Of course, everyone knows where the Cheops pyramid is located. After all, this is one of the most outstanding monuments not only of Egypt, but of the entire planet. And despite the achievements of modern science, the secrets of the Cheops pyramid are still unrevealed. This is one of the reasons why this huge structure attracts numerous tourists, as well as the fact that it is the only wonder of the world that has survived to this day.

This place really has some special magnetism. And even the numerous souvenir sellers and camel drivers who want to make money from curious tourists do not spoil general impression. Looking ahead, I will say that the Cheops Pyramid inside is not as stunning as the outside. And if you decide to save money on an “internal” excursion, you won’t lose much. Moreover, I would not recommend going inside for people with claustrophobia, breathing problems or heart problems. The corridors here are quite narrow, and the air is heavy and stuffy, despite the presence of ventilation ducts. By the way, excursion tours are often very intense and do not allow time to get acquainted with the pyramidal structures inside. Therefore, be sure to clarify this point in advance if you still decide to come into contact with the secret from the inside.

History of construction

The most famous pyramidal structure owes its “birth” to Pharaoh Khufu, who ruled Egypt for at least 27 years. According to legend, a huge amount of money was spent on the creation of this great monument, which led to the weakening of the state. Scientists do not yet have a consensus on how true this is. But it is clear that a lot of resources were spent. After all, the original height of the Cheops pyramid was 146.6 meters. But what is noteworthy is that it looks slightly lower than the neighboring building. And not only because she “lost” the top. The son of Cheops, building his pyramid, cheated a little by choosing a place 10 meters higher.

There are many versions of how the Cheops pyramid was built, consisting of 2.3 million stone blocks. Their total weight is approximately 6.5 million tons. The stone blocks are carefully fitted to each other and held together with a special compound - pink gypsum “milk”. The walls have a slope of 52 degrees and embody the number "pi". This giant is located on an area of ​​5 hectares. The diagram of the Cheops pyramid clearly demonstrates that inside it is practically a monolith, in which there are only a few corridors, halls and ventilation ducts. To avoid theft, the ancient Egyptians placed special mechanisms inside. But the traps of the Cheops pyramid, religious prohibitions and other tricks did not protect the structure from robbers.

There is also no exact information about how old the Cheops pyramid is. Its age is estimated at only approximately 4.5 thousand years. But some researchers believe that the monument could have been erected much earlier - back in the 11th millennium BC, and that representatives of extraterrestrial civilizations were involved in the construction.

There are many legends about this building. But I also picked Interesting Facts about the Cheops pyramid, confirmed by scientific research. Among them are those that still remain little known. And if you have never been here on an excursion, then you are unlikely to know that:

  • For almost three thousand years, the Cheops pyramid was the tallest structure in the world. She gave the “Palm of Championship” only in 1311 - at that time construction was completed in Lincoln Cathedral. Sometimes the Eiffel Tower, built at the end of the 19th century, is mistakenly called the new record holder. In fact, before it there were structures higher than the Cheops pyramid. These are mainly temple buildings, as well as the Washington Memorial.
  • Many consider the pyramid to be the tomb of a pharaoh. But this is a misconception, since the Egyptian ruler was buried in the Valley of the Kings, and his body was never inside the structure. But still there is a direct connection with the pharaoh. The pyramid functionally played the role of a kind of “suitcase”. Within its walls are many things that, according to the ancient Egyptians, were necessary for a royal person in the afterlife.
  • For a long time it was believed that the pyramids were built by slaves. But as modern researchers have proven, free residents of Ancient Egypt, who also had high professional qualifications, were involved in construction. The dimensions and proportions of the Cheops pyramid are perfectly calculated, and the structure was built with impeccable precision.
  • The Pyramid of Cheops in Egypt was first mentioned in writing in the works of Herodotus. The author describes his own impressions of visiting this religious building and shares the information he received from local priests. This work is dated 440 BC. However, Herodotus was unable to obtain any valuable information, except for some geometric data.
  • The Pyramid of Cheops has its own “birthday.” The Egyptians celebrate it on August 23, and this day is a national holiday. However, this holiday appeared in Egypt quite recently - only in 2009, and has only a tentative relationship to the exact date of the start of construction. This hypothesis was put forward by scientists from Cambridge.

