The Pyramid of Cheops short message will tell you a lot of useful information about the only wonder of the world that has survived to this day.
Information about the pyramid of Cheops
How old is the pyramid of Cheops?
The largest pyramid of the Egyptian complex - Giza is a real embodiment of royal ambitions. Its author was the vizier and pharaoh's nephew Hemion, who was also an architect. The construction was built in 2540 BC. And construction began much earlier, around 2560 BC.
To build the Great Pyramid in Giza, it took more than 2 million huge stones to be delivered. The weight of the blocks reached tens of tons. Blocks of granite were delivered from a quarry located 1000 km from the construction site. The place of construction was also chosen not in vain. So that Cheops, having a weight of 6.4 million tons, did not sit down under its own weight, it was decided to build it on rocky solid soil in Giza. Scientists from all over the world still cannot understand how the stones were transported and how the Cheops pyramid was built.
How was the pyramid of Cheops built?
In our time, the technology of building pyramids is controversial. To get a stone block, the future shape was first outlined in the rock. Then small ditches were hollowed out and dry wood was inserted into them. The tree was poured with water until it expanded and formed a crack in the rock. That was the only way to separate the block. Then it was processed with tools to the desired shape and sent to the construction site along the river.
To raise the block up, the ancient Egyptians used gentle embankments. On them, with wooden sledges, the megalith was dragged to the desired height. After the construction of the pyramid, they were engaged in interior decoration: painting the walls, filling the royal tomb, and so on. It is noteworthy that initially the pyramid of Cheops was completely covered with even white facing material, which was delivered from the other side of the Nile.
Description of the pyramid of Cheops
The Pyramid of Cheops has the shape of a regular quadrangular pyramid. The base of the building occupies an area of 53 thousand m 2. The length of the base is 230 m, the side edge is 230 m, the area of the side surface is 85.5 thousand m 2 . The original height of the pyramid of Cheops is 147 m (like a 50-story building), and today it is 138 m. For thousands of years, earthquakes have brought down the stone top of the structure. The smooth facing stone of the outer walls crumbled.
The entrance to the pyramid is located on the north side. Initially, it was at a height of 16 m, sealed with a granite plug. Modern tourists get inland through a huge gap 10 m below, which was left by the Arabs in 1820 (Caliph Abdullah al-Mamun tried to find treasures).
Inside Cheops there are 3 tombs, one above the other. At the base of the rock is the lowest, underground chamber. Above it are the burial chambers of the queen and the pharaoh. The Grand Gallery, rising up, leads to them. The pyramid is equipped with a complex system of shafts and corridors, the plan of which has not yet been fully studied. It has many secret doors and other design features.
- It is believed that the Great Pyramid served as an astronomical observatory for the ancient Egyptians. Its ventilation ducts and corridors accurately point to stars such as Thuban, Sirius and Alnitak.
- In Egypt, the date of the start of the construction of the pyramid of Cheops is officially celebrated on August 23, 2480 BC. e.
- The top of the pyramid was previously crowned with a gilded pyramidal stone.
- Near the pyramid, archaeologists have found pits with ancient Egyptian cedar boats, made without the use of fasteners and nails. She was dismantled into 1224 parts for better transportation. The restorer Ahmed Yussuf Mustafa spent 14 years collecting it back.
We hope that the Cheops pyramid report helped you learn a lot of useful information about this ancient Egyptian structure. And you can add a short story about the Cheops pyramid through the comment form below.
Why did the ancient Egyptians build pyramids, how were these grandiose and mysterious creations of human hands created. Many mysteries have not yet been revealed, and there are more questions than answers. Perhaps the rulers of those times wanted to emphasize the majesty of the era, to confirm the constancy of their power, to show proximity to the gods.
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First buildings
From the end of the 4th millennium BC. pharaohs were buried in truncated structures - medium-sized stone buildings (mastabs), for fastening which a solution of clay was used. Today, such structures look like shapeless piles of stones that do not carry any architectural value.
The history of the pyramids - the most unusual buildings of ancient Egypt - began in 2780-2760 BC, during the reign of Pharaoh Djoser, who completely changed the architectural style of the tombs. His new tomb consisted of as many as 6 mastabas erected on top of each other. The narrowest was at the top, the widest at the bottom. Such a building was a stepped building. Its height was just over 60 meters, and the perimeter was 115 by 125 meters.
