Pyramids of Egypt - Egyptology

Pyramids of Egypt - Egyptology 

When one thinks of Egypt it is hard to do so without seeing the pyramids of Giza in the mind's eye. These piles of limestone or mudbrick are the oldest known manmade structures on our planet and have actually survived longer in the period known as BCE (before the common era) than they have in CE (the common era). Since the dawn of recorded history they have been an enigma, and this continues through to the present day, with more books and papers being written about them than any of the other ancient monuments in Egypt. Library shelves, throughout the world, are full of the various theories about how they were built, why they were built, and why they are located in certain places; and the full gambit of writing is used in these theories; from the well researched and referenced volumes, to the ones which, quite frankly, deserve to be in either the science-fiction sections or the children's ones.

So, why were they built? It is generally accepted that they were tombs for the kings who built them; the fact that some of the Egypt pyramids had granite sarcophagi inside them being a major clue, as well as the lack of actual burial tombs being found for the majority of these kings (though one or two did have tombs built as well). But there are those who will point to the fact that no body, or mummy, of a king was ever discovered in any of these pyramids, which is a very good point, until other facts are brought in; namely the known fact that the pyramids were broken into in antiquity and any objects within, if any, were stolen and sold. If one goes into the main burial chamber of the Great Pyramid (the Pyramid of Khufu, or Cheops), which is known as the "King's Chamber", why would a massive granite sarcophagus be in there if it was not to hold a body (inside a coffin), and who, but the king, would be in a position to build such a grandiose edifice? Sometimes it is easier to look at things using common sense rather than looking at ways to disprove the obvious.

How were they built? There are literally thousands of books and papers on this subject, as well as a vast plethora of websites. Learned scholars have written theories about it right through to glorified science-fiction authors, with various architects; archaeologists; engineers; dedicated pyramidologists (yes, they do actually exist); laymen; and an assortment of interested parties, all thrown in for good measure. The simple answer is that there is no answer, or at least no answer that everyone agrees on! Straight ramps; spiral ramps; multi ramps; internal ramps; internal spiral ramps; levers; pulley systems; pulleys based on the Djed symbol; counterweighed shuttles; even aliens! Every known, and unknown, concoction has been theorised and we are still not any closer to the answer as Herodotus in the 5th century BCE, whose 'Histories: Book II' is the first known work that actually mentions a theory on how they were built.

Only if you believe that the ancient Egyptians were simple people, not Einstein's, and would have done things the simple, and easiest, way. They did not go out of their way to invent things, most of their inventions happening by chance, though they were good at adapting things for their own needs: they did not invent the chariot, but when it was introduced by the Hyksos, at the end of the Second Intermediate Period, they adapted it and became one of the most feared, if not THE most feared, chariot armies in the ancient world. Because of our modern day interpretations of hieroglyphs, as well as our better understanding of what tomb reliefs mean, we know that very little changed during the pharaonic period. Because of this many of the theories can be discounted, due to the lack of evidence for them being used for other construction work from the time of Djoser (2667BCE) until the invasion by the Persians (525BCE). Even when the rest of the world was starting to use iron, the ancient Egyptians continued using brass and so there was nothing that can be called unique in the way that they did things. So the pyramids had to be built using the simple tools that they had, as well as the simple methods of transportation, especially for heavy objects. How did the ancient Egyptians build the pyramids? By the simplest method possible!

Why were they built at those sites? Recently this has become a popular question and more books and papers are starting to fill library shelves, with just as many websites dedicated to the subject as well. Again, there is a simple answer to this question and this is that the pyramids were built where they are because they are all on solid outcrops of limestone (well, not so solid in South Dashur, as the Bent Pyramid will testify). This serves 2 major purposes:

1/ a strong base on which to build the pyramid

2/ an adjacent supply of limestone to quarry for building the pyramid

But yet again, the simple is not good enough for some people and various theories have sprung up "proving" why the pyramids were built in those locations. The one that has been most prominent over the past 20 years or so is that they were built where they were to ape the stars in the sky, or the Orion Correlation Theory, with the 3 Giza Pyramids representing the 3 major stars in Orion's belt and the other pyramids representing other stars in the constellation. Many different people have tried to push this theory forward, but just as many have managed to discredit it: the angles are wrong; the land map is reversed; the alignment would have meant the pyramids being about 10,000-15,000 years old. Every theory has its critic! Yes, on paper it looks good, but there would have to be one huge coincidence for the outcrops of rock to be in just the right place as well.

Recently a new theory has been put forward and most of what it says matches known evidence. It is called the "Cult of Re" theory and has shown that the positioning of the pyramids in the various pyramid fields create lines which, when elongated, all reach the same point in modern day Heliopolis in Cairo. Prior to the Greeks renaming the site as the "City of the Sun" it was known as Iunu and there was a huge sun temple, dedicated to the sun god Re, built here. Apart from this idiosyncrasy another interesting fact is that each of the pyramids that line up with Iunu was built by a pharaoh whose name ended with Re. The only field that does not measure up is the one at Abu Sir; the hill on which Saladin's Citadel sits obscures the line of sight, yet interestingly enough, just a few hundred metres to the northwest of the Abu Sir field lie the remnants of a couple of sun temples; and these are in the direct line of site from Iunu. Sun Temples are not near as heavy as pyramids, so could these have been used as some kind of mirror to the cult? Whether this is just another coincidence or not, at least the facts and figures measure up, so perhaps there was another reason for the pyramids being built on the exact spot they occupy in each of the fields.

