The Great Pyramids of Egypt and the Sphinx

The Pyramids of Giza and the Sphinx

Among the major tourist sites, there is only one considered to be “The major” and on top of any list - The Pyramids of Giza

There are three main Pyramids here, which were built in the 4^th Dynasty (circa 2550 B.C). The Pyramids of Ancient Egypt were built as tombs for Kings (and Queens), and it was the exclusive privilege to have a Pyramid tomb. However, this tradition only applied in the Old and Middle Kingdoms. Today there are more than 93 Pyramids in Egypt; the most famous ones are those at Giza.

The Great Pyramid of Khufu is by far the most famous Pyramid in Egypt, the biggest, tallest, and most intact. After its construction it became one of the “Seven Wonders Of The World”, and today, it is the only one of them remaining. For a period of 4300 years, the Pyramid was also the tallest building on earth, until the French built the Eiffel Tower in 1889 to take that accolade.

Khufu’s Pyramid is built entirely of limestone, and is considered an architectural masterpiece. It contains around 1,300,000 blocks ranging in weight from 2.5 tons to 15 tons and is built on a square base with sides measuring about 230m (755ft), covering 13 acres!  Its four sides face the four cardinal points precisely and it has an angle of 52 degrees. The original height of the Pyramid was 146.5m (488ft), but today it is only 137m (455ft) high, the 9m (33ft) that is missing is due to the theft of the fine quality limestone covering, or casing stones, by the Ottoman Turks in the 15 Century A.D, to build houses and Mosques in Cairo. You will find that the entrance of the Pyramid is located at the northern side, the same as almost every Pyramid in Egypt. On this side there are actually 2 entrances, one is the original, and is 17m (55ft) above ground level, and the other one is a man-made forced entrance located below it. Created in the 9^th Century A.D by Khalif El-Mamoun, who was seeking the treasures that he thought might have been kept inside the Pyramid. He sent out stonemasons to open up an entrance, and they cut it midway across the centre of the northern side. Their tunnel goes almost 35m into the Pyramid, and was crudely cut, and at the end it connects with the original inner corridors of the Pyramid. Nothing was found inside, as it was plundered in antiquity. Nowadays visitors, to the site, use Mamoun’s entrance to gain access into the Pyramid, as it is actually considered to be a shortcut.

From the main entrance of the Pyramid there is a long narrow corridor with low roof that descends for more than 100m (330ft), which takes you to a chamber, located about 24m (79ft) below ground level, which is an unfinished burial chamber with very little fresh air inside, and is inaccessible today. 

Almost 20m (66ft) from that descending corridor there is another corridor connected to it, which takes you up into the heart of the Pyramid. This ascending corridor ends up at one the great parts of the Great Pyramid, the “Grand Gallery”!  It is a large, long, rectangular hall, which is 49m (161ft) long, and 15m (49ft) high, with a long tunnel, at the bottom, that takes you the 2^nd chamber, which is famously known as the “Queens Chamber”. It actually has nothing to do with a Queen, and was given this name by the early Arabs, who went inside the Pyramids and gave it its name. It is commonly believed that it served as a magazine, or a storeroom, inside the Pyramid.

When you ascend the “Grand Gallery”, you will find, at its end, an entrance to the 3^rd chamber, which was the real burial chamber of King Khufu, and this is where you will find his stone sarcophagus, which was made out of one block of granite. You will find this chamber to be really amazing, it is rectangular in form, has a flat roof, and is built out of granite that was brought from the city of Aswan, which is located 1000Km (625 miles) away. The roof consists of 9 slabs of granite; each one estimated to be around 50 tons in weight! Above the roof of the burial chamber, the Ancient Egyptians built 5 small relieving chambers so that the huge pressure, of the weight above, would not cause the burial chamber to collapse. These 5 chambers are also made of granite, and are about 1m (3 ft) above each other. The tops of the first 4 are flat, the 5^th one having a pointed top to divert the enormous pressure of weight away from the burial chamber.

