The Great Pyramids of Giza

Have you ever gone to a place where you just didn't have enough time to stick around and see all the sights? Well, this happened to me on a business trip to Cairo, Egypt but I decided beforehand to take some extra time to see one of the seven wonders of the world - the 5000 year old Pyramids of Giza. The pictures here should give you a taste of what they're like. For the little eyes reading this story and thinking of a school project, I have a real good picture book and a lot more pictures, too.

These pyramids can be seen from far away - even from an airplane leaving Cairo. But the size of them really starts to sink in as you slowly get closer and closer in a car - the picture at the top was taken at least five miles away approaching Giza City.

The famous Pyramid of Cheops (above right) was named after the second king (pharaoh) of the Fourth Dynasty (ca.2500 BC). This most famous pyramid of all was 500 feet tall, contained over 2,000,000 polished blocks weighing over two tons each, and was constructed by 100,000 men over a period of 20 years.

The Pyramid of Chephren (above middle) was constructed by a son of Cheops (fourth king) and retains a glimpse of the limestone covering which made the exterior of all the pyramids so beautifully smooth many eons ago.
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Pyramid of Cheops Pyramid of Cheops
Pyramid of Cheops
When the pyramids were built, civilization was well under way. The kings had acquired great wealth, strong political power, practical skill, and religious philosophy. They believed the pyramids would allow them to communicate with their Sun God after death using sun boats (recently discovered at the site). Pyramid design was highly developed using the latest religious and engineering principles of the time.

Later on, as times changed, smaller, less enduring pyramids were built until money, religious interpretations, and tomb raiders forced the burial of the pharaohs in the (cave) Tombs of Luxor - about 600 miles up the Nile River.

Pyramid of Chephren Pyramid of Cheops