The construction of the pyramids in ancient Egypt was carried out in a special architectural style that reigned for two hundred years. Its developer and designer was the famous vizier Imhotep. They built pyramids in a different form. For example, the period of the reign of Pharaoh Snefru was marked by the creation of two unique pyramids of ancient Egypt - broken and pink:
- At the first, the angle of inclination of the walls from the base of the building to its middle is 54° 31', and then it changes to 43° 21'. There are many versions explaining such a strange form of construction. The main one is that the death of the pharaoh was sudden, so the workers made the slope steeper to speed up the construction process. There are other opinions on this matter. For example, that it was a trial version created for the sake of "experiment".
- The second got its name due to the color of the blocks that were used for construction. The stone was a pale pink hue, and at sunset it turned bright pink. Initially, the outer cladding was white, but over time, the coating gradually peeled off, and pink limestone, the material from which the structure was laid out, came out.
But still, the most famous are those structures that proudly rise on the Giza plateau. These three majestic pyramids of impressive size are famous all over the world.
The largest pyramid
Its other name is the Pyramid of Khufu. This is one of the most famous and largest buildings in the world. Let's make it short description. When was the pyramid of Cheops built? It was erected near the city of Giza (at the moment - a suburb of Cairo). The largest pyramid began to be built on August 23, 2480 BC. For its construction, the forces of 100 thousand people were used. The first 10 years were required in order to build a road along which giant blocks of stones were delivered. It took another 20 years to build the structure itself.
Attention! The Pyramid of Cheops is striking in its scale. Today, its height is 137 meters, but this was not always the case, because over time the cladding was worn out and part of the base was covered with sand. Initially, it was 10 meters higher.
147 meters is the length of the side of the base, made in the form of a square. According to studies, more than 2 million limestone blocks were used for construction, the average weight of one of them is 2.5 tons. Each block fits perfectly to the next one and is raised to a certain height. The entrance can be found on the north side of the building, at a height of just over 15 meters. Stone slabs resembling an arch are laid out around.
It is still unknown how exactly the Egyptians managed to cope not only with the lifting of the blocks, but also with their perfect fit to each other. There are no gaps between blocks. Some are sure that they were not engaged in raising the blocks - they just crushed the limestone, brought it to a powdery state, and then removed the moisture, and so it turned into cement, which was poured into pre-created formwork. After that, water, crushed stone and stone were added - in this way monolithic blocks arose.
The stepped structure served several purposes: it was used as a sundial, a seasonal calendar, and a reference point for geodetic measurements.
Little is known about who built the largest Egyptian pyramid. The architect was the vizier of the pharaoh named Cheops Hemiun. He was engaged in design, was the head of the work, but he did not have time to see his offspring, as he died shortly before the completion of construction.
Attention! Today there is no exact information that the tomb of Cheops is located inside. However, it is believed that such buildings were part of ritual burial complexes.
Chamber inside Khufu's pyramid
Inside there are three chambers: the upper one is the royal burial chamber and is lined with granite blocks, each one weighs 60 tons. This chamber is located at a height of 43 meters from the base. There is also an ascending corridor and the queen's chambers. In the burial pit at the beginning of the 20th century, two engineers dug a well, where, in their opinion, a hidden burial chamber should have been located.
However, their efforts were in vain: it later turned out that the construction of the chamber was not completed. Instead, the burial chambers were arranged in the center, they are located one above the other.
More recently, using muon radiography technology, it was possible to find a room that was not known before.. It was calculated that its length is 30 meters, and its width is 2 meters, it is located right in the center of the building. Scientists are trying to drill a small 3-centimeter hole in order to launch a mini-robot inside and explore the room they found, since it is still unknown what is in it and for what purposes it serves.
Today, there is almost nothing left of the cladding - the inhabitants of Cairo decided that it would be “more necessary” for the construction of their houses, and they took it to their homes. However, there are remains of white limestone on the nearby Pyramid of Khafre, which is somewhat smaller.
Second largest building
Its height is 143.5 meters. If you believe the legends, then it was crowned with a granite pyramidion, decorated with gold. There is no data on why what is no longer there, and where it is now. Khafre spent 40 years building a tomb for himself. It was built using the same technology as the previous one, but it is located on a higher hill, and its slope is steeper, which makes the structure impregnable and difficult even for professional climbers. At the moment, climbing to the top is prohibited in order to preserve the remains of the old cladding.
