The Pyramids of Giza

The Pyramids of Giza are the last of the seven wonders of the ancient world still standing, three colossal pyramids raised as tombs for the pharaohs some 4,500 years ago on the desert edge of Cairo. The Great Pyramid of Khufu, built of over two million stone blocks, was the tallest structure on earth for millennia, and beside them crouches the enigmatic Great Sphinx, a UNESCO wonder of staggering age and ambition.

History

The Great Pyramid, the pyramids of Khafre and Menkaure, their temples and the Great Sphinx were all built in the Fourth Dynasty of the Old Kingdom, between about 2600 and 2500 BC, and at the time of its building the Great Pyramid was the tallest structure in the world, made of 5.5 million tonnes of limestone and 8,000 tonnes of granite, mostly quarried on site and some brought by barge from Tura. Herodotus, the earliest writer on its construction, claimed it took 20 years and 100,000 workers in three-month shifts, while modern historians put it at 20 to 27 years with 20,000-30,000 year-round workers; the papyri found at Wadi el-Jarf in 2013, among them the diary of the inspector Merer, whose team carried limestone from Tura, shed new light on its last stages. Most of the outer casing was taken away in the Middle Ages, probably for building in Cairo, and in 1979 the site was inscribed as part of the Memphis and its Necropolis World Heritage Site (Wikipedia, Giza pyramid complex).

What's there

• The Great Pyramid - the colossal tomb of Khufu, the largest of the three.
• The Great Sphinx - the enigmatic lion-bodied guardian of the plateau.
• Inside a pyramid - the climb into the tomb chambers (extra ticket).
• The panorama - the classic view of all three pyramids from the desert.

When to go

October to April for cooler weather, as summer on the shadeless desert plateau is fiercely hot. Go early to beat the heat, crowds and tour buses, and consider the evening sound-and-light show. The new Grand Egyptian Museum is nearby.

Practical notes

The site sits right on the edge of the city, not in remote desert as photos suggest. The touts, camel handlers and vendors are persistent and can be aggressive, so agree prices firmly in advance. It is hot and shadeless. Entering a pyramid is a cramped, steep climb, not for the claustrophobic.

Nearby

The Grand Egyptian Museum is close; the ancient sites of Saqqara and Memphis are a short drive.

Key facts