Why they were built, how they were built and why were they built where they were will go on giving many peoples hours of pleasure working out. The main fact is that they were built and still stand majestically on the edge of the Western Desert for us all to look at, except for those at Zawyet el-Mayitin (near Minya), which is on the East Bank of the Nile, and the pyramid on Elephantine Island that has been accredited to Huni.

How many are there? Well, estimates range from 93 to 138 and this discrepancy is mainly due to arguments over what constitutes a pyramid. Most main pyramids had "queens" and/or supplementary pyramids built close to them, but sometimes it is hard to determine whether a pile of rocks is the remains of a pyramid, or just a pile of rocks.

Here are a pile of pyramids in Egypt

1. The Pyramid of El Lahun
2. The Pyramid of Hawara
3. Pyramids of Djedefre at Abu Rawash
4. The Pyramids of El Lisht The Pyramid of Amenmehat
5. Pyramids of Abu Sir
6. The Pyramids of Giza & Sphinx
7. The Pyramid of Meidum
8. The Pyramids of Dahshour
9. The Pyramid of Sakkara
10. The Pyramid of Menkaure (Mycerinus)
11. The Pyramid of Khufu (Cheops)
12. The Pyramid of Khafre

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Pyramid of El Lahun - Lower Egypt

The Pyramid of El Lahun

The site of El - Lahoun is the southernmost pyramid structure in Egypt. Its builders reduced the amount of work necessary to construct it by ingeniously using as its foundation and core a 12 meter high natural limestone hill. The pyramid core is composed of cross walls of limestone over knoll of rock (3 courses are seen to the left, the lower 2 are covered with the lower 2 are covered with hornet mud nests). Binding the bricks together are small amounts of mortar and a filling of sand.

The pyramid of Senusret II in Lahun was built on a high hill that is 13 meters high and it was constructed out of mud bricks, the same as the Pyramid of Amenemhat III which was built in Hawara. The pyramid is 48 meters high and the length of its base is 106 meters. The pyramid, the same as many pyramids that were constructed in the area, was coated with limestone.

The entrance of the pyramid of Lahun was built in its southern side, the same as the pyramid of Hawara, and unlike all the other pyramids of Egypt. The entrance leads to a number of complicated corridors that surround the burial room in a unique design to trick thieves. The coffin of the king which was made of light red granite was found in the burial chamber.

Some ruins of the mortuary temple of the pyramid are still remaining to the east of the pyramid. There are also some small pyramids that belong to the queens and princess of the royal family of Senusret II.

The area hosts a number of other sites like the necropolis of Lahun, the workers villages, and the tomb of mkat that goes back to the 13th dynasty.

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The Pyramid of Hawara - Lower Egypt

The Pyramid of Hawara

The Pyramid of Hawara near the Fayoum was constructed by Amenmehat III, the sixth Pharaoh of the 12th dynasty of the Old Kingdom of ancient Egypt around 1850 BC.

Due to the fact that the Pyramid of Hawara, situated 9 kilometers to the East of the City of El Fayoum, was built out of brick stones and then coated by limestone, it is sometimes called the Black Pyramid.

The Pyramid of Hawara was a large structure and it was 58 meters high and each side of the base of the pyramid was around 100 meters long.

The Village Of Hawara

The village of Hawara is located 9 kilometers to the South East of the city of El Fayoum, one of the wonderful Egyptian destinations, situated around 100 kilometers to the South East of Cairo.

Hawara was known since ancient Egypt and it was called Hat Wa'art, which means the footsteps. Afterwards it was named Laprincess and some historians believe that this name was originally derived from the name of the Temple of Amenmehat III in Hawara, the "Laprent" or the Temple located at the outlet of the lake.

Some archeologists were able to unearth some of the most wonderful portraits in Hawara, which are famous now for being called "the Portraits of the Fayoum". These are 146 portraits of different people drawn with paint and they date to the period from the 1st to the 3rd centuries AD.

About Amenmehat III

The king Amenmehat III, the builder of the Pyramid of Hawara who ruled Egypt in the 19th century BC, was the son of the King Sesostris III who had made great achievements during his reign like having peaceful political conditions with the neighboring countries located to the North and East of Egypt and he also had Nubia, located to the South, fully under his control.

Through all these achievements and successful military Sesostris was able to hand Amenmehat III, his son and successor a powerful kingdom empowering him to continue the achievements of his father and continue having a largely stable kingdom.

Amenmehat remained as the king of Egypt for a period of time that is estimated to be around 45 years and he followed the steps initiated by his precursors of the 12th dynasty. This included the improvement of the economical conditions of Egypt and the amount of the cultivated land vastly increased as Amenmehat III was able to add 17,000 acres to the area of land being planted in the Fayoum by making use of a large section of the huge Qarun Lake at the time.

Being fond of the Fayoum and the area around, the same as many of his forbears, Amenmehat III had many constructions erected in the region like his pyramid and mortuary temple in Hawara, and the some sections of the Temple of Madinet Madi which was dedicated to the god Sobek.

Amenmehat III was also interested in mining for different materials that would assist him in his constructions. This was why the mining activities of turquoise in Sinai greatly flourished throughout his ruling period and he also had some additions constructed in the Temple of the goddess Hathour in Serbet El Khadim in Sinai.

