The Wonderful World of Completely Random Facts — Issue 58
A Different Perspective on the Pyramids of Giza
The Pyramids of Giza are the last remaining Seven Wonders of the Ancient World and the best-known monument in Egypt. They include the Great Pyramid, the Pyramid of Khafre, and the Pyramid of Menkaure. The Great Sphinx of Giza is also located here on the Giza Plateau. But some people visiting the pyramids are surprised to learn that these structures aren’t exactly where they would have expected them to be.
What most pictures of the pyramids convey, like that shown above, is that the pyramids are in the middle of the desert in a remote area. This, however, is far from the case. The city of Giza actually surrounds the pyramids on the north, east, and west sides. Only south of the pyramids is desert land. The Great Pyramid and the Great Sphinx are less than 200 meters (just over 200 yards) from the perimeter of the sprawling city of Giza, and just beyond that is Cairo.
Giza’s population has been close to the pyramids for thousands of years, but most pictures hide the city and give the perspective that these famous monuments are in a more remote place. The…