But, nevertheless, too many tourists gather here on this day, and if you want to explore the main Egyptian attraction in a relaxed atmosphere, do not plan an excursion for this day. There are also other nuances that are useful to know if you are going to get to know this wonder of the world with your own eyes.

Helpful information

The Pyramid of Cheops on the map is located on the left and slightly south of Cairo, in Giza. It is from the Egyptian capital that it is most convenient to get to this pyramid complex, where, in addition to the famous tomb of Khufu, you will also see the pyramids of the son and grandson of the pharaoh (Khephren and Mikerin), which are slightly lower. This is the best preserved pyramidal complex in the entire country. The journey from Cairo takes about 20 minutes. Excursion tour can be purchased both directly in the capital and in any of the resorts. The road from Hugarda is approximately 5-6 hours by bus, from Sherm al-Sheikh - from 7 to 8 hours.

  • When buying excursions from these cities, do not focus on the cheapest offers - there is a risk of ending up in an uncomfortable bus without air conditioning, which, given the high Egyptian temperatures, can ruin the entire impression of the excursion.
  • Entrance to the territory is paid (80 and 40 EGP for adults and children, respectively). Entrance inside is paid separately - (200 EGP for adults and half the price for a child's ticket). You will also have to pay extra for photography inside.
  • Be sure to check the weather forecast. If there is strong wind in the future, it is better to postpone the trip, as everything will be covered in sand. And don’t forget to take a hat - this will protect you from the heat and from pestering sellers.

The number of internal visits is limited (300 people per day), so the chances of getting inside the pyramidal complex on your own, without being part of excursion group, not too high. But you can take great photos in front of the most famous Egyptian monument in any case, and they will remind you of this exciting journey for a long time.

The first wonder of the world of all time, one of the main structures of our planet, a place full of secrets and mysteries, a point of constant pilgrimage for tourists - the Egyptian pyramids and in particular the Cheops pyramid.

The construction of giant pyramids, of course, was far from easy. Enormous efforts of a large number of people were made to deliver stone blocks to the Giza or Saqqara plateau, and later to the Valley of the Kings, which became the new necropolis of the pharaohs.

At the moment, there are about a hundred discovered pyramids in Egypt, but discoveries continue, and their number is constantly increasing. IN different times one of the 7 wonders of the world meant different pyramids. Some meant all the pyramids of Egypt as a whole, some the pyramids near Memphis, some the three large pyramids of Giza, and most critics recognized exclusively the largest pyramid of Cheops.

Afterlife of Ancient Egypt

One of the central moments in the life of the ancient Egyptians was religion, which shaped the entire culture as a whole. Particular attention was paid to the afterlife, perceived as a clear continuation of earthly life. That is why preparation for life after death began long before death and was set as one of the main life tasks.

According to ancient Egyptian belief, man had several souls. The soul of Ka acted as a double of the Egyptian whom he was to meet in the afterlife. The soul of Ba contacted the person himself and left his body after death.

Religious life of the Egyptians and the god Anubis

At first, it was believed that only the pharaoh had the right to life after death, but he could bestow this “immortality” on his entourage, who were usually buried next to the tomb of the ruler. Ordinary people get into world of the dead was not destined to happen, the only exception being the slaves and servants whom the pharaoh “took” with him, and who were depicted on the walls of the great tomb.

But for a comfortable life after death, the deceased had to be provided with everything necessary: ​​food, household utensils, servants, slaves and much more necessary for the average pharaoh. They also tried to preserve the person’s body so that Ba’s soul could later connect with him again. Therefore, in matters of body preservation, embalming and the creation of complex pyramid tombs were born.

The first pyramid in Egypt. Pyramid of Djoser

Speaking about the construction of the pyramids in Ancient Egypt Overall, the beginning of their story is worth mentioning. The very first pyramid in Egypt was built about five thousand years ago on the initiative of Pharaoh Djoser. It is in these 5 thousand years that the age of the pyramids in Egypt is estimated. The construction of the Pyramid of Djoser was led by the famous and legendary Imhotep, who was even deified in later centuries.

Pyramid of Djoser

The entire complex of the building being erected occupied an area of ​​545 by 278 meters. The perimeter was surrounded by a 10-meter wall with 14 gates, only one of which was real. In the center of the complex was the pyramid of Djoser with sides 118 by 140 meters. The height of the Djoser pyramid is 60 meters. Almost at a depth of 30 meters there was a burial chamber, to which corridors with many branches led. The branch rooms contained utensils and sacrifices. Here archaeologists found three bas-reliefs of Pharaoh Djoser himself. Near the eastern wall of Djoser's pyramid, 11 small burial chambers were discovered, intended for the royal family.

