The Pyramid of Khufu
The first thing that comes to mind when “Egypt” is mentioned is probably pyramids. The massive ancient triangular structures in the middle of the desert always have and always will be a source of mystique and intrigue in the modern world. And the most famous of these pyramids is The Great Pyramid of Giza, the oldest of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.
11 Interesting Facts about the Great Pyramid of Giza
1. The Great Pyramid is the largest of the famous Giza pyramid complex, which houses three pyramids, each built as a tomb for a fourth dynasty Pharaoh. The Great Pyramid was believed to be built as a tomb for Pharaoh Khufu, and is often known as the Pyramid of Khufu or Pyramid of Cheops.
2. It took workers roughly 20 years to build the spectacular masterpiece. In fact, even our current technology falls short when it comes to figuring out exactly how it was built. There are multiple theories regarding the planning and execution of this massive project.
3. From the time it was built, it remained the tallest man-made structure in the world (146.5 meters) for over 3800 years.
4. It incorporates about 2.3 million stone blocks, weighing an average of 2.5 to 15 tons each. Some blocks even weigh around 50 tons.
5. The pyramid is superbly constructed, using high quality materials –
- a. The cornerstone foundations of the pyramid have ball and socket construction capable of dealing with heat expansion and earthquakes.
- b. The outer mantle is made up of 144,000 casing stones, that are highly polished, with slanted sides but flat tops, and a very low margin of error.
- c. The mortar used remains unknown even today – what is most mysterious is that although the chemical composition has been figured out, we have yet to be able to reproduce it successfully.
6. The pyramid was originally covered with highly polished casing stones of limestone, that would have reflected the light of the sun so powerfully that the pyramid would’ve been visible from the moon as a shining star on earth. In fact, the ancient Egyptians called the great pyramid “ikhet”, meaning the “Glorious Light”
7. The Great Pyramid is the most accurately aligned structure in the world as it truly points north with only 3/60th of a degree of error.
8. Another curious thing about the pyramid is the constant temperature of the interiors (68 degrees Fahrenheit).
9. The Great Pyramid is located at the center of the land mass of the earth. Talk about great precision!
10. The Great Pyramid has three burial chambers, and many hidden shafts, presumably to help the royal souls journey into the afterlife.
11. Yet another mystery of the Great Pyramid is the absence of the King whose tomb it is. Records show that King Khufu’s sarcophagus was open and empty when it was found. It might have been plundered, like almost all pyramids have, by tomb-robbers, but there multiple theories (unconfirmed) about the real purpose behind building the pyramid.
Wouldn’t it be awesome to find the truth about pyramids? The Egyptians sure left behind some very interesting mysteries for us to wonder about.
Here are a few amazing facts about the Egyptian Pyramids.