Both the northern and southern walls of the burial chamber have two small tunnels with rectangular entrances. They are small, and once were thought to go all the way through the outer sides of the Pyramid, though no exterior openings have been found, and are believed to be “star shafts” that served a certain purpose in the ancient cult connecting the King with the stars.   

  

 The Great Pyramid of Khufu

The Great Pyramid is the Pyramid of the great Egyptian King, Khufu.

The Great Pyramid, called Akhet Khufu (The Horizon of Khufu), is the largest pyramid in Egypt. The pharoh Khnum-khuf, called Khufu for short, and Cheops in Greek, created this pyramid after he came to the throne in 2551 BC upon the death of his father, Sneferu, creator of the Meidum and Dahshur pyramids. So massive is this pyramid that it almost, if not does, exceeds the total amount of stone in the three created by Sneferu. It would be very easy to say that Khufu took his dad's idea and ran with it, so to speak.

In the eastern side of the Great Pyramid and you will find  there three subsidiary smaller Pyramids (one was for the Khufu’s daughter, one for Khufu’s wife and the third one for Khufu’s mother).

The name “Cheops” is also associated with this King and his Pyramid, the name being given to him by the Greeks. Though both names are generally accepted, Khufu was used in this description because it was his birth name! The same goes for Khafre (Chephren in Greek) and Menkaure (Mycerinus).

The Pyramid of Khafre:

Khafre’s Pyramid, or the 2^nd Pyramid, is easily recognisable by the layers of its original casing stones that still remain near its summit and this, along with the fact that it actually stands on a higher part of the plateau, gives the impression that it is taller than the Great Pyramid. An optical illusion, as it is only 136m (446 ft) tall, with sides of 214.5m (704ft), a surface area of 11 acres and an angle of 53 degrees. It also has lost some of its original height through the years, once being 143.5m (471ft) tall.

The only similarity to his father’s Pyramid is the entrance in the same, north facing side. There are no corridors leading into the heart of this Pyramid, the burial chamber being underground, and a long descending passageway has to be negotiated to reach it. This entrance is 50 feet (15m) above ground level, leading to the narrow passage, which descends at a 25-degree angle into the large burial chamber, which measures 14.2m by 5m by 6.9m (46.5ft by 16.5ft by 22.5ft). To take the weight of the pyramid, the roof of the chamber is set at the same angles as the pyramid face. A large, black sarcophagus is found in this room. 

A lower corridor is directly under the upper corridor, and once contained a portcullis that could be lowered to prevent entry as well as an unfinished burial chamber, which was cut from the bedrock and, it is thought, unused. Like the upper corridor, this one has a 25-degree slope, it then levels out, climbs slightly, and eventually the 2 of them join together. The united passageway then leads to the burial chamber.

The Pyramid of Menkaure:

Khafre’s son, Menkaure, built the smallest of the 3 main Pyramids on the Giza Plateau. This one was only a mere 65.5m (215ft) tall, nowadays 62m (203ft), with sides of only 105m (344ft) and an angle of 51.3 degrees. It is thought that this Pyramid was altered during its construction, and made a lot bigger than originally planned. The original, smaller Pyramid had a simple descending corridor and burial chamber, but when it was enlarged, a new corridor was built with 3 portcullises and a small panelled chamber. Later still, another burial chamber, along with a storeroom were added at a lower level. This Pyramid, like its 2 neighbours, has a north facing entrance.

Apart from the size, Menkaure’s Pyramid differed from the other 2 in the choice of casing stones. Whereas the Pyramids of his father and grandfather were completely cased in fine, white, Turah limestone, Menkaure’s Pyramid was only partly cased in Turah limestone, from about 15m up! The first 15 metres was cased with pink granite, which had come from Aswan, the last of which was taken by Muhammad Ali Pasha (1805-1848) who used them to construct his arsenal in Alexandria.

The Great Sphinx:

The Great Sphinx, or as the ancients knew it, “Shesib Ankh” or “the living image”, has to be one of the most recognizable constructions in history. Think of the Sphinx and you automatically think of Egypt and the Giza Plateau.