The tomb of the favorite wife of Amenmehat III, that was called Aat, was unearthed near his pyramid in Dahshur that was constructed before his other achievements in the Fayoum. As a matter of fact, the king was never pleased with his pyramid in Dahshur as it severs obstacles and faults that were found even during the building process of the pyramid and this was why he guided his efforts, money, and time to the Pyramid of Hawara.

The Construction of the pyramid of Hawara

Amenmehat III, after his failure attempt in Dahshur, wanted to make sure his new pyramid in Hawara would never fall down and this was why the engineers constructed it with a much lower angle than the other pyramid in Dahshur.

There was a smaller pyramid located on top of the original pyramid and the lower plan and design of the Pyramid of Hawara was very complicated and maybe it was influenced by the design of the step Pyramid of Saqqara that was built early in the beginning of the period of the Old Kingdom.

The first feature of the Pyramid of Hawara that was different than the previous pyramids constructed before it during the period of the Old Kingdom was that Amenmehat III made the entrance to his pyramid in the Southern section, other than what was followed beforehand, that the entrance would be in the Northern section of the pyramids.

This was an intelligent idea by the King in order to mislead any thieves who would want to rob the items put inside the pyramid. Moreover, Amenmehat III constructed a long staircase that leads the thieves to a small room that they would think it was the burial chamber, while the burial chamber was entered through a narrow short passageway located on the ground. This passageway was blocked by a large stone that weighs more than 45 tons.

To delude the thieves, that were common during this period of time, the entrance to the pyramid of Hawara was designed in the western section of the pyramid and it leads to the first room of the pyramid. Afterwards, one finds himself in a passageway that leads to nothing at the very end.

A hidden opening in the ceiling gives way to another passageway that runs in different directions; to the East, the North, and then finally to the West, making it even more difficult to reach the antechamber that enables the passer to enter the burial chamber at last.

The Design of the Pyramid of Hawara

The burial chamber of the Pyramid of Hawara was cut out of rock in the very beginning in the shape of a rectangle, then a large single piece of quartzite was put inside the cavity of the burial chamber,

At the end of the building process, this piece of quartzite was very carefully emptied to construct the burial chamber, the most important section of any pyramid of tomb in ancient Egypt, to become a room with four walls, which each wall being half a meter thick, seven meters high, and two meters and a half wide.

In spite of all these precautions carried out by Amenmehat III to protect his pyramid at Hawara, the thieves were able to enter the burial chamber through an opening in the ceiling and plunder all the valuable and important items that the priests have put inside it.

The Pyramid of Hawara was constructed with the sarcophagus of the King, made out of quartzite as well, positioned inside the burial chamber. Three blocks of stones were put on top of the large stone that was used to close the opening that leads to the burial chamber and the whole pyramid was constructed over these stones.

The inner passageways of the pyramid were built and designed in a fascinating artistic style to deceive the thieves that professionalized in stealing the gold and jewelry that were buried with the kings and queens of ancient Egypt.

However, with the engineers of the Pharaohs creating new ideas and way to defend the pyramids they design, the thieves have also improved their skills and were able to take all the items put in the burial chamber.

The Tomb of Nefruptah

Located near the Pyramid of Hawara, one and a half kilometer to the North of the pyramid there is the tomb of princess Nefruptah, the daughter of King Amenmehat III, which was constructed out of limestone and it used to contain a granite sarcophagus that was transferred to the Egyptian Antiquities Authority.

When the favorite daughter of the king Amenmehat III, Nefruptah, passed away a beautiful sarcophagus was made for her and it was positioned inside the pyramid of the king in Hawara which is a contradiction to the habits of the kings and royal family of ancient Egypt as they used to put the sarcophagus of the king only in the burial chamber of his pyramid.

Archeologists were able to find an offerings table, three utensils made out of silver, and a necklace that belonged to the princess Nefruptah, inside her tomb near the Pyramid of Hawara.

The Mortuary Temple of Amenmehat III

Beside the Pyramid of Hawara, lies also the ruins of the Mortuary Temple of Amenmehat III and the temple was attached to the pyramid when they were first constructed. This temple used to contain 12 halls with ceilings, with six of them positioned to the North and the other six positioned to the South.

The Mortuary Temple of Amenmehat III used to have a large fortified wall and it used to contain more than 300 different rooms and chambers, with half of them located under the ground and they hosted the mausoleum of the king, and the rest of the rooms situated above the ground.

Nothing remains of this structure today except the pillars of the ground floor while the underground floor is not excavated until today.

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Pyramids of Abu Rawash - Lower Egypt

Pyramids of Djedefre at Abu Rawash

The pyramids belongs to Djedefre who reigned at the fourth dynasty after king khufu. The king reigned for about 8 years in total. His pyramid is in a very ruined condition today. The pyramid itself has a massive 49m channel cut into the bedrock to a 20m deep shaft. Djedefre’s cartouche was found in the burial chamber and Because of that cartouche, we can say this pyramid belonged to him.  the pyramid is built out of lime stone. The blocks of limestone, typical building blocks of the Giza tombs, were here angled towards the centre of the pyramid.

This technique, first used on the Step Pyramid, about 40km away in Saqqara, helped make the tomb more durable and stable. As if that was not enough, Djedefre’s workers used granite pins to keep the blocks in place. This pyramid was constructed on a rocky outcrop – which also formed its foundation and internal structure – that rose 120m above the Giza plains. Which, to the casual observer, may or may not have disguised its short stature, relative to the Great Pyramid.

