The Giza Necropolis is a collection of pyramids just eight miles outside Cairo, the modern-day capital of Egypt. It is also home to the Great Sphinx of Giza – a gigantic monument with the head of a pharaoh and the body of a lion. The word ‘necropolis’ means ‘city of the dead’. There are three main pyramids at Giza: the Great Pyramid of Giza (built for Pharaoh Khufu), the Pyramid of Khafre (whose head was the design for the Sphinx) and the Pyramid of Menkaure. They are still standing today. The Great Pyramid was one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.
When it was built, it was the tallest man-made structure in the world. Its record height of 147m (think of six swimming pools stacked on top of each other) wasn’t beaten until 1311 AD when a spire was added to the top of Lincoln Cathedral.
When were the pyramids built?
The pyramids and monuments at Giza were all built during the Fourth Dynasty of the Old Kingdom of Ancient Egypt, in around 2500 BC. At this time, Egypt was wealthy and enjoyed peace with the surroundingkingdoms.
How were the pyramids built?
The pyramids were constructed using huge chunks of stone. The Great Pyramid is made up of around 2.3 million bricks. Each one weighs almost a tonne – that’s the equivalent of a small car! The bricks on the outside of the Great Pyramid were made of high quality limestone which had to be transported down the Nile on barges, then dragged the rest of the way along ramps. It took twenty years to build, and around 20,000 workers.
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