Sculpted from soft sandstone, many believe that it would have disappeared long ago had it not been buried in the sand for so many long periods in its lifetime. The body is 60m (200ft) long and 20m (65ft) tall. Its face is 4m (13ft) wide with eyes measuring 2m (6 ft) high. It faces the rising sun, and was revered so much by the ancients, that they built a temple in front of it.

 The 18th Dynasty King, Thutmose IV installed a stele between its front paws, describing how, when Thutmose was a young Prince, he had gone hunting and fell asleep in the shade of the Sphinx ‘s head. Thutmose had a dream where Ra Hor-Akhty the sun God, talking through the Sphinx, spoke to him, telling the young Prince to clear away the sand because the Sphinx was choking on it. The Sphinx said to  him that if he did this, he would become King of Egypt .

Thutmose cleared away all the sand and s after 2 years,  the god fulfilled his promise to the price and he was made king of Egypt
 Today, part of the “uraeus” (the sacred cobra at the forehead ), and the nose are missing (not shot off by Napoleon’s men as many believe, but  were destroyed by Muhammad Sa'im Al-Dahr, a Sufi fanatic from the Khanqah of Sa'id Al-Su'ada.

In 1378, upon finding the Egyptian peasants making offerings to the Sphinx in the hope of increasing their harvest, Sa'im Al-Dahr was so outraged that he destroyed the nose!). There are parts of a beard in the Cairo and British Museum in London  which reputedly belong to the Sphinx, but many Egyptologists deny this, as the style of beard found, does not relate to the “nemes” that The Sphinx wears – different Dynasties!

Because of the soft sandstone, the Sphinx has been repaired many times; sometimes the repairs causing even more damage! Also, due to the wind, humidity, and pollution from modern Cairo, its condition is still deteriorating, and the present renovations are a never-ending task.
 I hope this gave you a glimpse of information about the Pyramids of Giza.

Building the Pyramids of Egypt

How were the pyramids built? This question has puzzled scientist for centuries and still continues to puzzle experts today. To date, there has been no documentation or clues that have given Egyptologists answers about the construction of the pyramids. Because there are many theories and ideas as to how the pyramids were constructed, and here I will cover the most common theory used in constructing the pyramids.

This area is dedicated to the construction and architecture of the pyramids, how they were built, and the evolution in design from the step pyramid to the true pyramid. Beginning with the step pyramids of the 3rd Dynasty, and continuing for centuries, the pyramid is a marvel of construction, and is considered one of the "Seven wonders of the world." The pyramids are the only of these seven that remain standing and intact.

The earliest form of pyramid, the step, dates back to the 3rd Dynasty, and consists of several steps. A descending passage from the north leads to the burial chamber. Underground galleries surround the pyramid on all but the south sides. The first, and probably the only step pyramid ever completed, is that of King Netjerykhet Djoser at Saqqara. The Step pyramid is not near as pleasing to the eye as the True pyramid, which could explain the quick abandonment of this type of pyramid.

The true pyramid is a natural development and improvement on the step pyramid. The first true pyramids were introduced in at the beginning of the 4th Dynasty. The structure of a True Pyramid is virtually the same as a step pyramid. Packing blocks are stacked until the dimensions were right, and then finishing blocks (usually limestone) were the last touch. The aesthetics are much more pleasing than the step pyramid, but the construction isn't really that different.

A major problem facing the builders of the Ancient Egyptian Pyramids, was that of getting the Large stone blocks to the height they required.

The most common theory for moving large blocks is to slide logs under the large stones to make mobility easier. The block would have been attached to large ropes with people pushing the block forward. At the same time several men would remove the last log uncovered by the stone. The end log that was removed would then be transported to the front where it would complete the cycle under the stone and the endless cycle would be repeated.

Moving the block was one thing but placing it into position was another. This idea has also left scientist baffled. The most common theory for placement of each stone is said to have a ramp that went around the pyramid’s sides. Some have concluded that the ramp only touched one side of the pyramid. This might have been true, but the ramp might have had more material then the pyramid did and this would have made placement of each block difficult.the method shown at left, is the only one proven to have been used. The ramps were built on inclined planes of mud brick and rubble.