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The Pyramids of El Lisht - Lower Egypt

The Pyramids of El Lisht

The Pyramid of Amenmehat I ‎

This pyramid is built by Amenmehat I ‎ who changed the governing system of Egypt to be more centralized, ‎Amenmehat I changed the capital of Egypt from Thebes where his ancestors ruled in ‎the South and established a new city that was situated somewhere to the North to be ‎in the middle between Upper Egypt in the South and Lower Egypt in the North. ‎

Due to the fact that all the rulers of Egypt who belonged to the 12th dynasty have ‎constructed pyramids and funerary structures near the Oasis of El Fayoum, most ‎probably the new capital of Amenmehat I was also located near that region. ‎

This was why Amenmehat I constructed his so called pyramid near a village titled El ‎Lisht, situated to the South of the Dahshur Pyramids complex constructed by mainly ‎by king Senefru, the father of King Cheops who constructed the Grand Pyramid in ‎Giza, ‎

The Pyramid of Amenmehat in El Lisht is also located near Meidum, the location of ‎the first pyramid of King Senefru that turned out to be a failure attempt at the end ‎after the pyramid collapsed during the building process

Most probably the location of the new Capital of Amenmehat was located near his ‎pyramid because the kings of ancient Egypt always wanted to construct their ‎funerary complexes near their cities to enable the people to view his greatness ‎reflected in his constructions. ‎

Seems that Amenmehat I wanted to imitate the great kings of the Old Kingdom, that ‎were nicknamed as the pyramids builders by many historians and this was why he ‎established his capital near theirs in Memphis and he constructed his pyramid in the ‎same style and architecture. ‎

However, unfortunately due to the lack of the skillful builders and maybe the lack of ‎the resources as well, the Pyramid of Amenmehat I in El Lisht looked more like the ‎poor shaped pyramids constructed by the Pharaohs of the 6th dynasty.‎

The Construction and the Design of the pyramid of El Lisht

At the time when greater kings like Cheops and his father Senefru formed the base ‎of their pyramids with huge blocks of stones in order to preserve their huge ‎structures, the base of the pyramid of Amenmehat I in El Lisht was combined from ‎many substances that includes smaller blocks of stone, sand, mud, and debris. ‎

Moreover, some historians assert that Amenmehat I brought most of the substances ‎he used to construct his pyramid from other funerary complexes built by the ‎Pharaohs of the Old Kingdom as he took some of the falling stones of the Pyramids ‎of Cheops and Khafre and this was why his pyramid never survived in the great way ‎like the other pyramids.‎

As a matter of fact, it was rather weird that a king would direct his attention to the ‎North in order to search for rocks and limestone as it was well known in ancient ‎Egypt that these substances were brought from quarries in the South.‎

Scholars have debated the reason why Amenmehat took some substance for the ‎construction of his pyramid from the necropolis of Giza. Some of them noted that ‎maybe taking some stones from the older pyramids would make Amenmehat more ‎legitimate to become the king of Egypt and to show off his power to his people.‎

The Design and the Plan of the Pyramid of El Lisht

The internal plan of the pyramid of Amenmehat is rather plain with the entrance ‎inside the pyramid being located in the Northern section of the structure and on the ‎ground level, the same as the pyramids that were erected during the Old Kingdom.‎

Inside the pyramid, there is a passageway that leads downwards towards the center ‎of the structure that was situated below the ground level in a brilliant idea initiated ‎by the architect who planned the pyramid. ‎

The same as all the kings who constructed pyramids in ancient Egypt, Amenmehat ‎tried his best to prevent thieves to steal his valuable belongings that he put inside the ‎pyramid and this was why he put huge blocks of stone at the end of this passageway ‎to deceive thieves and stop them from entering the pyramid. ‎

A perpendicular tunnel slide down from the chamber in the middle of the pyramid ‎towards the royal burial chamber of Amenmehat I, located below deep inside the ‎ground even below the ground water level and this has stopped thieves from entering ‎the burial chamber for a very long period of time but actually nothing was ‎discovered when the pyramid was excavated in modern times.‎

Amenmehat, the same as the kings of the Old Kingdom, had constructed a mortuary ‎temple near his pyramid in El Lisht and it was located under his pyramid.

It was recorded in some historian texts that the mortuary temple of Amenmehat I ‎located near the village of El Lisht was situated to the East of the pyramid and two ‎passageways linked it to the valley temple, in the same design of the pyramids ‎constructed beforehand. ‎

Surrounding the whole complex, there were two huge walls; the outer one was ‎constructed mainly of mud while the inner one that protected the pyramid and the ‎mortuary temple was stronger and it was constructed using limestone in order to ‎protect the pyramid against thieves. ‎

Located near the pyramid, enclosed by the outer wall, there are many "Mastaba" ‎tombs, constructed only of one layer of mud bricks, which belonged to many royal ‎family members like the mother of Amenmehat, some of his wives, and some of his ‎daughters.‎

The Pyramid of Senosert 1 in El Lisht

When Senosurt I, the son of Amenmehat, became the king of Egypt in 1965 BC, he ‎followed the steps of his father in many aspects as he kept the capital of Egypt in the ‎North and he constructed his pyramid near that of his father.

The base of the pyramid of Senosurt I was around 100 meters in width with a height ‎that was estimated to be around 60 meters and this was why the pyramid was said to ‎be the largest to be constructed in Egypt since the reign of the 4th dynasty, the one ‎that had great pyramid builders like Senefru and Cheops, which ruling period ended ‎in around the middle of the 25th century BC.