The protective material granite was used inside and outside the pyramid, but it was not used in the burial chamber. At the moment, the condition of the building is assessed as good, despite the fact that its size has slightly decreased. The blocks, made of limestone and weighing a couple of tons each, are attached to each other so tightly that not a piece of paper or even a hair can be inserted between them.
The youngest of the three, the height is 62 meters. At the same time, in some pictures, tourists manage to choose the angle so that it looks the highest. The ancient building has been preserved in good condition and is open to the public. Starting from this building, large tombs were no longer erected. Scientists believe that by that time the decline of the era of great buildings began.
Attention! An interesting feature of the Menkaure pyramid is that the largest stone block in it weighs at least 200 tons.
Other architectural elements
Later, the pharaohs stopped creating grandiose structures. Thus, Pharaoh Userkaf ordered the construction of a building in Saqqara, the height of which is 44.5 meters. At the moment, it looks like a pile of stones that has nothing to do with an architectural structure. The same goes for the rest of the buildings. In total, about 100 pyramids were erected in Egypt. Their appearance is the same - only the height and volume change.
Great sphinx
A monolithic limestone rock was used to make this famous sculpture. The Great Sphinx is considered one of the elements of the architectural complex in Giza. The length of the sphinx is 73 meters, and it “stretched” up to 20 meters in height. For all the time of its existence, the sculpture turned out to be almost completely covered with sand. It was cleared only in 1925 - then they learned about the actual dimensions of the architectural object.
Conclusion
Some believe that the multi-stage pyramids in ancient Egypt were born as a result of the actions of a mysterious and powerful civilization or alien beings. Different concepts of how the ancient Egyptians built their structures are attractive and more than once formed the basis of works of literature and cinema.
The only 7 wonders of the world that have survived to this day is the pyramid of Cheops, or the pyramid of Khufu, as the Egyptians themselves call it, unlike the rest of the world, which uses the Greek pronunciation of the name of the pharaoh.
In order to fully realize how far from us those times when the Cheops pyramid was built, one has only to think that for the contemporaries of the other six wonders of the world, the Great Pyramid at Giza was so old that they no longer knew the solution to its secret.
Despite the fact that the largest pyramid in the world is over four thousand years old, it has survived quite well to our times. Today, excursions to the Egyptian pyramids can be ordered from almost any hotel in Cairo.
History and construction of the Great Pyramid of Cheops
It is believed that a certain Hemion, the nephew and vizier of the pharaoh, and, by compatibility, also a court architect, was engaged in the embodiment of royal ambitions. The pyramid of Cheops was built around 2540 BC, and its construction began twenty years earlier - somewhere in 2560 BC.
More than two million huge stones were needed to build the Great Pyramid of Giza. The largest blocks weighed several tens of tons. For the construction weighing 6.4 million tons, so that it does not go underground under its own weight, solid rocky soil was chosen. Granite blocks were delivered from a quarry, which was located at a distance of 1000 km. Scientists still cannot find an answer to the question of how these stones were transported and how the Cheops pyramid was built.
A lot of controversy is also caused by the purpose of the highest pyramid in Ancient Egypt. According to the most common opinion, this is indeed the tomb of Cheops (the second pharaoh of the IV dynasty of rulers) and members of his family. Nevertheless, discussions around the riddle of the pyramid do not subside. For example, from the point of view of some astronomers, a kind of observatory was equipped here, since the ventilation ducts and corridors point to the stars Sirius, Tuban, and Alnitak with amazing accuracy. It is also interesting that during the construction of the pyramid of Cheops, the coordinates of the Earth's magnetic poles were also taken into account.
Geometry and description of Khufu's pyramid
The dimensions of the Cheops pyramid surprise even modern man. Its foundation occupies a huge area of 53 thousand square meters, which is commensurate with ten football fields. Other parameters are no less striking: the length of the base is 230 m, the length of the side rib is the same, and the area of the side surface is 85.5 thousand square meters.
Now the height of the Cheops pyramid is 138 meters, but initially it reached 147 meters, which can be compared with a fifty-story skyscraper. The years have left their mark on the safety of the pyramid. Numerous earthquakes over thousands of years brought down the stone top of the structure, and the smooth stone that lined the outer walls crumbled. Nevertheless, the interior of the attraction, despite the many robbery and vandal invasions, remained almost unchanged.
