The pyramid complex of Giza is not the only pyramid complex in Egypt, but it is also the largest and most famous. The Giza Necropolis is famous for its great pyramids (the Great Pyramid of Giza, Pyramid of Khafre and Pyramid of Menkaure). The pyramids have a burial complex and temples that include the Great Sphinx of Giza.
There are many tours in the Giza Necropolis, and one can browse a wide selection of tours at Memphis Tours. The Pyramids of Giza were built to last forever, and 4,500 years is not an eternity, they are some of the oldest structures still standing today. They have fascinated travelers in Egypt for centuries, and even today the exact method of how the pyramids were constructed is not fully understood.
The first Giza Pyramids were built by Pharaoh Khufu around 2550 BC. The Great Pyramid is about 481 feet above the plateau. Khufu stands on the shoulders of a giant proverb — in this case, his father before him who had experimented with building the Crooked Pyramid and Red Pyramid at the Dahshur Necropolis.
It is estimated that there are about 2.3 million stone blocks in the Great Pyramid with each averaging between 2.5 and 15 tons.
The pyramid complex of Giza is the only one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World that still stands today — the Great Pyramid of Giza. Other great monuments such as the Pyramid of Kharfra, the Pyramid of Menkaure, and the Great Sphinx of Giza are majestic and worthy of being a wonder of the world.
The Giza Necropolis was built during the fourth dynasty of Ancient Egypt’s Old Kingdom. The fourth dynasty is regarded as the Golden Age of Ancient Egypt. So great were these pyramids that no subsequent pyramids were able to match them in size or quality. The Giza Necropolis is important as the top of the pyramids of Egypt.
Despite their fame and role in shaping Western perceptions of Egypt, the Pyramids of Giza represent a brief moment in Ancient Egypt’s long history.
The pyramids are burial complexes believed to have been built to bury the dead Pharaohs. It is believed that part of the spirit of the pharaoh (called “ka”) remained in his corpse.
The ancient Egyptians thought that Pharaoh’s body should be properly cared for, so that “the former Pharaoh could carry out his new duties as king of the dead”. It is also thought that the pyramids served as storage pits for the things that Pharaoh needed in the afterlife.
