid today through a tunnel that was established by the Fatimid Caliph, El Ma’moun, in 820 AD. This tunnel enters inside the pyramid horizontally for 27 meters until it meets the ascending passageway
inside the pyramid.
Some of the travelers who tour Egypt would like to go on an even wilder adventure by entering inside the Grand pyramid of Giza. They would walk for 27 meters in the passageway constructed By El Ma’moun and then walk again for around 37 meters to reach the royal burial chamber of King Cheops. This chamber is around 10 square meters with a roof that is around 6 meters in height. Many of the passageways and the chambers inside the grand pyramid of Cheops in Giza are still undeclared by hundreds of scientists and historians who studied the pyramid.
Other than the pyramid itself, each mortuary complex in Giza has a Valley Temple, a mortuary Temple, and corridor that links all these components together. The only remaining item of the mortuary temple of the Pyramid of Cheops is the basalt stones’ ground.
The Pyramid of Khafre
The second largest pyramid in Giza was the second to be constructed in this ancient necropolis. King Khafre who ruled Egypt from 2558 till 2532 BC established this pyramid. The Pyramid of Khafre, which still preserves some of its outer cast, is 143 meters in height and each of its sides is 215.5 meters long. Travelers who visit Egypt love exploring ancient monuments and pyramids while they are in the land of the Pharaohs.
The Mortuary Temple of the Pyramid of Khafre is located to the East of the pyramid. Historical records assert that this has been a magnificent construction that was made out of limestone and granite rocks. On the other hand, the Valley Temple consists of a passageway that leads to a large open courtyard that has 16 pillars with each of them about 4 meters in height.
The Pyramid of Menkaure
The smallest pyramid in Giza is that of Menkaure that ruled Egypt from 2532 until 2502 BC. The pyramid is only 66 meters in height and the base is around 109 meters. The first 16 layers of stones in the pyramid of Menkaure were covered with blocks
of light pink rocks.
The Sphinx
Among the most amazing elements to be viewed by travelers who spend their tours in Egypt while visiting the pyramids of Giza is the astonishing sphinx. This huge statue of a lion with a human head has defended the pyramid for years. Made out of limestone, the sphinx was constructed in the reign of king Khafre. The sphinx is 20 feet in its length and 70 feet in its height. These dimensions make it one of the largest statues in the entire globe.