The entrance to the pyramid, located from the north, was originally at a height of almost 16 meters and was sealed with a granite plug. Now tourists get inside through a huge gap made ten meters below, left in 1820 by the Arabs, led by Caliph Abdullah al-Mamun, who attempted to find the treasures supposedly hidden here.
Inside the pyramid of Cheops there are three tombs located one above the other. The lowest, unfinished underground chamber is located at the base of the rock. Above it are the burial chambers of the queen and the pharaoh, to which the Grand Gallery ascends. Those who built the pyramid created a complex system of corridors and shafts, the plan of which is still being studied by scientists. Egyptologists put forward a whole theory of understanding the afterlife of people of that time. These arguments explain the secret doors and other design features.
For many years now, the Pyramid of Pharaoh Cheops in Giza, like the Great Sphinx, is in no hurry to reveal all its secrets. For tourists, it remains the most striking attraction of Egypt. It is impossible to fully comprehend the secrets of its corridors, shafts and ventilation ducts. Only one thing is clear: the Great Pyramid is the fruit of a brilliant design idea.
- There are many opinions about when the Cheops pyramid was built and who did it. The most original assumptions are various versions about the construction completed long before the Flood by civilizations that did not survive it, as well as hypotheses about alien creators.
- Despite the fact that no one knows the exact time when the Cheops pyramid was built, in Egypt, the date of the start of its construction is celebrated at the official level - August 23, 2560 BC.
- The latest excavations carried out at the beginning of the 21st century show that the work of the pyramid builders was hard, but at the same time they were well taken care of. They had a high-calorie diet of meat and fish and comfortable sleeping places. Many Egyptologists are of the opinion that they were not even slaves.
- Studying the ideal proportions of the Great Pyramid at Giza, scientists came to the conclusion that already in those days the ancient Egyptians knew very well what the golden ratio was, and actively used its principle when creating a drawing.
- Inside the pyramid of Cheops there are no decorative paintings and historical inscriptions, except for a small portrait in the passage to the queen's chamber. There is not even any evidence that the pyramid belonged to Pharaoh Khufu at all.
- Until 1300, for three millennia, the Great Pyramid was the tallest artificial structure on the planet until they built one that exceeded it Cathedral in Lincoln.
- The heaviest stone block used in the construction of the pyramid weighs 35 tons and is placed above the entrance to the pharaoh's burial chamber.
- Before the Arab vandal invasion of Egypt, the outer slabs of the Cairo pyramid were so carefully polished that they radiated a mysterious shimmer in the light of the moon, and in the rays of the sun their lining shone with a soft peach light.
- To study rooms that are difficult for a person to reach, scientists used a special robot.
- From 6 to 10 thousand tourists visit the pyramids daily, and about 3 million a year.
Useful information for tourists
Currently, in the museum on the south side of the pyramid, you can get acquainted with the exhibits that were found during excavations and in the pyramid itself. There is an opportunity to see the restored unique cedar boat (Sun Boat), which was built by the ancient Egyptians. You can also buy souvenirs here. And the next point of view on the territory will be the Great Sphinx.
In the evenings, a light and sound show is shown in Giza: alternate floodlighting of local attractions is accompanied by a fascinating story, including in Russian and in English.
Opening hours of the museum complex in Giza
- daily from 8.00 to 17.00;
- in winter - until 16.30;
- during Ramadan - until 15.00.
Ticket prices
- entrance ticket to the Giza zone for foreigners - $ 8;
- entrance to the pyramid of Cheops - $16;
- inspection of the Solar Boat - $ 7.
For children and students, prices are usually two times lower.
- To visit the pyramid of Cheops, only 300 tickets are sold per day: 150 at 8.00 and 150 at 13.00.
- It is best to go to the pyramids in the morning in order to grab a ticket and protect yourself from the midday heat.
- The entrance to the pyramid is very low, you have to walk 100 meters bent over, besides, it is very dry, hot and slightly dusty inside. People suffering from claustrophobia, diseases of the respiratory tract and heart of the waters are undesirable.
- Photo and video shooting is prohibited inside. As for photographs against the background of the Great Pyramid, it is better not to give your camera into the wrong hands, as there are frequent cases of theft.