Unlike the famous great pyramids Giza, the pyramid of Djoser had a stepped shape, as if intended for the Pharaoh’s ascension to heaven. Of course, this pyramid is inferior in popularity and size to the Cheops pyramid, but still the contribution of the very first stone pyramid to the culture of Egypt is difficult to overestimate.

The Pyramid of Cheops. History and Brief Description

But still, the most famous for the ordinary population of our planet are the three nearby pyramids of Egypt - Khafre, Mekerin and the largest and tallest pyramid in Egypt - Cheops (Khufu)

Pyramids of Giza

The pyramid of Pharaoh Cheops was built near the city of Giza, currently a suburb of Cairo. At present, it is impossible to say for sure when the Cheops pyramid was built, and research gives a strong scatter. In Egypt, for example, the date of the start of construction of this pyramid is officially celebrated - August 23, 2480 BC.

Pyramid of Cheops and Sphinx

About 100,000 people were simultaneously involved in the construction of the wonder of the world, the Pyramid of Cheops. During the first ten years of work, a road was built along which huge stone blocks were delivered to the river and the underground structures of the pyramid. Work on the construction of the monument itself continued for about 20 years.

The size of the Cheops Pyramid in Giza is amazing. The height of the Cheops pyramid initially reached 147 meters. Over time, due to sand filling and loss of lining, it decreased to 137 meters. But even this figure allowed it to remain the tallest human structure in the world for a long time. The pyramid has a square base with a side of 147 meters. To build this giant, it is estimated that 2,300,000 limestone blocks were required, weighing an average of 2.5 tons.

How were the pyramids built in Egypt?

The technology of building pyramids is still controversial in our time. Versions vary from the invention of concrete in Ancient Egypt to the construction of pyramids by aliens. But it is still believed that the pyramids were built by man solely by his own strength. So, to extract stone blocks, they first marked out a shape in the rock, hollowed out grooves and inserted dry wood into them. Later, the tree was doused with water, it expanded, a crack formed in the rock, and the block was separated. Then it was processed into the desired shape with tools and sent along the river to the construction site.

Therefore, this article will present only the main general facts and figures relating to the Great Pyramid as a whole.

Date of construction and geometric dimensions

According to generally accepted opinion, the Great Pyramid was built in the 2560-2580s BC as a tomb for the reigning pharaoh of the IV dynasty Cheops (Khufu) at that time. Despite some difficulties in explaining the possibility of its construction in the required time frame using the technology available at that time, this version is nevertheless considered the main one and has quite numerous confirmations in the form of inscriptions discovered inside the Pyramid and the Pit of the Solar Boat with it.

The Pyramid of Cheops is the largest of the Egyptian pyramids.

  • Height (today): ≈ 138.75 m
  • Height (original): ≈ 146.5 m
  • Angle: 51° 50"
  • Side length (original): 230.33 m (calculated) or about 440 Royal cubits
  • Side length (currently): about 225 m
  • The length of the sides of the base of the pyramid: south - 230.454 m; north - 230.253 m; west - 230.357 m; east - 230.394 m.
  • Foundation area (initially): ≈ 53,000 m² (5.3 ha)
  • Area of ​​the pyramid: (initially) ≈ 85,500 m²
  • Perimeter: 922 m.
  • Total volume of the pyramid without deducting the cavities inside the pyramid (initially): ≈ 2.58 million m³
  • Total volume of the pyramid, after subtracting all known cavities (initially): 2.50 million m³
  • The average size of the observed stone blocks of rough masonry: 1.27 m in width and depth, 71 cm in height (according to Petrie)
  • Average weight of rough masonry stone blocks: 2.5 t
  • The heaviest stone block of rough masonry: 15 t
  • Heaviest stone block (known; granite; above the entrance to the King's Chamber): 90 t
  • Number of blocks: about 2.5 million (provided that the pyramid is not a backfill type)
  • Estimated total weight of the pyramid: about 6.25 million tons (possibly about 6 million tons according to microgravimetry)
  • The base of the pyramid rests on a natural rocky elevation in the center (in the Grotto area) more than 9 m high.
  • Materials used in construction (from known ones): limestone from the Giza Plateau - rough masonry, Tour white limestone - internal walls, ventilation shafts and external cladding, Aswan granite - Antechamber, King's Chamber, unloading chambers (partially), plugs; Sinai - sarcophagus. Quartz sand was also found inside.
  • The pyramidion of the pyramid was not found, nor were its fastening stones.
  • The True Entrance is located traditionally, i.e., on the north side. He is the only one known.

