Table of Contents
Introduction
The Great Pyramids of Giza are among the best archaeological works of art and philosophy of the ancient world. These pyramids have stood on the Giza Plateau only 12 miles away from today’s Cairo for over 4,500 years to demonstrate the masterpieces of the ancient architectural genius and engineering skills. It is therefore fascinating that today the only remaining category of the Seven Wonders of Ancient Space should be so inaccessible to tourists.
They were constructed during the rule of three different kings with the largest of all, the Great Pyramid, being constructed for King Khufu. When finally constructed it rose to about 481 feet tall which was and still is the tallest structure ever built by man for over 3800 years. When constructed, they were encased in refined calcium carbonate, white limestone giving them a brilliant appearance and could easily be seen from great distances.
As for the outer limestone, it has eroded away, but the structures that form nowadays pyramids are still enormous and complex, which indicates superior workmanship and engineering abilities of ancient people, and the more so, considering the time when the constructions were created. Organization, resources and labor were also called for in terms of the necessity of enormous quantities of stone: more than 2 million blocks each weighing several tons. Historians believe that more than twenty thousand workers of those days’ standard of expertise spent over eighty years constructing the pyramids. Even the lateral faces indicate high degrees of architectural precision; apparently the four faces of the pyramid run north, south, east and west respectively.
The pyramids portray some of the Ancient Egyptian beliefs about lives after death, but they also speak a little about architecture and engineering. They were at first intended as palatial tombs for dead kings in correspondence with the gods. The pyramids entailed safeguarded the body of the pharaoh and lots of things were put inside tombs which it was thought could be beneficial to the pharaoh in the other world, foods, furniture, utensils, jewels, statues and so on. Among Giza pyramids’ magnificent treasures is the gold funeral mask of Tutankhamun and a Sphinx near it.
Visiting the Great Pyramids of Giza
No visit to Cairo would be considered complete unless the Great Pyramids of Giza are included on the itinerary. They are just approximately twenty kilometers from Cairo’s main business district which makes them rather convenient if you plan to explore them as a half day trip. Most of the tours are conducted to the great pyramids on the plateau of Giza as well as the great pyramids of Khufu, and the slightly smaller pyramids of Khafre and Menkaure, and the Great Sphinx.
Several options exist for visiting the pyramids depending on your interests and time available:
Half day guided tours:
A half day tour is good if you have little time to see all the remarkable places. Professional companions will tell you important information and allow you to visit one of the pyramids on the Giza Plateau. Most firms provide morning, afternoon or evening tours.
Day trips and tours of Memphis & Saqqara:
In addition to the principal Giza Pyramids tourists can visit other sites and places in Memphis and Saqqara. This allows one to see other attractions other than the Giza Pyramids at least to add a better experience.
The other choice is an entry ticket, buy a ticket to the Giza Plateau and walk on your own without a guided tour. This brings in more flexibility but yields lesser prior knowledge.
Camel or horse ridden tours:
There is nothing more adventurous than riding on a camel or on a horse privately around the Giza plateaus. But be prepared for some local sellers that may come up to you and ask if you’d like to buy some trinkets.
Sound and Light shows:
The most interesting way of either extending or gathering more information about the Pyramid is the Nighttime Sound and Light show. The show includes a number of striking displays and loud noises which makes recalling what happened very easy.
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Top Tips for Visiting Great Pyramids of Giza
If you plan to visit the Great Pyramids of Giza, keep these tips in mind to make the most of your visit:
- The early bird catches the worm: arrive early morning (when few are there specially during peak periods). It gets very hot during midday, but by arriving early, you will escape the sun and take great photos without crowds of tourists in your way.
- Carry water: the climate on Giza Plateau is quite scorching, especially during mid-morning through the afternoon hence take bottled water and apply/spray sunscreen whenever visiting in the day.
- Skin unprotected: The clothing prepares you for the intense dust and sand whenever you engage in that fun of entering any of the seven pyramids.
- Concerns: look out for aggressive sellers – Many will try to consistently pressure the tourists into buying their merchandise. Be assertive if you are not into someone.
- Don’t ride camels: Despite the fact that camel riding sounds fun, there are always cases of abusing the animals or demanding a lot of tips for this sort of service.
- Have the right shoes: Again if you are planning on climbing up any of these pyramids or going into one of these tombs, make sure that the shoes on your feet are proper closed toe shoes. Shoes on your feet will not provide sufficient traction as well as defend you.
- Do your homework before coming : It never hurts to master some facts about the fascinating history of the pyramid, the great engineering feats that go into the construction as well as the theories surrounding building the great structure in order to behold its majestic wonder. This makes the whole process far more interesting!
Conclusion
The Great Pyramids of Giza are the most famous of the seven and in fact are the only ones mostly existing even to this day the oldest wonder of the world then pyramids of Giza should be on everyone’s list to see. For centuries Palaces have attracted people due to their giant dimensions, sophisticated design, & unknown circumstances of construction.
It allows you the opportunity to see the only one of the seven wonders of the ancient world to have remained standing and the last of the funerary pyramids of the pharaohs, giving those who wish to a chance to see what the real pyramids would have looked like had they been covered in white limestone like Dann and Champion said they should have.
Therefore, while visiting Cairo make a half day or full day trip to the Giza plateau and listen to the legendary pyramids with your own eyes. Only beware of the large crowds if visiting in those periods and be sure to take a lot of water because of the hot climate expected in Egypt. But if you manage your expectations right and take some tips in between then your visit to the Great Pyramids of Giza can be a dream-like activity of your lifetime!
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FAQs about Great Pyramids of Giza
How many years ago were the pyramids constructed and how long took them to construct?
They followed the designs of Egypt’s 4th Dynasty with construction commencing in approximately 2589 and ending about 2504 BC. Khufu pyramid was built first over twenty years, and Khafre pyramid was built in less than eighteen years. It is believed about 20000 specialized labor force was used in building the pyramids.
What had been the mechanism for blocks movement – did they use ramp or lever?
It is still unclear how the blocks that made up these structures were placed in position during their construction. The most elaborate is the long ramps constructed in a gradient style that will take several days to build. People would have employed ropes, pulleys and rollers over a smooth slippery surface to slide the blocks into the right position. Some people think that others were also used to lift blocks. Nonetheless, as much as possible about different approaches exists today, it remains unclear about their specific procedures.
Is that the reason why the pyramids are mentioned in the Bible?
In fact there is no reference to pyramids in general and the Egyptian ones in particular in the entire bible. These structures had been already in existence for more than one thousand years during the Biblical era. Some have suggested that the references to “towers” or structures stretching upward towards the heavens point to the pyramid-like structures but no clear links have effectively been drawn. The pyramid would have doubtless been one of the ancient wonders that the writers of books of the Bible had heard of even though they do not mention it.
