| The most famous Egyptian pyramids to be built | | | | less people and less time to build the |
| are the Great Pyramids of Giza, located in | | | | pyramid using technology that was available |
| the outskirts of present-day Cairo. There are | | | | at that time. |
| over 100 Egyptian pyramids of various sizes, | | | | |
| and over 50 more in neighboring Sudan. | | | | Treasures of the Pharaoh |
| However, the three Great Pyramids of Giza | | | | |
| earn their fame by being the largest of | | | | The Pyramid of Khufu was built by the |
| these. | | | | Egyptian Pharaoh Khufu (Cheops) in the 4th |
| | | | Dynasty circa 2560 BC, making it over 4500 |
| In the most popular pictures of the Pyramids | | | | years old! It is widely accepted that the |
| of Giza, like the one shown below, the middle | | | | pyramid was built to bury Pharaoh Khufu when |
| pyramid, that of Khafre (Chephren), appears | | | | he died. However, many other conspiracy |
| larger due to the angle and because it was | | | | theories abound as to why the pyramids were |
| built on higher ground. The largest pyramid | | | | built, ranging from astronomical |
| is actually the Great Pyramid of Khufu | | | | observatories to alien artifacts. |
| (Cheops), the one on the left. | | | | |
| | | | Since Egyptian Pharaohs were noted for being |
| The Great Pyramid of Khufu | | | | buried with their great treasure, Arab |
| | | | conquerors attempted to gain entrance into |
| Contrary to popular belief, not all the Great | | | | the Pyramid of Khufu in order to plunder it. |
| Pyramids of Giza are considered part of the | | | | |
| Seven Wonders of the World. Only the largest, | | | | They managed to find a few narrow passages |
| the Great Pyramid of Khufu, is a member, and | | | | that led both up into the center of the |
| is the only one of the Seven Wonders that | | | | pyramid, and down beneath the massive |
| still stands. Egypt was also home to another | | | | structure. However, all they managed to find |
| of the Seven Wonders of the World, the | | | | at the end of these passages were empty |
| Lighthouse of Alexandria, which was destroyed | | | | chambers. No mummies or treasure was found in |
| long ago. | | | | the pyramid. |
| | | | |
| The Pyramid of Khufu has a height of 145 m | | | | During the Arabs' excavation of the Pyramid |
| (475 ft) and a base area of 52,400 sqm | | | | of Khufu, they encountered various boulders |
| (562,500 sqft). That area is large enough to | | | | and slabs that were used to seal the passages |
| fit over 20 Olympic-size swimming pools! And | | | | and chambers within the pyramid. They also |
| for thousands of years, until the rise of | | | | found hidden doors. This probably fueled the |
| modern-day skyscrapers, the pyramid was the | | | | many myths about the Egyptian pyramids being |
| tallest building in the world. | | | | booby-trapped, and where a grave robber who |
| | | | managed to get in would never get out alive. |
| What makes the pyramid an architectural | | | | |
| triumph and one of the Seven Wonders of the | | | | A 17th century Englishman managed to uncover |
| World is the fact that the rocks used in its | | | | another shaft connecting the passages, but |
| construction each way more than 2 tons. And | | | | still no treasure was to be found. |
| there are more than 2 million of those rocks. | | | | |
| | | | Two conclusions can be derived from this. |
| Greek travelers to ancient Giza wrote that it | | | | One, ancient tomb raiders have long since |
| took a hundred thousand slaves 20 years to | | | | plundered all the treasure from the pyramid, |
| construct the pyramid. However, since they | | | | leaving behind nothing but a few empty |
| visited Egypt more than 2 thousand years | | | | chambers. Or two, Khufu's mummy and treasure |
| after the Egyptian pyramids were built, the | | | | is still cleverly hidden within (or beneath) |
| truth of their accounts are suspect. Modern | | | | the Great Pyramid. |
| engineers estimate that it would likely take | | | | |