- It is better to take a photo of the Cheops pyramid (as well as other pyramids) in the morning or in the evening, when the sun does not shine too brightly, otherwise the image will turn out to be flat.
- Climbing the pyramid is strictly prohibited.
- For local residents, tourists are the main and often the only source of income, so you will constantly be offered something to buy. Therefore, think carefully whether you need certain offers, and in any case, be sure to bargain. Tipping is given only to those who really deserve it.
- Be careful: there are a lot of pickpockets around.
How to get to the pyramid of Cheops
Address: Egypt, Cairo, El Giza District, El Haram Street
Arriving from Cairo:
- By metro (line number 2) - to Giza station. Then transfer to bus number 900 or number 997 and drive along Al-Haram avenue for 15-20 minutes.
- By bus number 355 and number 357 from the airport and Heliopolis. Runs every 20 minutes.
- By taxi to Al Haram.
From Hurghada or Sharm El Sheikh: by tourist bus or taxi.
Today we will take a trip back several millennia, to the time of the ancient pharaohs and majestic pyramids. To do this, we will go to the Giza plateau - a suburb with a population of more than 3 million inhabitants, which is visited by tens of thousands of tourists every year. After all, it is here that the Great Pyramids of Egypt are located, and not in Cairo itself, as many used to believe. And it is this place that provides us with an amazing opportunity to see with our own eyes the only one of the 7 wonders of the world that has survived to this day - the pyramid of Cheops, as well as one of the largest statues in the world - the famous Great Sphinx. Just think, the complex has existed for more than 4500 years! My head is spinning from these numbers.
What is Giza, a suburb of Cairo, today.
The modern district of Giza looks poor and nondescript. Nothing special - lots of cars, people, shops, signs...
…sometimes not entirely clear.
Smiling inhabitants of modern Giza.
Ironically, the inconspicuous town is adjacent to one of the most famous ancient architectural complexes in the world. What immediately catches your eye is an unusual combination of city buildings and the tops of the pyramids hanging over them. The majestic pyramids seem to beckon you, inviting you to come closer to open the veil of their secrets and legends.
GIZA PYRAMID COMPLEX
Information:
Giza pyramid complex
Location: Pyramids Road, Giza
How to get there: by bus: stop next to the Ramses Hilton hotel - 357 bus, or minibuses towards Giza; by metro: The Giza station, then by minibus or taxi to the pyramids; by taxi (20-30 pounds)
Cost: 80 LE, students - 40 LE
Opening hours: summer - 7:00-19:00, winter - 8:00-17:00
The ticket includes entrance to the Giza Plateau (visiting the pyramids from the outside), a visit to the Temple of Khafre in the valley (Valley Temple of Khafre), satellite pyramids of Cheops, and some separate small pyramids
Individual tickets:
Pyramid of Khufu - 200 LE, students - 100 LE; summer - 8:00-11:00, 13:00-18:00, winter - 8:00-11:00, 13:00-17:00; only 150 tickets are sold before the break and 150 after.
Pyramid of Khafre - 40 LE, students - 20 LE; Pyramid of Menkaure - temporarily closed;
Museum of the Solar Boat - 60 LE;
ISIC card discounts for students
Light show (Sound and Light Show)- daily at 19:00 - in English, 20:00 - German, Italian, Spanish, French (depending on the day of the week), 21:00 - in Arabic. Duration - about an hour. It is possible to translate into Russian, Japanese, Polish, Chinese and other languages (through headphones, included in the price).
Phones: (+202) 338-57320, (+202) 338-47823, (+202) 338-67374
Photography is prohibited inside the pyramids. Shooting on a plateau with a tripod - 20 LE. Tickets for the plateau and separate tickets for the entrance to the pyramids of Cheops and Khafre, as well as to the light show, are sold near different entrances.
Briefly about the main thing. The Giza Plateau lies in the Libyan Desert. Here are the buildings of the times of the Old Kingdom (XXVI-XXIII centuries BC). The basis of the complex is 3 Great Pyramids along with their satellite pyramids. Also on the plan of Giza you can see the tombs of members of the families of the pharaohs and the nobility, the statue of the Great Sphinx, 4 cemeteries, several temples, a modern center for the study of the pyramids and a museum. To see all these buildings in detail, you will most likely need a whole day. I, unfortunately, did not have so much time, so only the most important objects are included in my article.
