The pyramids are a tangible symbol of determination, ingenuity and human supremacy over death. For this reason, they will continue to attract human attention forever.
Pyramids are the most famous symbol of Egypt. They represent the final evolution of the original burial idea of the first Pharaonic dynasties that started from a simple anonymous tomb in the vast deserts, concluding with the perfect completion of the pyramids (the form of fire) - the first symbol of the 4 fundamental elements of a human being. Over time, pyramids became more complex thanks to the great Egyptian architect Imhotep, however, the shapes of pyramids we can see today in the plateau of Giza were invented later. King Snefru, the father of Cheops (ancient Egyptian monarch and second Pharaoh of the Fourth Dynasty), studied various ideas and put them into practice in order to achieve the perfect futuristic structures that fascinate millions of people even today.
Which pyramids can we visit in Egypt today?
The Pyramid of Cheops
The rocky plateau or necropolis in the city of Giza, a few kilometers from Cairo, is home to the most famous and best-preserved Egyptian pyramids: an incalculable heritage united in a single common territory. The Pyramid of Cheops, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1979, is certainly the best-known pyramid in Egypt. It was built around 2500 BC with as many as 2 million blocks of stone (each stone block weighs 10 tons). Although time has changed its dimensions and ruined the external covering, which was made of smooth red marble stone that could only be found in Egypt, the glory and greatness of this monument remain unquestionable.
The Pyramid of Cheops was 146.6 meters high (today its height is reduced to 138.8 m) and 230.3 meters long.
This was the burial place of the Pharaoh Cheops (ancient Egyptian monarch and second pharaoh of the Fourth Dynasty). The pyramid of Cheops is the only Ancient World Wonder that still exists.
The Pyramid of Khafre
The Pyramid of Khafre, part of the complex of Cheops, slightly smaller than its famous "sister", is covered with white limestone of Tura, which has been exploited since the Predynastic Period. The only funerary furniture that could be found inside of this pyramid was a red granite sarcophagus, devoid of inscriptions, with bovine bones next to it. Thanks to the Greek historian Herodotus, we know with certainty that the base was also made up of red and gray Aswan granite.
The Pyramid of Khafre is 136m high and 216m long.
This was the burial place of the Pharaoh Khafre.
The Pyramid of Menkaure
The Pyramid of Menkaure is a smaller pyramid, built over several stages, with various materials and different techniques: stone blocks much larger than the ones used for the previous two pyramids, but with imperfect surfaces, which makes it look like a disharmonic structure.
Originally, it was conceived for the pyramid to be completely covered in red granite from Aswan. However, with the premature death of King Menkaure, the partial use of the limestone of Tura began.
The Pyramid of Menkaure is, therefore, a "small" structure, although very articulated in its anatomy, and with a great expenditure of the precious granite of Upper Egypt, a very hard and difficult material to work with. The particularity of this pyramid concerns one decree, issued by Menkaure himself, which states that "... no man performs forced labor but according to his own satisfaction": an unusual inclination in the severe and difficult rigin of the construction of the pyramids.
The Pyramid of Menkaure is 65.5m high and 103.4m long.
This was the burial place of the Pharaoh Menkaure.
The Pyramid of Djoser
The Pyramid of Djoser is certainly the best example of a majestic stone structure in the world, due to the fact that only bricks made of mud were used until its construction. We are talking about a period some 4,600 years ago - the dawn of the entire history of the pyramids. Djoser is also known as the "Step Pyramid", the true passage from the first single mastaba (the first type of ancient Egyptian tomb in the form of a flat-roofed, rectangular structure) to the new concept or overlaps of several mastabas, 6 to be precise.
The necropolis of Saqqara, located north-east of the ancient city of Memphis, houses the brilliant idea of the great architect Imhotep, entirely surrounded by a wall inspired by the White Wall of Narmer, and covered with white limestone blocks from Tura - a monument that, based on Imhotep’s concept, was supposed to represent a real stairway towards the Sun.
The pyramid of Djoser is 62m high and 109m long.
This was the burial place of the Pharaoh Djoser (the third dynasty).
The Red Pyramid
Between the necropolises of Giza and Saqqara, visitors may find Dashur, which is actually a cluster of pyramids, noble tombs and a village of workers and officials. A place of archaeological importance, which became a military zone in 1967, and then it was returned to public use in 1996. It remained the less "studied" area compared to other, better known and almost inflated areas. Nevertheless, this is the place where the pyramid of crucial importance for the history of Egypt was built: Snefru or the Red Pyramid, named after the color of its stones, built in a square shape and at 45°. The Red Pyramid is an ancestor of the famous pyramid of Cheops, and we must say that comparing the two would be a real squeaker, despite the fact that the pyramid of Cheops was always more popular.
The Pyramid of Snefru is 104m high.
This was the burial place of the Pharaoh Snefru (the fourth dynasty).
The Pyramid of Snefru
In the area of Dashur, Pharaoh Snefru, after having built the Red Pyramid, wanted to build another one, the largest pyramid in the area, called the Rhomboid Pyramid of Snefru. Its peculiarity lies in the slopes. S slope that is at 54° at the base is reduced to 43° on its upper part. In reality, there was another, first project which had a smaller base and a slope of 58°, but the slope was reduced and everything was completed with less precision probably due to stability problems. Due to its limestone exterior, it is the best-preserved pyramid today.
The Pyramid of Snefru is 105 meters high.
The Pyramid of Meidum
The Pyramid of Meidum takes its name from the ominous archaeological site, located on the south of Cairo. The first news of the pyramid came from the Danish explorer Norden in 1737, while the Egyptologist Petrie started the first excavations between 1888 and 1891 when he succeeded in giving the right nomenclature to what they had found.
This is a very particular pyramid that also carries the name "False Pyramid", because of its steps that make it look more like a mastaba. The original project involved seven steps, however, another step was added, aimed at balancing the various differences in height. It remains one of the most important pyramids in Egyptian history.
The Pyramid of Meidum is 42 meters high.
The Pyramid of Meidum is the burial place of the Pharaoh Snefru, who completed the work of the previous Pharaoh Huni.
The Great Sphinx of Giza
The Sphinx, a mythological figure with the head of a man and the body of a lion, is the most famous and majestic symbol of Egyptian culture in the Giza Necropolis. A limestone structure obtained from a rocky substrate, the Sphinx is something that takes your breath away due to its grandeur and proportions, being the largest monolithic statue among the various monuments of this type.
Built during the construction of the pyramids of Giza, it is the only "isolated" Sphinx (the following sphinxes were always built in pair), built with the aim to protect the pyramids in the plateau of Giza. Sculpted on the spot, the structure of Sphinx has several rocky layers - from the most fragile layer of the base, to the hardest one at the head.
The hidden passages of the Sphinx created numerous legends and led to numerous studies, which contribute to the charm of this magnificent structure, known and admired by the entire world.
The Great Sphinx of Giza is 20m high and 6m long. It was built by Pharaoh Snefru.
