The Great Pyramids of Giza

Charles Kim

The Great Pyramid of Giza

• Sometimes called Khufu’s Pyramid or Pyramid of Cheops

• Oldest and the largest and most famous of all the pyramids in Egypt

• It is the only remaining 7 wonders of the ancient world that still stands today

• For nearly 4000 years it remained the tallest man made structure in the world

Where are the Great Pyramids of Giza?

• The Great Pyramids of Giza are located in modern day Egypt

• They are just south of Ciro or more accurately just beyond borders of the city

• Today the Pyramids of Giza is a big tourist attraction

Where are the Great Pyramids of Giza?

• The Great Pyramids of Giza are located in modern day Egypt

• They are just south of Ciro or more accurately just beyond borders of the city

When was it built?

• The construction of the Great Pyramids of Giza began around 2540 BC

• The construction took 14-20 years and was completed around 2560 BC

How big is it?

• The highest point of the pyramid was approximately 137m high, the original size was believed to be 146.6 m

• Each base side was about 230 meters

• It weighed about 5.9 million tons

Construction

• The pyramid is believed to have been constructed for pharaoh Khufu

• About 800 tones of rock was believed to be moved everyday

• All the stone pieces were made to fit together with extreme precision most 1/50 of an inch off perfect

• Each side has a 58 millimeter in length form forming a perfect square

Construction

• Believed to have been pieced together with large stone blocks on a quarry and dragging them into place

• Casting stones were placed on the pyramid once it was finished in order to give it a smooth look

• A gold cap was supposedly on the top of the pyramid before it was pillaged by attackers

The inside

• There were 2 main burial chambers in the pyramid

• Has both ascending and descending chambers

• The Queen was apparently buried in the same place as the king

• The unfinished chamber was supposedly the original spot for the chamber but the pharaoh changed his mind and wanted it to be placed higher

Why was it built?

• It was built as a burial ground for the Pharaoh

• They had an unusual belief in the afterlife

• The people in Egypt believed that the Pharaoh was a god they needed an elaborate resting place for this ruler

• Homage to the gods

The Pyramids Today

• Today the Pyramids of Giza is a big tourist attraction

• The pyramids are in amazingly good condition considering they are nearly 3500 years old

• The edges are deteriorating and the government is enforcing laws to protect the pyramids

The End

Thank you for watching