Difference in thickness of pyramid masonry layers

Despite the fact that the pyramid is built in layers, the thickness of the layers is different and varies from 60 cm to one and a half meters.

The reasons for this are not exactly known, there are several hypotheses, the simplest one says that large blocks were laid in eras when there was an excess amount of labor for laying layers of rough masonry. Which may be connected, for example, with its release after the completion of a certain labor-intensive stage in the construction of some complex internal infrastructure or a season for the procurement of blocks, etc. The scheme requires careful analysis.

Current state of affairs and appearance after the disappearance of the cladding

The Great Pyramid now has edges concave inward. This often gives rise to various theories and speculations, but it should be remembered that the structure has lost several meters of cladding on each side, and the nature of its looting for stone does not give reason to believe that the original faces were not flat.

Perhaps the observed picture is simply a consequence of the most profitable extraction of stone.

Question about using the pyramid for its intended purpose

Since ancient times, the question has been acutely raised: was the Cheops pyramid used for its intended purpose? There is still no clear answer to this question. On the one hand, there is almost complete confidence that the pyramid was completely completed by the builders. On the other hand, what we see inside it, for example, a sarcophagus in the King’s Chamber that is clearly not of the best quality, an unfinished floor in the Queen’s Chamber, or a picture of complete incompleteness in the Underground Chamber - everything suggests that the pharaoh in these famous premises could hardly have been buried at all. Herodotus also claimed that Cheops was buried in another place, on an island surrounded on all sides by water. On the third hand, traces of obvious hacking of the plugs and dampers of the Antechamber indicate that for some reason the pyramid was carefully sealed. The official point of view of science on this matter suggests that the burglars visited the pyramid no later than the first 500-600 years from the moment of its construction. But what they found, who they were and whether they found anything at all is completely unknown. In the volume of the Great Pyramid, the volume of all known and explored rooms is less than 1 percent, and it is already known that in addition to the explored ones, there are several unknown sealed rooms in it.

Blocks and Quarries

Egyptologists believe that the Pyramids of Giza were built from natural stone, which was quarried from three quarries. The actual construction of the pyramids is made of nummulitic limestone of the Mokattam formation. The quarries were located in close proximity to the pyramids. The lower parts of the pyramids of Khafre and Mikerin were lined with granite from the Aswan quarry, which is located in Southern Egypt at a distance of 934 kilometers along the Nile (700 kilometers in a straight line). Several rows of granite cladding have been preserved at the pyramid of Mikerin. The middle and upper parts of the two large pyramids were lined with limestone from the Tours quarry, which is located on the eastern bank of the Nile south of Cairo at a distance of 13-17 kilometers from the pyramids. The number of pyramid facing blocks (granite and limestone) that have reached us is relatively small. Therefore, we can simply agree that stone from the Tours and Aswan quarries was used in the construction of the pyramids. The opinion that the pyramids were built from nummulitic limestone does not fully correspond to reality. The lower rows of the pyramids are made of hard limestone from the Moqattam formation. Higher up, blocks of soft limestone, which do not contain nummulites, predominate. It is fundamentally. That is, when describing the blocks of pyramids in specialized literature, it seems to remain “behind the scenes” that most of them are carved out of soft limestone.

