Building history
prehistory
The pyramid field of Giza has been an important cemetery since the 1st Dynasty. Great mastabas of the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Dynasties were excavated here. It is unclear to what extent such ancient graves were destroyed by the later cemetery and pyramids of the fourth dynasty.
Building the pyramids
The pyramids of Giza were built between about 2620 and 2500 BC. In the 4th dynasty. They were built on a 1000 by 2000 m limestone plateau, with the construction of the pyramids creating secondary pyramids, temples, burial grounds and workers' villages. It is noteworthy that no wheeled carts were used in the construction of the pyramids, although the Egyptians probably already knew the wheel at that time. Differences in height during construction were possibly overcome by pulling the loads on inclined planes.
khufu pyramid
The largest and probably best known pyramid is that of Pharaoh khufu . He ruled around 2620 to 2580 (according to another source around 2604 to 2581) BC. The khufu pyramid was originally 146.6 m high (today: 138.75 m), the sides are on average 230.3 m long and the setback of the outer cladding is 22 fingers (in the vertical) to a cubit (in the horizontal); this corresponds to an inclination angle of 51 ° 50'40 ". It was built from around 3 million stone blocks, each weighing an average of 2.5 t, and was completely clad with limestone blocks. Inside is the Great Gallery, the 8, It is 5 m high and 47 m long. The construction of the pyramid was directed by the builder Hemiunu. At the end of the gallery is the royal burial chamber, which contains the remains of a granite sarcophagus. There is also the so-called queen chamber and the first underground burial chamber East side of the pyramid are the remains of the mortuary temple and the pathway. The valley temple is buried under the modern city. To the southeast of the mortuary temple are the pyramids for the queens Hetepheres I, Meritites I and Henutsen. In the solar barque museum on the south side of the Cheops- Pyramid is one of the sun barges that were excavated and reassembled in 1954. There are three smaller queen pyramids in the pyramid complex den and a cult pyramid.
Middle pyramid (Khafra pyramid)
the middle of the three pyramids is that of Pharaoh Khafra. He ruled from around 2558 to 2532 BC. The Khafra pyramid was originally 143.5 m high (today: 136.4 m), the side length was 215.25 m and its setback is 21 fingers to a cubit; the angle of inclination is thus 53 ° 00'10 ". Like the Cheops pyramid, it was completely clad with limestone slabs. Due to its location about 10 m higher, it appears even larger than the Cheops pyramid because of its only slightly smaller size and height. and its point protrudes beyond the point, which is why laypeople often mistake it for the Great Pyramid. A 400 m long, relief-decorated path leads from the valley temple past the Sphinx temple and the great Sphinx of Giza to the mortuary temple and the pyramid itself The valley temple is 45 mx 45 m in size and 18 m high. The recesses in the alabaster floor indicate the location of 23 larger-than-life figures of the pharaoh. South of the pyramid are the remains of a small cult pyramid.
The 73 m long sculpture of the Sphinx north of the valley temple and the path of Khafra was carved out of the rock. The head of the Sphinx is covered by a Nemes headscarf with an Uraeus snake on the forehead. The dream stele of Thutmose IV stands between the front paws.
Small pyramid (Menkaure pyramid)
The smallest of the three pyramids is that of Pharaoh Menkaure . He ruled from around 2532 to 2503 BC. The Menkaure pyramid was originally 65 m high, which makes it not even half as high as the other two pyramids. The sides are 102.2 m × 104.6 m long (mean base length 103.4 m), and their setback is 22 fingers to a cubit, which corresponds to an angle of inclination of 51 ° 50 ', with that of the Great Pyramid of Cheops is almost identical. The upper part of the pyramid was - like the Cheops pyramid and the Khafra pyramid - clad with limestone slabs. The lower 16 layers, however, consist of rose granite edging. The associated valley and mortuary temples are no longer completely preserved. In the Cairo Museum, the groups of statues of Menkaure found in the valley temple are exhibited today. On the south side there are three queen pyramids, two of which were designed as step pyramids.
Grave of Khentkaus I. (so-called "fourth pyramid")
Southeast of the Khafra pyramid near the Great Sphinx is the tomb of Queen Khentkaus I, who ruled at the end of the 4th dynasty, also known as the "fourth pyramid of Giza" unfinished pyramid held. The 45.8 m × 45.5 m measuring first step consists of a rock block that was left in the local quarries, on which the masonry, mastaba-like second step rises. Like the great pyramids, the structure was clad with limestone and reached a height of 17 m. At this grave building there was a settlement for the priesthood and a ship grave, with which it was equipped with the attributes of a full ruler's grave.
After the 4th dynasty
Giza was an important cemetery in the Old Kingdom and was probably only given up at the beginning of the First Intermediate Period. Few remains from the Middle Kingdom have survived, and it is striking that there was hardly any evidence of a death cult on the pyramids from this period. Only from the time of the New Kingdom and the late period, on the other hand, are there significant tombs again in Giza. There is evidence of restoration work on the temples and pyramids.
Modern times
Scientific research into the pyramids began with Napoleon's Egyptian campaign from 1798 to 1799. It influenced the European style of the Empire.
Excavations took place in 1860 under the direction of Auguste Mariette.
In 1979 the pyramids and the Sphinx of Giza were added to the UNESCO World Heritage List as cultural monuments.
In 1984 Egypt minted 5 piaster coins depicting these structures.
In 2007, the wall around the pyramid area, which was built in 2002, was temporarily closed. The revenue generated by the visit will go to the Egyptian government. Locals who have been able to make a living there for generations are severely restricted in their work.
360 panoramic view
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