‎

Although the Pyramid of Senosurt I seemed to be a great structure when it was first ‎built in the beginning of the 20th century BC, nothing remains of this pyramid today ‎except a large pile of sand and ruins while the base still has its original limestone. ‎

The inner structure of the pyramid of Senosurt I was all constructed with strong ‎limestone and maybe this was why it is the only item of the pyramid that remained ‎in a good shape until today while the rest of the pyramid fell down with long periods ‎of time passing by. ‎

The walls of the inner chambers of the pyramid were constructed with blocks of ‎stones that were larger in the base smaller towards the top and then covered with ‎strong white limestone.‎

The Design and the Plan of the Pyramid of Senosurt I ‎

In the same manner as the pyramid of his father and many of the pyramids of former ‎kings of ancient Egypt, the entrance to the Pyramid of Senosurt I was constructed in ‎the Northern section of the pyramid and on the ground level.

Seems like Senosurt I has followed his father even in the internal plan of his ‎pyramid as he had a very simple plan for his pyramid in El Lisht. It consisted of a ‎passageway going downwards below the pyramid and leading to the burial chamber ‎at the very end located in the center of the pyramid. ‎

A distinctive feature of the burial chamber of the Pyramid of Senosurt I in El Lisht is ‎that the ceiling of the room was erected in the shape of a pyramid as well. The ‎burial chamber itself was constructed extremely deep into the ground to prevent ‎thieves from entering inside it. ‎

The Mortuary Temples of Senosurt I

Senosurt I has been largely influenced by the kings of the 6th dynasty and he copied ‎the design and plan of their mortuary temples that were located to the East of the ‎pyramid and it was constructed in the common style. However, nothing remained of ‎it today.‎

The same as the structure of his father, Amenmehat I, the mortuary complex of ‎Senosurt I had two large walls surrounding his complex. The inner walls surrounded ‎the pyramid only while the outer wall surrounded the rest of the complex.‎

Situated near the mortuary complex of Senosurt I, there were a number of Queens' ‎pyramids that were constructed in different periods of time after the building of the ‎pyramid itself, but none of them remained until today. ‎

These Queens' Pyramids were built in the ruling periods of Amenmehat I and ‎Senosurt I and they all had small bases and relatively small burial chambers with ‎extensive decorations and wonderful wall paintings. ‎

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Pyramids of Abu Sir - Lower Egypt

Pyramids of Abu Sir

In Abu sir there are total of about 14 pyramids in this site. The pyramids belong to the fourth dynasty Abusir is located at a 2.5 KM to the north of Sakkara and about 12 Km south of the pyramids of Giza.

The most important pyramids there are of those of Sahure - Niuserre - Neferirkare

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The Pyramids of Giza & Sphinx - Giza

The Pyramids of Giza & Sphinx - Giza

There are three main Pyramids here, which were built in the 4th Dynasty (circa 2550 B.C). The Pyramids of Ancient Egypt were built as tombs for Kings (and Queens), and it was the exclusive privilege to have a Pyramid tomb. However, this tradition only applied in the Old and Middle Kingdoms. Today there are more than 93 Pyramids in Egypt; the most famous ones are those at Giza.

Now let's go for a little tour around the site of the Pyramids and try to explore the magnificence of the area:

The Great Pyramid of Khufu

Pyramids of Khufu

The Great Pyramid of Khufu is by far the most famous Pyramid in Egypt, the biggest, tallest, and most intact. After its construction it became one of the “Seven Wonders Of The World”, and today, it is the only one of them remaining. For a period of 4300 years, the Pyramid was also the tallest building on earth, until the French built the Eiffel Tower in 1889 to take that accolade.

Khufu’s Pyramid is built entirely of limestone, and is considered an architectural masterpiece. It contains around 1,300,000 blocks ranging in weight from 2.5 tons to 15 tons and is built on a square base with sides measuring about 230m (755ft), covering 13 acres!  Its four sides face the four cardinal points precisely and it has an angle of 52 degrees. The original height of the Pyramid was 146.5m (488ft), but today it is only 137m (455ft) high, the 9m (33ft) that is missing is due to the theft of the fine quality limestone covering, or casing stones, by the Ottoman Turks in the 15 Century A.D, to build houses and Mosques in Cairo.

You will find that the entrance of the Pyramid is located at the northern side, the same as almost every Pyramid in Egypt. On this side there are actually 2 entrances, one is the original, and is 17m (55ft) above ground level, and the other one is a man-made forced entrance located below it. Created in the 9th Century A.D by Khalif El-Mamoun, who was seeking the treasures that he thought might have been kept inside the Pyramid. He sent out stonemasons to open up an entrance, and they cut it midway across the centre of the northern side. Their tunnel goes almost 35m into the Pyramid, and was crudely cut, and at the end it connects with the original inner corridors of the Pyramid. Nothing was found inside, as it was plundered in antiquity. Nowadays visitors, to the site, use Mamoun’s entrance to gain access into the Pyramid, as it is actually considered to be a shortcut.

Please Note: If you attempt to go inside the Pyramid, you will have to bend down all the way till you reach the burial chamber!

From the main entrance of the Pyramid there is a long narrow corridor with low roof that descends for more than 100m (330ft), which takes you to a chamber, located about 24m (79ft) below ground level, which is an unfinished burial chamber with very little fresh air inside, and is inaccessible today. 

