The Pyramids

To get to the Pyramids, e weaved our way through the manic Cairo traffic, out into the suburbs and then suddenly, there they appear in front of you. It is a very strange thing to see. Out of no where, these three massive pyramids, suddenly stand in front of you, still far away from the city. It certainly is the incredible testament to the immense achievements of the Ancient Egyptians. Built 5 thousand years ago, the pyramids are the only one of th seven wonders of the ancient world that is still standing. There are actually 9 pyramids on the site. There are three large pyramids which belonged to Khufu, Khafra and Menkaure whome were the Father, son and grandson. The other 6 smaller pyramids belonged to the queens.

Group photo

Standing at the base of the Great Pyramid, it is hard to imagine that this monument which remained the tallest building in the world until early in this century was built in just under 30 years. Five thousand years ago Giza, situated on the Nile's west bank, became the royal necropolis, or burial place, for Memphis, the pharaoh's capital city. Giza's three pyramids and the Sphinx were constructed in the fourth dynasty of Egypt's Old Kingdom.

If you spit at me one more time

About 2,550 B.C., King Khufu, the second pharaoh of the fourth dynasty, commissioned the building of his tomb at Giza. Some Egyptologists believe it took 10 years just to build the ramp that leads from the Nile valley floor to the pyramid, and 20 years to construct the pyramid itself. On average, the over two million blocks of stone used to build Khufu's pyramid weigh 2.5 tons, and the heaviest blocks, used as the ceiling of Khufu's burial chamber, weigh in at an estimated 40 to 60 tons.

Egyptologists agree the stones were hauled up ramps using ropes of papyrus twine. The popular belief is that the gradually sloping ramps, built out of mud, stone, and wood were used as transportation causeways for moving the large stones to their positions up and around the four sides of the pyramids.

Khafra's pyramid

Khufu's son, Khafre, who was next in the royal line, commissioned the building of his own pyramid complex which includes the Sphinx. Menkaure, who is believed to be Khafre's son, built the third and smallest of the three pyramids at Giza. Giza, however, is more than just three pyramids and the Sphinx. Each pyramid has a mortuary temple and a valley temple linked by long causeways that were roofed and walled. In addition, cemeteries of royal attendants and relatives surround the three pyramids. The entire plateau is dotted with these tombs, called mastabas, which were built in rectangular bench-like shapes above deep burial shafts.

The Nile was used to transport supplies and building materials to the pyramids. Some of the limestone came from Tura, across the river, granite from Aswan, copper from Sinai, and cedar for the boats from Lebanon. The foundations of the pyramids were laid with limestone blocks mined by masons using copper chisels. Contrary to popular belief, the Egyptians built the Giza pyramids up from the bedrock of the plateau, not over a flat sandy base. A brilliant white limestone provided the final outer layer for the Giza pyramids.

Khufu's pyramid

The outer casing stones have disappeared from all three pyramids except the very top of Khafre. This is thought to be due to natural erosion and human intervention; the precious white limestone was torn away from the faces of the pyramids and used in the construction of buildings in Cairo.

Giza's pyramids are oriented to face the four cardinal directions: true north, south, east, and west. Their entrances are all on the north side, and the temples of the pyramids are on the east side.

We entered Khafra's pyramid through the main enterance. It was very narrow and had extremely low ceilling where you had to bend down to get in and had to walk like that for most of the way. Inside the Pyramid there was the tomb of Pharaoh. But of course it was empty.

Little me

Pyramid before Steven Chinery

Pyramids

Pyramids and I

Shynx and one of the pyramids

Sphynx

Steven Chinery's attempt to climb the pyramid

Steven Chinery's success

We spotted superman