They then dragged the blocks on sledges to the needed height. As the pyramid grew taller, the ramp had to be extended in length, and its base was widened, else it would collapse. It is likely that for the construction of each pyramid, several ramps were probably used.

The arrangement of the ramps used for building is in much dispute. Assuming that the step pyramid was built before the outer structure, and then the packing blocks were laid on top, the ramps could have run from one step to another rather than approaching the pyramid face at right angles.

Some of the pyramids indicate an accurate understanding of Pi, but the mathematical knowledge of the Egyptians did not include the ability to arrive at this by calculation. It is possible that this could have been arrived at "accidentally" through a means such as counting the revolutions of a drum.

The internal construction of most true pyramids consists of a series of buttress walls surrounding a central core. The walls decrease in height from the center outwards. In other words, the core of the true pyramid is essentially a step pyramid. The internal arrangement added stability to the structure. Packing blocks filled the "steps" formed by the faces of the outermost buttress walls and casting blocks (often Limestone) completed the structure of the true pyramid.

Architects and builders used a different form of construction in the pyramids of the 12th and 13th Dynasties. Mainly because of economy, for it was suitable for relatively modest structures in inferior materials. Solid walls of stone ran from the center, and shorter cross walls formed a series of chambers filled with stone blocks, ruble or mud bricks. An outer casing was usually added, and although quite effective in the short term, it did not even come close to the earlier construction methods. Pyramids which were built with this structural design are quite dilapidated and worn.

 It’s estimated that the Great Pyramid took almost twenty years to complete due to its size and the type of stone used in creating the structure. Each stone weighed about two to five tons and came from Aswan and Tura. Not only was the stone imported but also stonemasons would have worked all year long cutting and shaping each block. All these complicated tasks made the pyramid difficult to construct but as we know today, the end results are amazing.

THE REAL 300 SPARTANS AND KING LEONIDAS

The Spartans, Lionized as Warrior Martyrs in Frank Miller's Production, Weren't as Noble as They Appear on Film

The Battle of Thermopylae is the inial major event of the Second Persian War, the Persian invasion, led by King Xerxes (son of Darius I who was defeated by theAthenians) into the Greek city-states (480 BC).

 

A Spartan contingent of 300 of their finest, led by King Leonidas, led a Greek allied force of approximately 2700-5500 hoplites and Helots (Spartan slaves) to the mountain pass of Thermopylae. The strategy behind this move was to stall the Persian advance long enough for the Atheinian fleet to destroy the much larger Persian naval force.

 The Spartan force did their job and the Athenians eventually tricked the Persian fleet into a trap and reduced the Persian fleet to militarly insignificance. The Sparta-led force would have received reinforcements, but Greek religious beliefs prevented them from sending troops during the festival of Karnea.

 

The Persian forces ranged between 200,000-300,000 troops of various kinds. None of which, however, were ready for the far superior tactics of the Greeks. After three days of intense battle, suppossedly a Greek who was a Persian sympathizer, revaled a secret moutain path behind the Greek forces, whereby the Persians surrounded the Greeks, killing them to the last man. The Persians, however, sustained heavy losses, proving the superiority of the Greek method of warfare. The Persians did enter the Greek city-sates, but after their failure and defeat at the naval battle of Salamis, they were unable to maintain a significance force in the Greek lands. As a result, the 

Spartan-led force played a hugely significant role in undermining the Persian invasion.

The movie, despite what many here are saying, is hardly accurate at all. Most of what the movie portrays, including details about daily life, military personnel, battle techniques, and timelines, is either inaccurate, anachronistic, exaggerated, or purely fanciful.

PS: The elite Persian troops were called "The immortals" ,a force of 10,000. The Immortals had a reputation of being an unstoppable force who were the most efficient killers the known world had ever seen. They were not immortal and they were easily stoppable, as the 300 spartans and their Boeothian allies sliced and diced them til they were no more.