Almost 20m (66ft) from that descending corridor there is another corridor connected to it, which takes you up into the heart of the Pyramid. This ascending corridor ends up at one the great parts of the Great Pyramid, the "Grand Gallery"! It is a large, long, rectangular hall, which is 49m (161ft) long, and 15m (49ft) high, with a long tunnel, at the bottom, that takes you the 2nd chamber, which is famously known as the "Queens Chamber". It actually has nothing to do with a Queen, and was given this name by the early Arabs, who went inside the Pyramids and gave it its name. It is commonly believed that it served as a magazine, or a storeroom, inside the Pyramid.

When you ascend the “Grand Gallery”, you will find, at its end, an entrance to the 3rd chamber, which was the real burial chamber of King Khufu, and this is where you will find his stone sarcophagus, which was made out of one block of granite. You will find this chamber to be really amazing, it is rectangular in form, has a flat roof, and is built out of granite that was brought from the city of Aswan, which is located 1000Km (625 miles) away. The roof consists of 9 slabs of granite; each one estimated to be around 50 tons in weight! Above the roof of the burial chamber, the Ancient Egyptians built 5 small relieving chambers so that the huge pressure, of the weight above, would not cause the burial chamber to collapse. These 5 chambers are also made of granite, and are about 1m (3 ft) above each other. The tops of the first 4 are flat, the 5th one having a pointed top to divert the enormous pressure of weight away from the burial chamber.

Both the northern and southern walls of the burial chamber have two small tunnels with rectangular entrances. They are small, and once were thought to go all the way through the outer sides of the Pyramid, though no exterior openings have been found, and are believed to be “star shafts” that served a certain purpose in the ancient cult connecting the King with the stars.                              

If you need to know more about these small tunnels, and their connection to the stars, it is a long story!  I guess you will need to come to one of my lectures!!! 

One last point! The Great Pyramid is the Pyramid of the great Egyptian King, Khufu. The name “Cheops” is also associated with this King and his Pyramid, the name being given to him by the Greeks. Though both names are generally accepted, Khufu was used in this description because it was his birth name! The same goes for Khafre (Chephren in Greek) and Menkaure (Mycerinus), and their Pyramids are described below. 

The Pyramid of Khafre:

The Pyramid of Khafre

Khafre's Pyramid, or the 2nd Pyramid, is easily recognisable by the layers of its original casing stones that still remain near its summit and this, along with the fact that it actually stands on a higher part of the plateau, gives the impression that it is taller than the Great Pyramid. An optical illusion, as it is only 136m (446 ft) tall, with sides of 214.5m (704ft),a surface area of 11 acres and an angle of 53 degrees. It also has lost some of its original height through the years, once being 143.5m (471ft) tall.

The only similarity to his father's Pyramid is the entrance in the same, north facing side. There are no corridors leading into the heart of this Pyramid, the burial chamber being underground, and a long descending passageway has to be negotiated to reach it. This entrance is 50 feet (15m) above ground level, leading to the narrow passage, which descends at a 25-degree angle into the large burial chamber, which measures 14.2m by 5m by 6.9m (46.5ft by 16.5ft by 22.5ft). To take the weight of the pyramid, the roof of the chamber is set at the same angles as the pyramid face. A large, black sarcophagus is found in this room.

A lower corridor is directly under the upper corridor, and once contained a portcullis that could be lowered to prevent entry as well as an unfinished burial chamber, which was cut from the bedrock and, it is thought, unused. Like the upper corridor, this one has a 25-degree slope, it then levels out, climbs slightly, and eventually the 2 of them join together. The united passageway then leads to the burial chamber.

The Pyramid of Menkaure:

Khafre's son, Menkaure, built the smallest of the 3 main Pyramids on the Giza Plateau. This one was only a mere 65.5m (215ft) tall, nowadays 62m (203ft), with sides of only 105m (344ft) and an angle of 51.3 degrees. It is thought that this Pyramid was altered during its construction, and made a lot bigger than originally planned. The original, smaller Pyramid had a simple descending corridor and burial chamber, but when it was enlarged, a new corridor was built with 3 portcullises and a small panelled chamber. Later still, another burial chamber, along with a storeroom were added at a lower level. This Pyramid, like its 2 neighbours, has a north facing entrance.

Apart from the size, Menkaure's Pyramid differed from the other 2 in the choice of casing stones. Whereas the Pyramids of his father and grandfather were completely cased in fine, white, Turah limestone, Menkaure's Pyramid was only partly cased in Turah limestone, from about 15m up! The first 15 metres was cased with pink granite, which had come from Aswan, the last of which was taken by Muhammad Ali Pasha (1805-1848) who used them to construct his arsenal in Alexandria.

The Great Sphinx:

The Great Sphinx

The Great Sphinx, or as the ancients knew it, “Shesib Ankh” or “the living image”, has to be one of the most recognizable constructions in history. Think of the Sphinx and you automatically think of Egypt and the Giza Plateau. 

Sculpted from soft sandstone, many believe that it would have disappeared long ago had it not been buried in the sand for so many long periods in its lifetime. The body is 60m (200ft) long and 20m (65ft) tall. Its face is 4m (13ft) wide with eyes measuring 2m (6 ft) high. It faces the rising sun, and was revered so much by the ancients, that they built a temple in front of it. 