The bottom rows of the pyramids (approximately 1-7/10 rows) are made of blocks cut from solid limestone. The first row of the Cheops pyramid (thickness 1.5 m) is carved from a layer of strong limestone, which has the greatest thickness - 1.5 m. The upper rows of the pyramids are dominated by blocks cut from soft limestone (or cast blocks indistinguishable from them - this statement requires evidence, Supervisor 03:05, 22 May 2011 (UTC)). When developing the quarry, it was necessary to fulfill one condition: the time elapsed from the opening of soft limestones to the cutting of building blocks from them should be minimal. That is, soft limestones had to be cut into blocks before they hardened from contact with air. In addition, after cutting the soft limestone blocks, it took some time for them to harden and not crumble during transportation. The cyclical nature of quarry development meets these requirements. Its site was being developed, the area of ​​which was approximately 1.5 times larger than the area of ​​the row of blocks where the construction of the pyramid was stopped. The blocks were cut from layers of hard and soft limestone and stored “layer by layer,” that is, according to their vertical dimensions. After all the limestone had been removed from the area, its laying into the body of the pyramid began. The order of laying blocks of different thicknesses (and, accordingly, different weights) was determined by the ratio of labor costs for lifting them. This ensured that the rows of blocks were ranked according to their thickness.

Base of the pyramid

The rocky base of the Cheops pyramid, according to modern calculations, occupies 23% of the volume of the pyramid, or about 600,000 cubic meters. The minimum figures were obtained by determining the height of the rock in terms of an average level of 12.5 meters. But the authors of the study do not exclude the possibility of using medium height 20 meters. In any case, new geological exploration work is required to clarify these data. A revision of most old works with calculations of the stone used during construction is also required. In addition, there are estimates of 10-12% of the volume of the pyramid, which is occupied by the mortar holding the blocks together.

The directions to the north of the side faces were kept so precisely that due to the sphericity of the Earth and the colossal size of the Pyramid, its northern side turned out to be 20 cm shorter than the southern one. (the exact dimensions of the pyramid are known from the preserved pits of the supporting corner stones)

Sources

[http://supernovum.ru/public/index.php?doc=171 | Mining and geological aspect of the technology of construction of the pyramids of Giza]

[http://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/docs/00/31/95/86/PDF/PyramidsSR.pdf Geological and Geomorphological study of the original hill at the base of Fourth Dynasty Egyptian monuments.]

Today we will take a trip back several thousand years, to the time of the ancient pharaohs and the 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, this is where the Great Pyramids of Egypt are located, and not in Cairo itself, as many are accustomed 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 most large statues in the world - the famous Great Sphinx. Just think, the complex has existed for more than 4,500 years! These numbers make my head spin.

What is Giza, a suburb of Cairo, like today?

The modern district of Giza looks poor and unattractive. Nothing special - a lot of cars, people, shops, signs...


...sometimes not entirely clear.

Smiling residents 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 the 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 lift 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 - bus 357, 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 (external viewing of the pyramids), a visit to the Valley Temple of Khafre, the satellite pyramids of Cheops, and some free-standing 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 available for students

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 ​​(via 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 entry to the pyramids of Cheops and Khafre, as well as the light show, are sold near different entrances.

Briefly about the main thing. The Giza Plateau lies in the Libyan Desert. Here are buildings from the times of the Old Kingdom (XXVI-XXIII centuries BC). The basis of the complex is made up of 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 nobility, the Great Sphinx statue, 4 cemeteries, several temples, a modern center for the study of the pyramids and a museum. To look at all these buildings in detail, you will most likely need a whole day. Unfortunately, I didn’t have that much time, so only the most important objects are included in my article.

Complex plan:

And this is what the Great Pyramids look like from a bird's eye view. You can even see them from an airplane window 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 together to the right side of the cabin, the plane would tilt from such a weight, and we would be able to 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 touts. One friend told me the story of how her son was almost forcibly put on a camel and began to take photographs “absolutely free of charge.” But in order to remove the frightened guy from the hump of the proud ship of the desert, and return the camera to the owner, they began to demand baksheesh. I had to threaten with guides and police. The moral of this story is this: you can go for a ride, but be careful. If something happens, immediately boldly declare that you will call a guide now, even if you came here alone. This, oddly enough, works. Just don’t think that I’m dissuading you from doing this beautiful pictures on a camel. In my opinion, the idea is wonderful, the main thing is to agree on the price in advance :)

The Great Pyramids of Giza: the main decoration of the complex.

What kind of pyramids were 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. This pyramids of Cheops (Khufu), Khafre (Khafre) and Mikerin (Menkaure).

!!Fact: As you know, these 3 pharaohs were related. Khafre was the brother or son of Cheops, and Mikerin was the son of Khafre.

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 complex plan). 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 Pyramid of Khafre.

The next photo shows the smallest pyramid of Mikerin with its tiny companions. Mikerin and Cheops each got 3 “satellite pyramids,” but Khafre got only one.

