Great Pyramid of Giza

The Great Pyramid of Giza is one of the Seven Wonders of the world because it is the largest pyramid in Egypt.  The Great Pyramid of Giza is located 5 miles west of the Nile River and is close to the City of Cairo.  This pyramid is part of other pyramids called the Giza Necropolis.

Giza Necropolis

The Giza Necropolis has two other pyramids besides the Great Pyramid of Giza including the Pyramid of Menkaure and the Pyramid of Khafre.  The Giza Necropolis also has the famous Great Sphinx and many different cemeteries along the way.

Who Was the Great Pyramid of Giza Built For?

The Great Pyramid of Giza was built for the great pharaoh, Khufu.  Pharaoh Khufu was a very rich and famous pharaoh and his pyramid held many different treasures of gold, jewels and more.  The tomb held these treasures because the Egyptians believed that when people died, they took with them whatever was in their tomb.

The Great Pyramid of Giza

The Great Pyramid of Giza is called great because it is huge.  It was once over 481 feet tall.  Even though the pyramid is tall, it is not as tall as it used to be.  Because it eroded so much, the top of the pyramid is gone.  Now, the pyramid is only 455 feet tall.  The base of the pyramid is over 700 feet wide and it sits on over 10 acres of land.

What is Inside the Great Pyramid of Giza?

The Great Pyramid of Giza has over three rooms.  These rooms include a Grand Gallery, the King’s Chamber and the Queen’s Chamber.  The King’s Chamber is the most important room and it is located in the highest part of the pyramid.  Not only is this room important and bigger than the other rooms, it also has a granite sarcophagus.  A sarcophagus is a coffin.

The Grand Gallery has a huge hallway which is over 150 feet long, over 5 feet wide and almost 30 feet high.  There are also other areas such as tunnels that lead all through the pyramid to the outside.

Mystery Behind the Great Pyramid of Giza

It is a mystery as to how the pyramids were built.  No one is really sure how the Egyptians were able to build such massive structures.  Some believe that the Egyptians were able to move the stone blocks to the top of the pyramids, but we know that they would have had to have some type of machines or tools to do this.

Some historians think that they might have used things like sleds or water to boost the blocks to the top of the pyramid and to help the blocks slide easier.  We may never really know how the pyramids really got to where they are.

What Did the Great Pyramid of Giza Look Like Before?

The Great Pyramid of Giza used to look white because it was covered in limestone that was white and polished.  This made the pyramid look smooth and shiny.

Later though, the stones were removed so that more buildings could be built.  The pyramid also looked like it was jagged because the layers were stacked and sloped.  There was a stairway that looked like it was so tall that it went into the clouds.

More Facts About the Great Pyramid of Giza:

• It took over 20 years to build the Great Pyramid of Giza.
• Over 20,000 people worked together to build the pyramid.
• The pyramid was started around 2580 B.C.
• The Great Pyramid of Giza was finished around 2560 B.C.
• The blocks of the Great Pyramid are thought to weigh around 2000 pounds.
• There are more than two million stones in the pyramid.
• The Pyramid of Khafre was built by Khufu’s son.
• The Pyramid of Menkaure was built for Khufu’s grandson.
• Some believe that the Pyramid of Khufu was designed by Hemiunu which was the pharaohs second in charge.
• Historians believe that the pyramids were built by workers that were paid and not by slaves that were forced to work.
• No one is really sure why there is a Queen’s Chamber.
• Some historians believe that it costs 1,6000 silver talents to build the pyramid.
• Some of the workers on the pyramid were paid by radishes, garlic and onions because these foods were hard to get.

What Did You Learn?

1. What is the Great Pyramid of Giza?  The Great Pyramid of Giza was a very large pyramid that is located close to the city of Cairo in Egypt.
2. What is special about the Great Pyramid of Giza? The Great Pyramid of Giza is one of the Seven Wonders of the world because it is so large.
3. Is the Great Pyramid of Giza the only pyramid there?   This area is actually called the Giza Necropolis because it has many pyramids located there.
4. How many rooms was in the Great Pyramid of Giza? There were three chambers in the Great Pyramid of Giza including the King’s Chamber, the Queen’s Chamber and the Grand Gallery.
5. What were the other two major pyramids called? Two of the other major pyramids are the Pyramid of Khafre and the Pyramid of Menkaure.