 The 18th Dynasty King, Thutmose IV installed a stele between its front paws, describing how, when Thutmose was a young Prince, he had gone hunting and fell asleep in the shade of the Sphinx ‘s head. Thutmose had a dream where Ra Hor-Akhty the sun God, talking through the Sphinx, spoke to him, telling the young Prince to clear away the sand because the Sphinx was choking on it. The Sphinx said to  him that if he did this, he would become King of Egypt .

Thutmose cleared away all the sand and s after 2 years,  the god fulfilled his promise to the price and he was made king of Egypt 

Today, part of the “uraeus” (the sacred cobra at the forehead ) and the nose are missing (not shot off by Napoleon’s men as many believe, but were destroyed by Sa'im Al-Dahr, a Sufi fanatic from the Khanqah of Sa'id Al-Su'ada.

In 1378, upon finding the Egyptian peasants making offerings to the Sphinx in the hope of increasing their harvest, Sa'im Al-Dahr was so outraged that he destroyed the nose!). There are small parts of a beard in the Cairo museum  and big one at  British Museum in London which reputedly belong to the Sphinx, but many Egyptologists deny this, as the style of beard found, does not relate to the “nemes” that The Sphinx wears – different Dynasties!

Because of the soft sandstone, the Sphinx has been repaired many times; sometimes the repairs causing even more damage! Also, due to the wind, humidity, and pollution from modern Cairo, its condition is still deteriorating, and the present renovations are a never-ending task.

I hope this gave you a glimpse of information about the Pyramids of Giza.

Know before you go :

The Giza pyramids opening times from 800 AM and closes at 1700

Winter working hours are - ( 8:00 -- 16:30)

Ramadan working hours are -( 8:00 --15:00)

Entrance ticket per person - 80. LE

Entrance to cheops boat Museum – 60 LE

Entrance to Khafree's Pyramid – 40 LE

Entrance to Khufu's Pyramid – 100 LE

Before you visit the site of the Giza Pyramids, you have to know the following facts:

• It is forbidden to climb the Pyramids. You are only allowed to climb up the stone steps that lead to the entrance, which is 55 feet above ground level.
• It is strongly advisable to e Wear good walking shoes.
• If you wish to take a car onto the site, you need to get a car parking ticket. 2 LE for a small car, 5 LE for minibuses, 10 LE for a coach.
• The best time to go the Pyramids, is in the morning between 0800 and 1200. - or 156:00 to 17:00
• If you wish to go inside the Great Pyramid, there is an extra ticket for this that will cost you 100 LE. You will find the ticket office for the entrance to the Great Pyramid in front of the north-eastern side of the Pyramid. Sometimes is quite difficult to get this ticket, as the amount is limited to a certain number of visitors. They sell only 300 tickets daily, and they are divided among morning and afternoon. They sell 150 at 0800, and then, at exactly 1300, the other 150. 
• If you wish to go inside Khafre's Pyramid, you will have to get an extra entrance ticket - 20 LE. In addition to that, they charge 10LE for cameras. 
• As for Menkaure's Pyramid, it is now closed for restoration. The Pyramids are opened on a rotational basis, usually it would last for a year, so that restoration work can be done.
• If you want to get a camel or horse ride, the best place for this are the stables at the foot of the Pyramids plateau, it is cheap and safe.
• In order to get rid of the vendors, simply say "No, thank you! " or "La Shukran" and they will go away Believe it or not, it works.
• As for the street vendors Don't say the word "Emshi", like many of the guide books will advise you, it is simply means get lost, and you don't want to offend anyone in there , after all they are just trying to make a living. Here are Some useful Arabic words for you
• Tip: If you don't want to pay the extra entrance ticket for any of the above mentioned pyramids Pyramids and still want to have similar experience of being inside one, then go the eastern side of the Great Pyramid and you will find there three subsidiary smaller Pyramids (one was for the Khufu's daughter, one for Khufu's wife and the third one for Khufu's mother). Two of these Pyramids (his wife's and his mother's) are opened for visitors, and there is no extra charge to get in. All you need to do is show your site ticket to the guard and you will be in!
• If you ever feel that you need to go to the toilet while you're conducting your visit, then the best place to go is at the boat Museum which is located in front of the southern side of the Great Pyramid. Just tell the people at the entrance that you only want to use the toilet and they will let you in.

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Egypt Site Guide - Destinations

Egypt Site Guide

Guide to all Egypt attractions here are 75 sites listed here, with more to come in the future!

1.  Pyramids of Giza & Sphinx
2. .Memphis Museum
3. The Steps pyramids of Sakkara
4. The Pharaonic Village
5. The Egyptian Museum of Antiquities
6. The Pyramids of Giza & Sphinx
7. The Pyramids of Abu Sir
8. The Pyramids of Dashur
9. Pyramids of Meidum.The Pyramids of Meidum
10. The Pyramids of El Lisht
11. The Pyramids of Abu Rawash
12. The Pyramids of Hawara
13. The Pyramid of El Lahun

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The Pyramid of Meidum

Pyramid of Meidum

Unfortunately this is one of the forgotten sites of Egypt. Rarely will you find it included in the regular tourist itineraries, as most of the visitors nowadays follow a very traditional and established itinerary, which mainly includes Pyramid sites such as the Pyramids of Giza, and the Step Pyramid of Sakkara! I have noticed, in the last few years, that some travel agencies are starting to organize trips, to thePyramid of Meidum and the Pyramid of Dashur, in a one-day trip

We just hope they keep doing this, as this Pyramid has a special magic! In my opinion, a visit to this collapsed Pyramid is very worthwhile! It is one of those sites that had, and still keeps, lots of secrets!!
Meidum Pyramid is located 65 Km to the south of Sakkara. To visit to it you simply drive along the road that takes you to Sakkara, go pass that site, and continue straight on for about an hour until you see the Pyramid. There is another way to reach Meidum that is a little longer, but a lot faster. You take the road to the Fayoum Oasis and then join the Assyut desert road. After about 77Km you will see the Pyramid on your left side. There is an admission fee of 25 LE.

