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On the outskirts of Cairo , the great Pyramids were built about 4,500 years ago
as
burial places for the Pharoahs
. The most famous are the pyramids of Khufu
(Cheops), Khafre (Cephren) and Menkaure (Mycerinus) at Giza. Each pyramid had a
mortuary temple on each side and this was where offerings were made. Father,
Son and Grandson were buried in these three great structures.
The pyramids are square structures with four smooth triangular sides that come to a point at the top. The builders of these great structures had no mechanical devices and their only resources were ropes and levers with a plentiful supply of stone , mud and unlimited labour. Tens of thousands of slaves and peasants worked for 20 years to build the great pyramid of Khufu. This great structure contains 2,300,000 blocks of stone , with some blocks weighing 15 tonnes. The Architects had designed the pyramids so that all the ventilation shafts were clear and the main entrance to the north was hidden. These pyramids were built with incredible accuracy, in so much as one side was only 2cm larger than the other. The huge blocks used in the building were so closely fit, that is was hard to force a razor blade between them. In the thousands of years since they were built, the limestime capping had been taken away by foreign invaders , and the burial tombs had been robbed of all their treasures. In the pyramid of Khufu, the world oldest boat was found. It's 1200 pieces were found stored unassembled with matching heiratic signs (which were a written version of heiroglyphics) to indicate in which quarter of the boat the parts belonged. Khufu's barge measured 150 feet long. Different theories arose as to the use of the boat by Khufu in the afterlife, and some believe it was part of the funeral cortege which may have carried his body from Memphis to Giza. |
| A sphinx was an imaginary creature from Ancient Myths, the sculptors modelled the face of the sphinx after the honoured person. The sphinxes became symbols of royal protestion , and often lined avenues leading to temples. The oldest is the Great Sphinx, which is a likeness of King Khafre as a human headed lion,and wearing a royal headdress, sits guarding the great pyramid today. The sphinx is about 240 ft. long and 66ft high. |
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| Over time sand has buried the Great Sphinx often, and wind and rain have worn away part of the stone. He face was said to have been used as target practice through the war !!!. In the 1970's efforts were made to preserve the crumbling stone with chemicals. So he is with us again for a while longer..!! |
