February 2, 2012
Interesting Facts About The Pyramids On The Giza Plateau In Egypt
Dreaming about a visiting the Giza Pyramids on a tour of Egypt? The Pyramids of Giza in Egypt are a group of pyramids that include the second largest pyramid in the whole world-the Great Pyramid of Giza (or the Great Pyramid of Khufu). Here are some fascinating facts about the Giza pyramids:
The Great Pyramid of Giza weighs over 5.9 million tons. Besides this amazing fact, the pyramid also has a height of 146 meters (780 feet). It was the tallest structure in the world until the Lincoln Cathedral (London, Britain) was built in the year 1311. The Great Pyramid of Giza consists of approximately 2.3 million blocks, which have an average weight of 2.5 tons each.
The Great Pyramid of Giza took two decades to build. That commenced around the year 2560 B.C. The builders of the pyramid (and the other pyramids of Giza) might have included about 200,000 slaves and some seasonal workers.
Current ideas seem to support the usage of the latter source of labor, since Egyptians could not spend some time at home during the yearly overflowing of the Nile River. The biggest blocks of the Great Pyramid of Giza weighed about 15 tons, and were transported by ship along the Nile River.
The Great Pyramid of Giza is included in the list of the Seven Wonders of the Traditional World. Actually the biggest pyramid in Giza is the only structure on the list that is still standing today. Fires or earthquakes destroyed the other items. While that happened occasionally about half a century after the structures were built, surprisingly the Great Pyramid of Giza is over 4,500 years old!
The Pyramids of Giza include 3 pyramids. The most renowned pyramid is the Great Pyramid of Giza.
In the meantime, the Pyramid of Khafre is marginally smaller. This was built by Khafre, and serves as the crypt of the that Fourth Dynasty pharaoh. During modern times, Giovanni Belzoni conducted the 1st modern exploration of the pyramid, in 1818. The pyramid is made of limestone blocks that each weigh over 2 tons. Also, the slope of the pyramid is steeper than the slope of the Great Pyramid of Giza. Additionally, due to its sitting on base, the Pyramid of Khafre isn't as high as it seems to be.
Are you planning a vacation in Egypt? If so , then you need to definitely include the Giza Pyramids on your schedule. However you need to travel to Egypt, we can help make it happen for you.
Filed under Whale Watching Tours by jenny