In the last few years I have led special groups to this Pyramid. Every time I go there I am overwhelmed with it, as well as having a feeling that there are still dozens of secrets in this site still undiscovered! I class it as a virgin site because Egyptologists have never really done a proper investigation here.

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The Plan of the Pyramid

The last King of the 3rd Dynasty, King Huni, built the Pyramid of Meidum in the style of a Step Pyramid, originally being 8 steps built on top of one another! For a long time Egyptologists thought that the Pyramid was built by King Snefru, the builder of the two Pyramids in Dashur,pyramid of maidoum

Believing this as they found some graffiti in the funerary Temple, located at the eastern side of the Pyramid, which had been discovered at the end of the 19th century. But some Ancient Egyptian travellers, from the 19th Dynasty (1300 B.C), had left this graffiti; recording their admiration for the great structure that King Snefru had built here! It now seems more likely that King Huni had left his Pyramid unfinished, and his successor, King Snefru, finished the building for him, therefore latter generations thought it was the work of Snefru.

It is hard today to believe that one King would actually have had 3 Pyramids built for him, the two in Dashur, and a third one in Meidum. Today, many believe that it had been the work of Huni in the first place, completed by his son after his death.

The Pyramid is called the Collapsed Pyramid as it looks from afar like a huge tower surrounded by a pile of rubble. The Pyramid was 93m high and built with a square base with sides measuring about 114m long. The entrance of the Pyramid was located almost 30m above ground level, in the northern face. It leads to a corridor that descends for 54m, which it is unique among all the other descending corridors, as you don't have to bend down inside it, unless you are really a tall person! You need a torch to light your way, as most of the lamps are broken (I have told the inspectors there, several times, to change them, but none of them listened to me!). At the end of the corridor you will find a small chamber, roughly cut in the bedrock, exactly underneath the apex of the Pyramid, and at the end of this room you will find a wooden ladder that leads up to the burial chamber. On your climb up, you will notice some huge beams of cedar wood that are 4600 years old.

Tomb number Number: 17 is a major highlight in this area, so make sure you don't miss it! 

In front of the eastern side of the Pyramid, you will find a small funerary Temple that is intact, even today! This Temple has no paintings or inscriptions, but when you enter it, you will notice that in front of the door on the western wall, there is some black graffiti,which was left by passing travellers in the 19th Dynasty who came here and then recorded their visit. In front of the Temple, you will see a causeway that traditionally led to the mummification Temple, which was located at the far end, unfortunately the mummification Temple has been lost and destroyed, nothing of it remains! 

front of the northern side of the Pyramid, about 300m to the north, there are some tombs, built in the 4th Dynasty, and found in 1855. These tombs yielded great treasures to the Egyptian Museum! Among them you will find the tomb of Ra-Hotep and his wife, Nofert. Here were found two beautiful limestone statues of them, still in perfect condition, and they are among the most famous masterpieces in the Cairo Museum today. Ra-Hotep was the son of King Snefru, the commander of the Egyptian army in the 4th Dynasty, and a chief Priest in the centre of worship of the God Ra, the sun God.

Near to the tomb of Ra-Hotep, another one was found, the great tomb of Nefer-Maat. There were some great paintings found there, considered the best and the oldest ever found in a tomb. They are now exhibited in the Egyptian museum and are in the same room as the statue of Ra-Hotep and his wife. The most famous is called the "Scene of the Geese of Meidum". It is a beautiful scene of 6 Egyptian geese together, made on a mud brick wall that was covered with a coat of stucco and painted. It is another of the greatest masterpieces of the Egyptian museum.

To the east of the Pyramid, there is another set of tombs dating back to the 4th Dynasty. One of them is a tomb for an unknown person as it was found with no inscription at all. Going inside is a real adventure! The only entrance, to get inside this tomb, was actually made by tomb robbers! I usually take my groups there, but first I always make sure that they are fit, as it is very difficult to get inside, but worth the visit if they can. The entrance leads to a descending corridor that is about 10m long. Then you will find a small shaft, inside of which there is a modern wooden ladder that takes you down to another tunnel, at the end of which you will find a hole in the wall, like a needle hole, which you can't get through that easily; you have to crawl on your stomach! Yes, the same way the ancient tomb-robbers once did it. Afterwards you will find a larger passageway made of huge blocks of limestone. Midway along this tunnel you will find an entrance to the burial chamber; it is made of limestone, but is so impressive and elegant! At the end of the chamber there is a huge granite sarcophagus with the lid slightly ajar and set aside. It is empty, as it was plundered by the tomb robbers thousands of years ago. Underneath the lid, you will notice a small, ancient, wooden hammer that is stuck underneath the heavy lid, forgotten by the tomb robbers (See Opposite Picture).

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