The Pyramids of Giza: everything you need to know

[jw5]

The famous Pyramids of Giza are three huge constructions in the Egyptian desert, built over several years through huge human effort.

These monuments were used as tombs for pharaohs and their families. Now seen as giants relics, they attract visitors from all over the world.

 

[jw5]

Name - The pyramids are known as the Pyramids of Giza due to their location on the Giza plateau.

 

[jw5]

Location - They sit just 9 km from the center of the old town of Giza, along the Nile, and around 25 km southeast from the city of Cairo.

 

[jw5]

The Great Pyramid of Giza - The Pyramid of Khufu (also known as Cheops) is the largest of the three, and was the tallest man-made structure in the world for 3,800 years.

 

[jw5]

Overtaken - After more than 3,800 years, the pyramid was overtaken as the tallest structure when the Lincoln Cathedral was built.

 

[jw5]

Wonder - The Great Pyramid is the only one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World that is still standing.

 

[jw5]

Chambers - The Great Pyramid has three chambers built to keep Khufu's treasures and his family's belongings.

 

[laksaboy]

 

[jw5]

Cheops - As the name indicates, the pyramid was built in honor of the Pharaoh Khufu, of the fourth Egyptian dynasty.

 

[jw5]

Pharaohs - The other two pyramids were built for Pharaoh Menkaure and Pharaoh Khafre, son and grandson of Pharaoh Khufu.

 

[jw5]

Size - The Great Pyramid of Giza was 146.5 meters tall. However due to erosion caused by wind and rain, it currently stands at around 138 meters tall.

 

[jw5]

Construction time - Experts believe the Great Pyramid took around 23 years to be completed.

 

[jw5]

Weight - It weighs around five million tonnes!

 

[jw5]

Base - The base of the Great Pyramid is perfectly square and covers an area of around 13 hectares - enough to squeeze in around 10 American football fields.

 

[jw5]

Steps - To get to the top you would have to scale 203 steps!

 

[jw5]

Building blocks - Experts believe around 2.3 million blocks were used in the construction of the Great Pyramid.

 

[jw5]

Weight - The blocks have an estimated weight of between two and 80 tonnes!

 

[jw5]

Slavery? - You may believe that slavery was used to build the Pyramids of Giza, but they were actually built by free workers. Some evidence found at the site indicate that 10,000 people built the pyramids, and they were paid with beer and bread.

 

[blackmondy]

I need to know inside got public toilet or not ?

 

[jw5]

Heritage - The Pyramids are a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site.