Complex plan:
And so the Great Pyramids look from a bird's eye view. You can even see them from the window of an airplane if you fly over Cairo. So during my first flight to Egypt, a good half of the passengers gathered at the windows when the captain announced that if we all moved to the right side of the cabin together, the plane would tilt from such a weight, and we could see the pyramids. It worked 🙂
In the evenings, the Sphinx hosts light shows on the theme of Ancient Egypt and the pyramids (Sound and Light Show) in several languages (for an additional fee).
I want to warn you - be careful with such barkers. One friend told me the story of how her son was almost forcibly put on a camel and began to take pictures "absolutely free." But in order to remove the frightened guy from the hump of the proud ship of the desert, and return the camera to the mistress, they began to demand baksheesh. I had to threaten with guides and policemen. The moral of the story is this: you can ride, but be careful. In which case, immediately boldly declare that you will call the guide now, even if you came here alone. This, oddly enough, works. Just do not think that I dissuade you from the opportunity to take beautiful photos on a camel. In my opinion, the idea is wonderful, the main thing is to agree on a price in advance 🙂
The Great Pyramids of Giza: the main decoration of the complex.
What kind of pyramids were not built in Ancient Egypt - stepped, broken, pink, huge or very tiny ... The most famous of them - the Great Pyramids - are located in the central part of the Giza complex, where they are located on the same line - from the largest to the smallest. it the pyramids of Cheops (Khufu), Khafre (Khafre) and Menkaure (Menkaure).
!!Fact: As you know, these 3 pharaohs were related. Chephren was the brother or son of Cheops, and Menkaure was the son of Chephren.
Each of the pyramids has its own "satellite pyramids", where members of the families of the pharaohs are buried, and its own mortuary temple (see plan of the complex). Here they are, beauties, towering against the backdrop of Cairo.
From this angle, it seems that the pyramid with the "tip" is the largest in size, but in fact, it is the middle of the three - the Khafre pyramid.
The next photo shows the smallest pyramid of Menkaure with its tiny satellites. Menkaure and Cheops got 3 "satellite pyramids", but Chephren got only one.
Until now, scientists are arguing whether these pyramids were built by people or alien creatures, whether they were intended only for burials or had other secret meanings. To go back to the past for real, to look at least with one eye at the life of Giza several thousand years ago ... Oh, dreams ...
Pyramid of Cheops: along the corridors of one of the Wonders of the World.
Having snapped some “postcards”, I went inside the Cheops pyramid. The only one in our group. What kind of ignorant people are these? So, gentlemen, is the largest and best known of Egyptian pyramids, the only one of the Seven Wonders of the World that has managed to reach our days. Wow, I saw it with my own eyes! Another name for the Cheops pyramid is the Great Pyramid. It was intended, in fact, for the burial of Pharaoh Cheops (or Khufu).
Her 3 satellites - standing next to each other are small pyramids - this is the pyramid of Queen Hetepheres (GIa) - the mother of Khufu, the pyramid of Queen Meritit I (GIb) - the 1st wife of Khufu, and the pyramid of Henutsen (GIc) - the 2nd wife of Khufu. One of them is visible in the photo.
!!Fact: Initially, the top of the pyramid of Cheops was gilded.
She probably has the most crowds of people than the other points of the complex combined. Everyone wants to touch it, smell it, lean against it, take a picture ...
Here are the main parameters of the Cheops pyramid:
- The height of the pyramid is 139 meters.
- The 4 sides of its base are 230 meters long each, with a slight difference.
- Materials for construction - limestone, basalt, granite.
- The total weight of the pyramid is more than 6 million tons. It consists of about 2.5 million stone blocks. The average size of each block is 1 m³, the average weight is 2.5 tons. The heaviest of them weighs as much as 35 tons.
You can climb on the blocks, which I did. The truth is not high, otherwise the guards will start to swear. A great chance to “touch the antiquity” by yourself.
As for the entrance, there are as many as 2 of them. Previously, they penetrated inside through the old entrance. The current one is located a little lower, and tourists pass through it today. It was once broken through the wall of the pyramid, hoping to find treasures there. Not found.
