Where is the Pyramids of Giza Located?

Let us dive into one of the oldest civilizations over time, full of mysteries, the civilization of Ancient Egypt. While in the modern world, the concept of the afterlife is total reject by science, on contrary, ancient Egyptians ideologically believed in it. According to their doctrine, the afterlife is a second life, which starts after the end of the first life i.e. death. Further to their beliefs, when an entity dies, his physical body ceases to exist but the spiritual core i.e. soul continues to live and enjoy what the entity could not in his lifespan. In addition, they ought to give a perfect goodbye to the dead ones with their burial.

Speaking of some of the rulers throughout the Egyptian civilization, the burial ceremony seems to be in another league. They were buried under massive royal tombs, aka, The Pyramids.

The Pyramids of Giza

The Pyramids of Giza represent three pyramids, each for a ruler from the 4th dynasty. They are – The Great Pyramid of Giza, The Pyramid of Khafre, and The Pyramid of Menkaure. These pyramids along with The Sphinx of Giza are together located at Giza necropolis, in Greater Cairo, Egypt. They all were built around 2550-2490 BC. The idea behind these massive builds was to show the succeeding generations the might of the rulers.

The Great Pyramid of Giza

The Great Pyramid of Giza, aka, The Pyramid of Khufu is the largest among its neighbors. It is the tomb of Pharaoh Khufu related to the 4th dynasty of Ancient Egypt. Amazingly, it is the last one of the original 7 wonders of the world still intact, standing currently at 139m, rest 6 wonders either got destroyed or lost over time and therefore replaced with new ones. The Great Pyramid originally was 146m tall but due to earthquakes over 3 millennia course and the dissipation of the upper limestone casing, it came down to its current height.

The Pyramid of Khafre

The Pyramid of Khafre is the second largest in Giza Pyramid Complex. It is the tomb of Pharaoh Khafre, son of Pharaoh Khufu. It is slightly smaller than The Great Pyramid and is 136m (has an original height of 143m). There are some reasons that this pyramid despite being younger than Khufu’s Pyramid still looks taller. To begin with, it was constructed on an elevated platform, and in addition, it still holds its limestone casing, which already perished in the case of the other two Pyramids.

The Pyramid of Menkaure

The third and the smallest of these three pyramids, The Pyramid of Menkaure is the tomb of Pharoah Menkaure, the successor of Pharaoh Khafre and the Grandson of Pharaoh Khufu. It is 61m tall (has an original height of 65m). The Limestone casing on this pyramid was removed for use in other monuments. To your knowledge, this Pyramid was unfinished till the death of Pharaoh Menkaure. He never saw it finished, the remaining work was possibly taken over by his succeeding generation. Well, despite being smaller among the three, it still holds its uniqueness. 

Fun Facts:

• The positions of these Pyramids mimic The Three Kings of Orion constellation.
• The coordinates of The Pyramid of Giza are 29.9792458˚N. And the speed of light is 299,792,458 m/s. Amazing….right? 😉
• The Pharaohs were buried with all the luxury in the belief that they will rise again and will need them in their afterlife.

Conclusion:

Well, these three mega-structures will always be full of mysteries; they still cover some, which are yet to be discovered. However, apart from those stories, this massive giant still lives up to its reputation of being one of the seven wonders of the world.

It would help if you watch the “Mummy” series, fantasy/adventure-based movies, which pretty much give a vibe of ancient Egypt.

In the end, it is a great place to visit. Moreover, living a day in Ancient Egypt would make anyone’s day. The sight of Pyramids from a cruise ship through the Nile at sunset will truly drive your mind to the days of their birth, and again the Kingdom of Ancient Egypt welcomes you.