The Great Pyramid of Giza
(also known as the Pyramid of Khufu or the Pyramid of Cheops) is the oldest and
largest of the three pyramids in the Giza
pyramid complex bordering what is now El Giza,
Egypt. It
is the oldest of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, and the only one to
remain largely intact. Based on a mark in an interior chamber naming the
work gang and a reference to fourth dynasty Egyptian Pharaoh
Khufu,Egyptologists believe that the pyramid was built as a tomb over a 10 to
20-year period concluding around 2560 BC. Initially at 146.5 metres (481 feet),
the Great Pyramid was the tallest man-made structure in the world for more than
3,800 years. Originally, the Great Pyramid was covered by casing stones that
formed a smooth outer surface; what is seen today is the underlying core
structure. Some of the casing stones that once covered the structure can still
be seen around the base. There have been varying scientific and alternative
theories about the Great Pyramid's construction techniques. Most accepted
construction hypotheses are based on the idea that it was built by moving huge
stones from a quarry and dragging and lifting them There are three
known chambers inside the Great Pyramid. The lowest chamber is cut into the
bedrock upon which the pyramid was built and was unfinished. The so-called
Queen's Chamber and King's Chamber are higher up within the pyramid structure.
The main part of the Giza
complex is a setting of buildings that included two mortuary temples in honour
of Khufu (one close to the pyramid and one near the Nile),
three smaller pyramids for Khufu's wives, an even smaller "satellite"
pyramid, a raised causeway connecting the two temples, and small mastaba tombs
surrounding the pyramid for nobles.
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