The Great Pyramid of Giza (known also as the Pyramid of Khufu, or the Pyramid of Cheops) is one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World and the only one that remains today. The Great Pyramid is the oldest and largest of the three pyramids at Giza, the other two belonging to the pharaohs Khafre and Menkaure. Although the Great Pyramid has survived till this day, it has not escaped from weathering and has a drastically different look from when it was newly completed.
Construction of the Pyramid
It has been estimated that up to 2.4 million stone blocks, each
of which had to be cut and dressed before they could be used for the
construction of the pyramid. The core of the Great Pyramid consists mainly of
rough blocks of limestone that were quarried at the Giza Plateau. This
limestone, however, is of low quality and has a brownish-yellow color. Within
the Great Pyramid is the central chamber, which contained the pharaoh’s
sarcophagus. Reddish-pink granite was used to construct the chamber, as it was
able to support the weight of the stone blocks above it.
Originally, the Great
Pyramid was covered with blocks of limestone that came from Tura, about 129 km
(80 miles) away, on the other side of the Nile. These casing stones served to
cover the brownish-yellow limestone that was used to construct the pyramid’s
core. Moreover, the Tura limestone made the Great Pyramid dazzling white, which
would have made it highly visible, even from afar away.
No Longer Dazzling White
Today,
however, the Great Pyramid is no longer dazzling white, as the Tura limestone
blocks were removed during the Middle Ages. During the 14 th century, a massive earthquake loosened many
of the outer casing stones. The dislodged stones were taken by the Bahri
Sultan, An-Nasir Nasir-ad-Din al-Hasan in 1356 to build mosques and fortresses
in nearby Cairo. The casing stones that were left on the Great Pyramid
continued to collapse in the subsequent centuries, leaving piles of rubble at
the monument’s base. These were cleared away when the site was excavated.
Nevertheless, many of the casing stones covering the base of the pyramid have
been left on site and may still be seen today.
When was the Great Pyramid
Built?
The
Great Pyramid of Giza is thought by the majority of mainstream archaeology to have
been built during the reign of Khufu, the second pharaoh of ancient Egypt’s
Fourth Dynasty. The precursors of the Great Pyramid may be found in Early
Dynastic period. During this time, it is believed royal tombs were built into
the ground and covered with a type of monument known as a ‘mastaba’. These were
rectangular, flat-topped structures with inward sloping sides that were
constructed using mudbricks. The first pyramid was built by Djoser, the founder
of the Third Dynasty, at Saqqara, although the age of all the pyramids remains
and area of contention. The Pyramid of Djoser, known also as the Step Pyramid,
consists of six mastabas of decreasing size and its design has been attributed
to Imhotep.
Third Dynasty Pharaohs
Attempted to Build Step Pyramids
The
pharaohs of the Third Dynasty followed Djoser’s example and built step pyramids
for themselves. These, however, were not completed, possibly due to their
relatively short reigns. It was during the Fourth Dynasty that the first ‘true’
pyramid, i.e. one with smooth sides, was built. This is the Red Pyramid of
Dahshur, known also as the North Pyramid. The Red Pyramid was built by Sneferu,
the founder of the Fourth Dynasty, and is named as such due to its red limestone blocks . Incidentally, Sneferu
was also the builder of the Bent Pyramid which is also located at Dahshur. This
pyramid has a 54° inclination at its base, which narrows to 43° to the top,
thus giving it a bent appearance. It is widely believed that this is the
transitional form between the step pyramid and the true pyramid.
The Golden Age of Egyptian
Pyramids
The
reigns of Khufu, Khafre, and Menkaure are regarded to be the golden age of
Egyptian pyramids. During the subsequent Fifth and Sixth Dynasties, pyramids
were continued to be built, though a decline in quality and scale is evident.
The last of the great pyramid builders was Pepy II, whose pyramid was built in
Saqqara. Several years after Pepy II’s death, the Old Kingdom collapsed, and a
period of instability known as the First Intermediate Period ensued. Although
pyramids were built by later pharaohs, they were certainly not as grand as
those built during the Old Kingdom.
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