So, we go inside, passing through the open gate in the background. Unfortunately, this photo was the only "legal" inside the Cheops pyramid: for some reason, shooting is prohibited here. You have to leave the camera at the entrance at your own peril and risk. I resisted for a long time, it was elementary scary for the fate of my camera. True, in the end he was returned safe and sound. Further photos will be taken using the phone, which I carefully hid so that it would not fall into the hands of the guards 🙂
The first impression of the pyramid is subdued light and silence inside, long and very narrow corridors. Inside there are no statues or wall paintings, which are found, for example, in later tombs in. It has its own special atmosphere.
But, what was my disappointment when I found that you can only go through a few corridors and go into only a few rooms. I compared what is open to tourists with what is present on the plan of the pyramid, and realized that only a third is open for inspection. As a result, the whole trip down to the end point and back, if you do not consider every corner, took only a few minutes. That's the whole Great Pyramid. I read the comments on the Internet, and came to the conclusion that either I somehow missed the passages to the top, or at that time they were simply closed. I will explain what is at stake. Look at Cheops pyramid plan.
As we can see, there are 3 burial chambers inside it, one of which, for some reason, was not completed. Also, in the pyramid there is a system of corridors with a large gallery. This is what I expected to see in theory. In fact, what I managed to get through - this is the path from the entrance (2) along the descending corridor (4) to the unfinished underground chamber (5). All, comrades! It's annoying.
Descending corridor (4).
The length of the corridor is 105 m. The descent takes place at a steep slope. If for some reason you want to stop in the middle, then this is unlikely to succeed if you do not want to delay the others: the passage is really narrow and does not even fit two people wide. Next comes short tunnel, leading to an unfinished underground chamber (5). I saw another passage closed with bars. Apparently, the missing part on the pyramid plan is hidden behind it.
Camera (5) It is a small nondescript room. That, in fact, is all. Maybe I didn't look there?
Finally, one more fact. In the 20th century, a large wooden boat was found in one of the rooms, disassembled into parts. Now it is in the Solar Boat Museum, located next to the pyramid. Unfortunately, I did not have enough time to visit the museum.
Let's move on to another one of the most beloved points of the Giza complex by tourists - the statue of the Great Sphinx, the oldest surviving monumental statue in the world. Let me remind you that in ancient Egypt, the sphinx is a stone figure of a lion with a human head. For several millennia, he has been basking under the Egyptian sun, carefully guarding the plateau and its buildings.
The height of the Sphinx is 20 m, its width is 73 m. For its age, the statue has been perfectly preserved to this day, however, having lost its nose in the fight against sandy winds. The face of the mythical animal is turned towards the Nile, from where the sun rises. Scientists believe that it has a portrait resemblance to Pharaoh Mikerin - the "master" of one of the three Great Pyramids.
What kind of photos with the Sphinx are not taken by travelers coming here .. Some jump on its background, others try to hug it, and still others give it a kiss as hot as the Libyan desert. I was no exception. The Sphinx impressed me almost more than the pyramids themselves, and I think he deserved this kiss.
An annex is located next to the statue - sphinx temple. Together they form a single complex. Separate tickets for visiting the temple are not needed, as one of the barkers did not try to convince me of the opposite. As an usher, he, of course, tried to speak himself.
On this romantic frame with a kiss, I finish my story. Until we meet again with hot Egypt!
- one of the most ancient "seven wonders of the world", which has survived to this day. She inherited her name from the creator - Pharaoh Cheops and is the largest in the group of Egyptian pyramids.
It is believed that it serves as a tomb for his dynasty. The Pyramid of Cheops is located on the Giza plateau.
Dimensions of the pyramid of Cheops
The height of the Pyramid of Cheops initially reached 146.6 meters, but time inexorably and gradually destroys this impressive structure. Today it has decreased to 137.2 meters.
The pyramid is composed, in general, of 2.3 million cubes of stone. The weight of one stone is on average 2.5 tons, but there are even those whose mass reaches 15 tons.
The most interesting thing is that these blocks fit so perfectly that even the blade of a thin knife cannot pass through them. They were glued together with white cement, as a protection against the penetration of water inside. It has survived to this day.
One side of the pyramid is 230 meters long. The base area is 53,000 square meters, which can be equated to ten football fields.
This huge building impresses with its grandeur and breathes with antiquity. According to scientists, the total weight of the pyramid is 6.25 million tons. Previously, its surface was perfectly smooth. Now, unfortunately, there is no trace of this smoothness.