Until now, scientists are arguing whether these pyramids were built by people or alien beings, whether they were intended only for burials or had other secret meanings. If only I could go back in time for real, take at least one glance 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.

After clicking a few “postcards”, I went inside the Cheops pyramid. The only one from our group. What kind of incurious people are these? So, gentlemen, this is the largest and most famous of the Egyptian pyramids, the only one of the Seven Wonders of the World that has managed to survive to this day. Hurray, and 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).

Its 3 companions - small pyramids standing nearby - are 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 photograph.

!!Fact: Initially, the top of the Cheops pyramid was gilded.

She probably has the most crowds of people than the other points of the complex combined. Everyone wants to touch her, smell her, lean against her, 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 onto the blocks, which is what I did. True, not too high, otherwise the guards will start swearing. An excellent chance to “touch the antiquity” yourself.

As for the entrance, there are as many as 2 of them. Previously, they entered through old entrance. The current one is located a little lower, and tourists pass through it these days. It was once broken into the wall of a pyramid, hoping to find treasure there. Not found.

So, let's go inside, passing through the open gate in the background. Unfortunately, this photograph was the only “legal” one inside the Cheops pyramid: for some reason, photography is prohibited here. You must leave your camera at the entrance at your own risk. I resisted for a long time; I was simply scared for the fate of my camera. True, in the end he was returned safe and sound. Further photographs will be taken using the phone, which I carefully hid so that it would not fall into the hands of security :)

The first impression of the pyramid is dim light and silence inside, long and very narrow corridors. There are no statues or wall paintings inside, such as are found, for example, in later tombs in. It has its own special atmosphere.

But imagine my disappointment when I discovered that you could only walk along a few corridors and enter only a few rooms. I compared what was open to tourists with what was on the pyramid plan, and realized that only a third was open to inspection. As a result, the entire hike down to the final point and back, if you don’t look at 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'll explain what it's about we're talking about. Look at Cheops pyramid plan.

As we can see, inside it there are 3 burial chambers, one of which for some reason was not completed. Also, the pyramid has 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). That's it, comrades! It's a shame.

Descending corridor (4).

The length of the corridor is 105 m. The descent occurs at a large slope. If for some reason you want to stop in the middle, it is unlikely that you will be able to do so unless you want to delay others: the passage is really narrow and does not even accommodate two people wide. Next comes short tunnel, leading to an unfinished underground chamber (5). I saw another passage, closed with bars. Apparently, behind it lies the missing part on the pyramid plan.

Camera (5) is a small, nondescript room. That's all, actually. Maybe I was looking in the wrong place?

Finally, one more fact. In the 20th century, a large wooden rook (boat), disassembled into parts, was found in one of the rooms. Now it is in the Solar Boat Museum, located next to the pyramid. Unfortunately, I did not have enough time to visit the museum.

We move on to another one of the most beloved tourist spots in the Giza complex - the Great Sphinx statue, the oldest surviving monumental statue in the world. Let me remind you that in Ancient Egypt the sphinx was a stone figure of a lion with the head of a man. For several millennia it has been basking in 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, although it has 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 bears portrait resemblance to Pharaoh Mikerin, the “master” of one of the three Great Pyramids.

What kind of photographs do travelers who come here take with the Sphinx... Some jump in front of him, others try to hug him, and still others even give him 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.

Next to the statue there is an extension - Temple of the Sphinx. Together they form a single complex. You don’t need separate tickets to visit the temple, no matter how one of the barkers tried to convince me otherwise. He, of course, tried to act as an usher himself.

I end my story with this romantic kiss shot. See you again with the heat of Egypt!

Continuing the series of stories about the wonders of antiquity on LifeGlobe, I will tell you about the largest of Egyptian pyramids- Pyramid of Cheops, located in Giza. It is also called the Pyramid of Khufu, or simply the Great Pyramid.

