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Pyramids of Giza

✨ The mountains of eternity

The Pyramids of Giza stand on a limestone plateau near Cairo, on the western bank of the Nile. Built during Egypt’s Fourth Dynasty about 4,500 years ago, they formed monumental funerary complexes for three pharaohs: Khufu, Khafre and Menkaure.

The largest, the Great Pyramid of Khufu, originally reached about 147 metres, although erosion and the loss of its outer casing have reduced its height today. It is the only surviving monument of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.

The pyramids belonged to larger complexes that included temples, causeways, smaller pyramids and tombs. Their remarkably precise alignment with the cardinal directions reflects advanced knowledge of surveying and astronomy.

Workers quarried, shaped and transported huge stone blocks using organized teams and probably a combination of sledges, boats, ramps and lifting methods. No single technique has been proven for every stage, and some aspects of construction remain debated.

💡 Did you know?

Did you know that in the past, the pyramids were covered in a layer of white limestone so pure that they shone like giant diamonds under the sun? At the top of the largest one, there was even a tip made of gold! Today, only the inner stone blocks are visible, as the limestone was used over the centuries to build mosques and palaces in Cairo.

The Great Pyramid of Khufu is composed of more than 2 million stone blocks, some of which weigh more than a school bus! It is a great mystery how the Egyptians managed to carry them so high without modern machines. It is thought that they used giant ramps and thousands of very skilled workers.

Inside the Great Pyramid, architects built a secret network of corridors and rooms to protect the pharaoh's mummy. They even designed small tunnels that point exactly toward certain stars in the sky. It is such a perfect construction that it is incredibly aligned with the four cardinal points (North, South, East, West).