Pyramid Of Khufu
The Greatest Pyramid Of All
Khufu’s Pyramid always had a reputation for being a remarkable structure, even after it was first built during ancient times. It is also the only one of the world’s 7 wonders still intact. None of the other 6 wonders even exists anymore.
The Great Pyramid is a monument which was formerly known as Horizon of Khufu or Akhet Khufu. Now everyone just calls it the Great Pyramid. Khufu’s father was Snefru, who ruled Egypt for roughly 23 years.
Khufu is a famous pharaoh of history because he was the first Egyptian ruler to have a pyramid constructed on the Plateau of Giza. Snefru, his father, previously constructed 3 burial monuments further south at Dashur and Meidum. By the time the fourth Dynasty was at its peak, the Memphite necropolis extended itself to the Giza Plateau.
Each side of the Great Pyramid’s base is approximately 230.37 meters in length. The height of the pyramid used to be 146.6 meters. There are lots of big limestone blocks which make up this structure. Experts believe an estimated 2.3 million limestone blocks were used for the structure. All these blocks were taken from a location to the southeast of the Great Pyramid. They needed to be moved on top of a ramp just to reach the Giza construction site. Fine white limestone made up the casing blocks of the pyramid. At the nearby river’s east bank, there were Tura quarries that supplied this limestone.
The northern entrance of the Great Pyramid was originally constructed on the 19th layer that was made of core blocks. In modern times, the caretakers cut a tunnel into the core blocks so that tourists and visitors could enter more easily. The tunnel is more like a cave. There is a passage connected to the tunnel and it is divided into 2 parts. The first part of the passage has a lower corridor that is linked to the bowels of the pyramid. This is inside the Giza Plateau’s bedrock area and it has an abandoned underground chamber there. It was likely abandoned because there is no air down there. The chamber is always locked for this reason.
The second part of the passage starts at a very low corridor. You’ll have to pretty much crawl using your hands and knees just to ascend the corridor toward the Grand Gallery. From there, you will enter the central location of the Great Pyramid.
The heart of the Great Pyramid has a black-walled room which can be kind of spooky to visit. When you go into the chamber by yourself, you will certainly feel insignificant and powerless. The feeling of infinity will be much stronger, though. As you continue to ascend the passageway toward the Grand Gallery, you will face a narrow passageway that is 47 meters in length. If anyone is walking in the opposite direction toward you, it will be rather awkward and uncomfortable.
Ancient Egypt produced a lot of great structures and masterpieces. Most historians and scholars will agree that the Great Pyramid is the very best masterpiece of this era. The engineering and architectural know-how that went into the pyramid’s construction continues to baffle historians. They can’t figure out how ancient Egyptians were able to build this massive structure so well without many tools.
An additional low passageway exists in the upper area of the Grand Gallery. This passage will take you to the King’s Chamber, which is a room that features the uncovered sarcophagus of Khufu. Red granite was used to construct this entire room. There are no inscriptions or decorations in the room, though.
Just above the chamber’s ceiling, there is a lot of heavy masonry there. Five compartments were constructed to endure the stress of this weight and to protect the burial chamber from it below. There is a cantilevered roof on the highest chamber of the pyramid. This particular chamber contains graffiti which was probably made by some of the ancient workers who constructed the pyramid. The graffiti shows the cartouche of Khufu.
There are so many mysteries surrounding the Great Pyramid which have not been solved yet. When you go to the pyramid for the first time, just enjoy this massive structure for what it is. Don’t think about the mysteries so much.
When you finally leave the inside of the pyramid, you will be very happy to see sunlight and breathe fresh air again. The many vendors and guides throughout the plateau will be there to greet you too. You may be very happy to see them after leaving the pyramid.
Updated On March 29, 2020
