The Great Pyramid of Giza is the only one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World still standing. Originally 480 feet tall, it has lost about 25 feet of its height due to erosion. The Giza Pyramid stands as a symbol of Africa's best civilization situated not far away from Cairo, Egypt. This pyramid is also called Pyramid of the Cheops or the Pyramid of the Khufu.
Unsolved Mysteries and amazing facts about the Giza Pyramid:
Planning: Interestingly, if you divide the circumference of the pyramid by twice the height of the Pyramid, the value is pi (π) , accurate to the last decimal digit. Yet the value of π would only come to discovery after some 2000 years later. How did the architect Hemon get such advanced mathematical and architectural knowledge?
Transportation: Its 2,300,000 stones sit on a base covering 5.3 hectares - about 230 metres long on each side. All historians agree that the use of wheel was not known to ancient Egyptians. How could they have transported 2.3 million blocks of limestone blocks each weighing 1 ton?
Construction: Historians agree that the Great Pyramid of Giza was constructed in 20 years. To build this pyramid in 20 years, the workers would have to lay 800 tonnes of stone everyday, placing more than 12 blocks every hour, working round the clock without any break. How was this possible?
The pyramid's internal construction is truly breathtaking with enormous complicated work like The Grand Gallery, The King's Chamber and the Queen's Chamber. Oil lamps do not seem to working as there is not enough oxygen inside the pyramid to support the burning flames. Another theory that they used numerous copper plates (mirrors were not invented at that time, either) does not hold well, as experiments have proved it inefficient. How did they have light, especially if they had to work day and night ceaselessly? Were they using electric bulbs? Not far from here, at the temple of Hathor at Dendera, you can find some reliefs that resemble very closely of a modern electric bulb. The picture of the relief not only shows the bulb and the filament inside it, but also shows a long wire connected to the base of the bulb.
What was the construction technique used to build the pyramid from bottom to top? Without any modern day machinery and relying on simple tools, how did the proceed to build it with such a great precision. Many theories including a spiral ramp around the pyramid have been posed without any success.
Precision: The sides of the square base align with the four points of the compass based on true north. The margin of error is only about 12 seconds of the arc. Yet, the compass was invented only 2000 years after the construction of the Giza Pyramid. How could the ancient Egyptians build the pyramid with such a precision 4600 years ago?
Inside the Giza Pyramid:
The Pyramid is not just a solid structure assembled with stones. The primary purpose of the pyramid was to protect King Khufu's mummy with his entourage so he could reincarnate back to his own body. Inside the pyramid is a well planned construction of rooms and passages. It is believed that still many hidden rooms exist in the pyramid waiting to be discovered.
Inside the pyramid, there are three important areas: The King's Chamber, The Grand Gallery and the Queen's Chamber. Visitors are given access to the inside of the pyramid and are allowed to see most areas. It is a shame that some people have carved their names both on the outside and on the inside of the Pyramid walls. Below, you can see tourists walking towards the entrance to the Pyramid.
The King's Chamber:
The King's Chamber is entirely finished with granite, and it is placed higher than the Queen's Chamber and at the end of the Grand Gallery. The only thing present in this chamber is a granite Sarcophagus with rough edges. Historians suggest that the original sarcophagus was lost during transportation and this is hurriedly-made replacement.
Intriguingly, the Pythagorean theorem [ 32 + 42 = 52 ] has been used in the King's Chamber. The east wall diagonal length is 309'' , the length is 412'' and the central diagonal is 515'' . However the theorem was only postulated much later, in 500 B.C.
The Grand Gallery: The grand gallery is a passage that connects the King's Chamber and the Queen's Chamber. It also connects the ascending passage and the well shaft to the underground chamber below the pyramid. The grand gallery has a high tapering ceiling and the exact design remained a mystery until a few years ago. Recently, a french architect explained that the grand gallery was key to the construction of the pyramid itself, as the Egyptians used an internal ramp system to build the pyramid.
The Queen's Chamber:
The Queens' Chamber is situated at a lower level to the King's Chamber. Even though it is called the "Queen's Chamber", it is believed that it never actually was constructed for the queen. On the east wall of the Queen's Chamber, you can see a large niche which must have once held the King's statue in place. It must have been looted by robbers later.
Other structures of the Giza Necropolis: There are three other structures besides the Giza pyramid in this area. They are:
The Great Sphinx Of Giza:
The Sphinx is the largest structure ever made of a single rock, standing 66 feet high, 240 feet long and 20 feet wide. With the head of a human being and the body of a lion, the sphinx has undergone a lot of rough weather conditions. It has been buried in sand completely many times, only to reveal itself back after more windstorm. There is certainly some erosion you can see. The original nose about 3 feet wide is gone, even though some historians say this was due to vandalism by an Arab warlord. A chapel is found between its front paws. The beard of the sphinx is broken and it is now held at the Cairo Museum.
Khafre’s pyramid complex:
This pyramid was build for the King Khafre, sometimes known as King Chefren. It is the second largest pyramid. This pyramid is constructed much steeper than the others and also appears to be much more taller as it sits on a high bedrock. This pyramid also has an interior burial chamber.
Menkaure’s pyramid complex:
The Menkaure's pyramid complex consists of a Valley Temple, A mortuary Temple and the King's Pyramid. This is the smallest of the three pyramids and built for the King Menkaure. This pyramid has an interesting history behind its
Some fun facts about Giza:
- Expect some crowd if you are visiting over the weekends. Lots of people will swarm the Giza Necropolis area.
- The shopping area is very unusual as many items are sold around the pyramids on the ground. The "shops" are improvised with no more than a sheet on the ground and items like mementos, eatables, camel dolls, are sold.
- Yes, there is a pizza hut in Giza! You can have a great view of the Pyramid and the sphinx while enjoying your favorite pizza!
This is certainly one of the most intriguing, exciting and fun places to see. So when are you gonna start packing your bags?