This is the oldest of the seven wonders of the world, moreover, perfectly preserved to our times, unlike the Colossus of Rhodes or the Hanging Gardens of Babylon. Egyptologists believe the pyramid was built as a tomb for the Fourth Dynasty Egyptian pharaoh Cheops. Construction of the pyramid lasted about 20 years and was completed in 2560 BC. The giant pyramid, 146.5 meters high, was the largest structure in the world for more than 4 millennia, which is absolute record, which is unlikely to ever be beaten. Initially, it was completely covered with smooth stone, which crumbled over time. There are many scientific and alternative theories about the methods of constructing a large pyramid, from alien intervention to generally accepted ones, based on the fact that huge blocks of stone were moved from quarries by special mechanisms

Inside the Cheops pyramid there are three chambers - tombs. The lowest one is carved into the base of the rock on which the pyramid is built. For unknown reasons, its construction was not completed. Above it are the Queen's chamber and the Pharaoh's chamber. The Great Pyramid is the only one in Egypt that has both ascending and descending corridors. It is the central key element of the Giza complex, around which several more pyramids were built for the pharaoh's wives, as well as other temples and tombs


The Great Pyramid consists of approximately 2.3 million stone blocks. The largest stones were found in the Pharaoh's chamber, and weigh 25-80 tons each. These granite blocks were delivered from a quarry almost 1000 kilometers away. According to general estimates, 5.5 million tons of limestone and 8,000 tons of granite were spent on the construction of the pyramid.
Let us turn to the theories of pyramid construction, many of which often contradict each other. Scientists cannot agree on whether the blocks were pulled, rolled, or even transported. The Greeks believed that the slave labor of millions of Egyptians was used, while modern research has proven that the construction employed several tens of thousands of skilled workers, divided into teams according to their qualifications and skills.

Initially, the entrance to the pyramid was at a height of 15.63 meters (#1 in the diagram below), on the north side, assembled from stone slabs in the form of arches. Later it was sealed with granite blocks, making a new passage 17 meters high (#2 on the diagram). This passage was carved out in 820 by Caliph Abu Ja'far in an attempt to plunder the pyramid (it is worth noting that he never found any treasure). Currently, it is through it that tourists get inside the pyramid.


Below is a cross-sectional diagram of the pyramid, where all the corridors and chambers are marked:

Immediately after entering the pyramid, a descending corridor 105 meters long begins (No. 4 on the diagram above), flowing into a small horizontal corridor leading to the lower chamber (No. 5 on the map). A narrow passage leading from the chamber ends in a dead end. as well as a small well 3 meters deep. As mentioned above, for some reason this chamber was abandoned unfinished, and the main chambers were later built higher, in the very center of the pyramid

From the descending corridor there is an ascending passage, at the same angle of 26.5°. Its length is 40 meters and it leads to the Great Gallery (No. 9 on the diagram), from where there are passages to the Pharaoh's chamber (No. 10) and the Queen's chamber (No. 7).
At the very beginning of the large gallery, a narrow, almost vertical chamber is hollowed out, with a small extension in the middle, which is called the Grotto (No. 12). Presumably, the grotto already existed before the construction of the pyramid, as a separate structure

From the Chamber of the Pharaoh and the Chamber of the Queen, ventilation ducts 20 centimeters wide diverge evenly, in the direction of north and south. The purpose of these channels is unknown - either they were used specifically for ventilation, or traditional Egyptian ideas about the afterlife are associated with them

There is an opinion that the ancient Egyptians were fluent in geometry, and knew about the “number Pi” and the “Golden Ratio”, which was reflected in the proportions of the Cheops pyramid and the angle of inclination. The same angle of inclination was used for the pyramid at Meidum. But it is possible that this is a simple accident, since this angle was not repeated anywhere else; all subsequent pyramids had different angles of inclination. Particularly fanatical supporters of mystical theories suggest that this particular pyramid was built by representatives of alien civilizations, and the rest were actually built by the Egyptians, trying to copy it

According to some astronomers, the Great Pyramid is astronomical observatory ancient Egyptians, since the corridors and ventilation ducts accurately point to the stars Thuban, Sirius and Alnitak. Opponents of this theory claim that this is a mere coincidence. During excavations near the pyramid, pits were discovered with ancient Egyptian boats made of cedar without the use of nails or fasteners. This boat was dismantled into 1,224 parts, which were assembled by restorer Ahmed Yussuf Mustafa, which took him 14 years. Currently, a museum is open on the southern side of the pyramid, where you can see this boat (the museum building itself in the photo below looks quite original, it’s worth noting), as well as buy a lot of souvenirs

Currently, it is the most visited tourist attraction in Egypt. More about others ancient wonders You can read the article "Seven Ancient Wonders of the World"