Inside the pyramid of Cheops there is one entrance, located at a height of 15.5 meters above the ground. It contains the tombs in which the pharaohs were buried. These so-called burial chambers are made of durable granite and are located at a depth of 28 meters.
The pyramid consists of incoming and descending passages, which were not used in any other similar building. One of the features is a large descent leading to the tomb of the pharaoh.
The Pyramid of Cheops is located directly in the place that points to all four cardinal points. She is the one and only ancient structures, has this accuracy. 
History of the Pyramid of Cheops
How the ancient Egyptians were able to build this Pyramid and when, no one can say for sure. But in Egypt, the official date when construction began is August 23, 2480 BC.
It was then that Pharaoh Snofu died and his son Khufu (Cheops) gave the order to build the pyramid. He wanted to build such a pyramid that it would not only become one of the greatest structures, but also glorify his name through the ages.
It is known that about 100,000 people simultaneously participated in its construction. For 10 years, they only built a road along which it was necessary to deliver stones, and the construction itself continued for another 20-25 years.
According to scientists, it is known that workers cut down huge blocks in quarries on the banks of the Nile. On boats they went to the other side and dragged a block along the road with felt to the construction site itself.
Then came the turn of hard and very dangerous work. The blocks were stacked to each other with extraordinary accuracy with the help of ropes and levers.
Secrets of the Pyramid of Cheops
For almost 3,500 years, no one has disturbed the peace of the Pyramid of Cheops. She was covered with legends about the punishment of anyone who enters the chambers of the pharaoh. 
However, there was such a daredevil caliph Abdullah al-Mamun, he laid a tunnel inside the pyramid in order to profit. But what was his surprise when he found absolutely no treasures. Indeed, this is one of the many secrets of this majestic structure.
No one knows whether the pharaoh Cheops was really buried in it or his tomb was plundered by the ancient Egyptians. Scientists emphasize that the pharaoh's chamber does not have decorations, which at that time it was customary to decorate the tombs. There is no lid on the sarcophagus, and it is not completely hewn. It is clear that the work has not been completed.
After an unsuccessful attempt by Abdullah al-Mamun, having come into a frenzy, he ordered the pyramids to be dismantled. But of course this goal was not achieved. And the robbers lost all interest in her and her non-existent treasures.
In 1168, the Arabs burned part of Cairo, and when the Egyptians began to rebuild their houses, they removed the white slabs from the pyramid.
And from that pyramid that shone like a precious stone, only a stepped body remained. This is how it appears today, before enthusiastic tourists.
The Pyramid of Cheops has been constantly explored, since the time of Napoleon. And some researchers are more inclined to believe the theory about the construction of the pyramid by aliens or Atlanteans.
Because to this day it is not clear how the builders could achieve such excellent stone processing and precise laying, which have not been affected by external factors for centuries. And the pyramid measurements themselves are striking in their results.
The pyramid was surrounded by other interesting buildings, mostly temples. But today, almost nothing has survived.
Their purpose is not completely clear, but in 1954, archaeologists found the most ancient ship at this place. It was the “Solnechnaya” boat, which was made without a single nail, with traces of silt preserved, and most likely floated in the time of Cheops.
The Pyramid of Cheops is located on the Giza plateau. Giza is a settlement northwest of Cairo. You can get there by taxi, naming the Mena House Hotel as the final stop. Or take a bus to go from the stops of Tahrir Square, in Cairo, or sit at the Ramesses station.
Pyramid of Cheops on the map
Attraction opening hours and price
You can see the majestic Pyramid of Cheops every day from 8.00 to 17.00. in winter, the visit is limited to 16.30. It is advisable to visit the pyramid in the early morning or late afternoon. In the rest of the hours it is quite hot, and you can’t break through the crowds of tourists. Although at this hour they are not so few.
Passing to the ticket office, which is not far from the hotel, you should not pay attention to barkers offering a ride on camels or calling themselves controllers. Most likely they are scammers.
The cost of entering the territory will cost $ 8, the entrance to the Pyramid of Cheops itself will cost $ 16. And of course, it is worth visiting the two pyramids of Khafre and Mykerin standing next to each other, each will cost $ 4. And to see the Solar Boat - $ 7.
It is impossible to appreciate the full power and grandeur of the Pyramid of Cheops shrouded in many secrets from photographs or words.
You just need to see it with your own eyes and touch this ancient, truly impressive structure.
