The Great Pyramid of Giza (Pyramid of Cheops)
The Great Pyramid of Giza (also called the Pyramid of Cheops or the Great Pyramid of Giza) is located on the Giza Plateau — the city of Giza, the necropolis of ancient Memphis, now part of the capital Cairo.
It is the only wonder of the world that does not require descriptions by ancient historians or poets. It is the only wonder of the world about which there is no speculation as to shape, size or presentation. It is the oldest and yet the only one that has survived time. Contrary to popular belief, only the Great Pyramid of Cheops, not all three Great Pyramids, is on the list of the seven wonders of the ancient world.
The Great Pyramid of Giza was the tallest building in the world for more than 43 centuries, until the 19th century in 1889 when the Eiffel Tower was built. It was originally 146m (now 138m) high, 227m wide and comprised 2,521,000 cubic metres of stone. The faces of the pyramid were clad in polished limestone slabs. It was built by Pharaoh Khufu of the 4th Dynasty around 2560 BC to serve as his tomb.
The tradition of building pyramids began in ancient Egypt as a sophistication of the idea of the ‘mastaba’ (platform) covering the royal tomb. Later, more mastabahs were used, as evidenced by early pyramids such as the Step Pyramid of King Zoser (Djoser), built by the famous Egyptian architect Imhotep.
According to Herodotus, it would have taken over twenty years to build and 100,000 men would have worked on it. First the site was prepared and the stone blocks were transported. Then a design for the outside of the pyramid was used, a design that has disappeared over time. Although it is not yet known exactly how the stone blocks were laid, there have been several theories: one theory is that a straight or spiral ramp was built, which was raised as the pyramid rose. This ramp, coated with mud and water, made it easier to carry the pushed (or pulled) blocks into place. Another theory suggests that the stone blocks were put in place using long levers.
When the Arabs conquered Egypt in 641 AD, they found the pyramid intact, and when they opened it to search for Cheops’ treasure, the sarcophagus was empty.
Throughout history, the pyramids of Giza have stimulated people’s imagination, calling them ‘Joseph’s granaries’ or ‘Pharaoh’s mountains’. When Napoleon invaded Egypt in 1798 the pride he felt at the time was expressed in the famous quote: Soldats! Du haut de ces Pyramides, 40 siècles nous contemplent (‘Soldiers! 40 centuries are watching us from the top of the pyramids’).
In recent years, three or four more chambers have been discovered near the burial chamber, in one of which is the royal ship, and the others are being explored, revealing perhaps the last secrets of the Great Pyramid: the treasury and the mummy of the pharaoh.
Today, the Great Pyramid is included, along with the other pyramids and the Sphinx, in the tourist region of the Giza Plateau. Also in this area is the museum housing the mysterious Solar Boat, discovered only in 1954 near the southern part of the pyramid.
This boat is believed to have carried Khufu’s body on his last journey before being buried in the pyramid. It may also have served as a means of transportation in the afterlife, according to ancient Egyptian beliefs.
Description of the pyramid
When it was built, the Great Pyramid was 145.75 m high. Over time, it has lost another 9 m from the top. It was covered with polished stone (part of it can still be seen at the top of Khefren’s pyramid). The angle at which it is built is 54 degrees and 54 minutes. Each side of it is carefully oriented to one of the local cardinal points, i.e. north, south, east and west. The horizontal perimeter of each section in the pyramid describes a square. The largest error between the side lengths is, amazingly, less than 0.1%.
Each of the two million stone blocks in total weighs more than 2 tons. It has been suggested that there are enough stone blocks in the three pyramids to build a wall 30 cm thick and 3 m high to surround France. The area occupied by the Great Pyramid could swallow St Peter’s Papal Basilica in Rome, the cathedrals of Florence and Milan, Westminster Abbey and St Paul’s Cathedral in London all together.
On the north facade is the entrance to the pyramid. Corridors and galleries lead either to the king’s burial chamber or served other functions. The King’s Chamber is at the heart of the pyramid, accessible only through the Great Gallery and an ascending corridor. The king’s sarcophagus is made of red granite, as are the inner walls of the chamber. Most impressive is the very finely polished stone above the entrance, over 3m long, 2.4m high and 1.3m thick. All the stones inside fit together so well that you can’t slip any cards between them. The sarcophagus is oriented according to the cardinal directions and is only 1 cm lower than the entrance to the room. It was probably inserted during construction.
New theories have been proposed about the origin and purpose of the pyramids at Giza… Astronomical observations… Places of worship… Geometric structures built by a long extinct civilisation… Even theories about aliens have been proposed, without clear evidence… But overwhelming historical and scientific evidence still supports the conclusion that the Great Pyramid, like other small pyramids in the region, was built by the Egyptian civilization on the west bank of the Nile to serve as tombs for their kings. Tombs where Khufu, Khefren and Menkaure could begin their mystical journey into the afterlife.
Herodotus said that the pyramid was built in 20 years, or 7300 days, (Khufu reigned about 23 years) so all 2521000 stone blocks of over 2 tons each were climbed on the pyramid in that time. This means that if the whole year was worked every day for the whole 20 years, then on average 345.4 stone blocks were added per day. If 8 hours a day were worked, then 43.2 blocks of stone were added per hour, or almost 1 stone over 2 tonnes per minute. If 24 hours a day was worked, which is less likely, then an average of 14.4 stones per hour were added. The stones, however, had to be cut into the shape they are, and brought to the site, some from hundreds of kilometres away. Several stones weighing up to 80 tonnes each were used in the king’s room, and it was probably not easy for the Egyptians to lift them to the heart of the pyramid 50 metres above the ground. Most stones, however, weigh around 2,500 kilograms, so if 20 people crowded around the stone, which averages 127 cm x 127 cm x 71 cm , and each lifted 125 kilograms, then the 20 people carrying 125 kilograms each had to climb steps 71 cm high to get the stone up the pyramid. Although there are more than 60 pyramids in Egypt, only the 3 pyramids at Giza are built with such large stones.
Number of sides
Although the pyramid appears to have four sides, it actually has eight sides. A photograph accidentally taken by Brigadier General Groves and first published in 1929 shows one ‘side’ of the pyramid split in two, as it appears in the sunlight. The Great Pyramid therefore has eight sides and not four, but this splitting effect is not visible to the naked eye.
