Pyramids Building

Building History

Background
The pyramid field at Giza had been for the 1 Dynasty, an important cemetery. Here large mastaba were the 1st, 2nd and 3 Dynasty will be excavated. It is unclear to what extent by the later cemetery and the pyramids of the fourth dynasty such old graves were destroyed.

Pyramid
The pyramids were built between about 2620 to 2500 BC in the 4th Dynasty. They were built on an approximately 1000 times 2000 meters high limestone plateau, which originated with the construction of small pyramids, temples, burial grounds and village workers. It is noteworthy that the construction of the pyramids carts without wheels were used, as the Egyptians at that time the bike did not yet know.

Great Pyramid (Khufu pyramid)
The biggest and probably the most famous pyramid of Pharaoh Khufu. He ruled for about 2620 to 2580 (according to other sources from 2604 to 2581 BC) The Great Pyramid was originally 146,6 m high (now known as 138.75 feet), the pages are on average 230.3 m long and its inclination angle is 51 ° 50 '. It was built from about 3 million stone blocks, is the average weight of 2.5 tons each, and was completely covered with limestone blocks. Inside is the Great Gallery, which is 8.5 meters high and 47 meters long. The construction of the pyramid led the Builder Hemiunu. At the end of the gallery is located in the King's grave chamber. In it are the remains of a granite sarcophagus. In addition, there is the so-called Queen's Chamber, and the first underground grave chamber. On the east side of the pyramid are the remains of the mortuary temple and the causeway. The valley temple is buried beneath the modern city. Southeast of the mortuary temple of the pyramid are systems for the queens Hetepheres, Meritetis and Henutsen. In the solar barge museum on the south side of the pyramid there is one in 1954 and excavated wiederzusammengefügten solar boats. The pyramid complex, there are three smaller pyramids of queens and a cult pyramid.

Medium pyramid (Khafre's pyramid)
The mean of the three pyramids is that of the Pharaoh Chephren. He reigned from about 2558 to 2532 BC The Chephren pyramid originally was 143,5 m high (now 136.4 meters), the side length was 215.25 meters, and its inclination angle is 53 ° 10 '. Like the Great Pyramid, she was completely covered with limestone slabs. It works by its more elevated location about 10 meters due to a very slightly smaller size and the amount even greater than the Great Pyramid, and the top tower over their head out, so they will be held by lay people often for the Cheops pyramid. A 400 m long causeway leads from the valley temple reliefs on Sphinxtempel and the Great Sphinx of Giza by up to mortuary temple and valley temple, the pyramid itself is 45 × 45 m and 18 m high. The depressions in the alabaster floor showing the location of once larger than life figures of the Pharaoh 23. South of the pyramid are the remains of a small cult pyramid.

Located north of the causeway and valley temple of Chephren, the 73 m long sculpture of the Sphinx, which was carved from the bedrock. The head of the Sphinx is covered by a headscarf with uraeus king snake, the Dream Stela of Tuthmosis IV keeps them in their forepaws.

Small pyramid (Menkaure's Pyramid)
The smallest of the three pyramids is that of the Pharaoh Menkaure. He reigned from about 2532 to 2503 BC, the Pyramid of Menkaure was originally 65 meters high, which she's not even half as much as the other two pyramids. The pages are 102.2 m × 104.6 m long (mean base length 103.4 m), and its inclination angle is 51 ° 20 ', with which he is almost identical to that of the Cheops pyramid. The upper part of the pyramid was - like the Great Pyramid and the Pyramid of Khafre - lined with limestone slabs. The bottom 16 layers, but consist of red granite mantels. The corresponding valley and mortuary temples are no longer intact. In the Cairo Museum are on display today, the groups of statues of Menkaure, which were found in the Valley Temple. On the south side has three queens pyramids, two of which were executed as step pyramids.

I. Chentkaus the grave (so-called "fourth pyramid ')
South-east of Khafre's pyramid is located near the Great Sphinx is also known as the "fourth pyramid of Giza" marked grave at the end of the 4th Dynasty reigning queen Chentkaus I explored until 1932, this grave has the peculiar character of a two-step pyramid and was originally thought to be an unfinished pyramid. The left is 45.8 meters x 45.5 m measured from a first stage Felsquader who are in the local quarries was. On it is the second brick, mastabaähnliche stage. The building was dressed like the great pyramids of limestone, and reaches a height of 17 m. In this tomb there was a settlement for the priesthood, and a ship's grave, with which it was endowed with the attributes of a full sovereign Grabs.

Giza in the Old Kingdom was a major cemetery and was probably abandoned until the beginning of the First Intermediate Period. From the Middle Kingdom little remains are preserved, and it is striking that it can be shown from this time a cult of death to the little pyramids. Only from the time of the New Kingdom and Late Period, however, there is again considerable in Giza grave plants. There are repairs to the temples and pyramids testified.
Modern

2007, the Wall was built in 2002, closed at the pyramid complex at times. The redeemed through the visiting admission proceeds go to the Egyptian government. Locals who could earn their living there for generations, they work in highly restricted.