In the suburbs of Cairo, where the Nile valley smoothly turns into the Libyan desert, the Great Egyptian pyramids stand on the Giza plateau. They open up unexpectedly. Like a mirage, they appear from the hot sands of the desert. In ancient times, these amazing structures were one of the 7 wonders of the world. Centuries have passed, but even today they impress with their size, and their secrets still excite the minds of scientists and researchers.

Pyramids of Giza in Egypt

The Egyptian pyramids are the most famous and tallest in the world. It is the only remaining of the ancient wonders of the world. They were admired by great people and mere mortals. The pyramid complex at Giza, guarded by the Great Sphinx, is part of the huge necropolis of this city.

They were built during the time of the Egyptian pharaohs of the IV dynasty, which ruled in the ancient state in 2639-2506 BC. Next to the huge structures are small temples and pyramids in which the wives of the pharaohs, their officials and priests are buried. These burials are still being studied by scientists.

Until now, researchers continue to argue about the purpose of these structures. There is a traditional version that says that the huge mounds that rise above the mortal world are the tombs of the pharaohs. Their ashes in such burials were closer to the sky and the sun. Some scientists believe that the Egyptian pyramids are temples where the worshipers of the Sun held religious rites. Other researchers suggest that these were scientific laboratories created for astronomical observations. Archaeologists in Germany put forward another interesting hypothesis. They believe that the pyramids are the natural energy generators of the earth. Thanks to her, the pharaohs were "charged" and rejuvenated. The pharaohs visited the pyramids as regularly as a modern person goes to a psychologist or masseur. Most scientists believe that they were on Earth even before the biblical flood. Therefore, all their secrets will have to be unraveled for more than one generation.

Egyptian pyramids: interesting facts

The great ones were erected at different times under several pharaohs, who created tombs and monuments for themselves for centuries. The oldest of them is the pyramid of Djoser. Its construction dates back to 2670. It is located in the city of Saqqara. Its height is 62 meters. The name of the author of this pyramid is known - he was the ancient Egyptian architect Imhotep. He was very revered in ancient Egypt, and later, even in myths, he became the main patron of crafts and arts - the son of the god Ptah.

The second largest ancient Egyptian pyramid was built by the son of Cheops, Pharaoh Khafre. It is lower than the nearby tomb of Cheops, its height is 136.4 meters, but since it is located on a higher point of the plateau, it adequately competes with the great pyramid. At its top, a white basalt lining is still preserved, which is very reminiscent of a glacier. The internal structure of the pyramid is quite simple - two chambers, two entrances located on the north side. One of them is at a height of fifteen meters, and the second is directly below it, at the base of the building.

The Pyramid of Menkaure was built in 2504 BC. It is much smaller than the two great pyramids. Height - 66 meters. Scientists believe that the small size is due to the fact that Mikerin was not the legitimate heir to the throne. However, when he nevertheless received power, the building began to have a more monumental appearance. Unlike the pyramids of Cheops and Khafre, its lining was made of huge blocks of pink granite, which was brought to Giza from Aswan along the Nile. According to the surviving records of contemporaries, despite its more modest size, this building was considered the most beautiful in Egypt.

Pyramid of Cheops in Egypt

Much later, similar structures were built in other parts of the country, which Egypt is proud of today. Giza, whose pyramids are known all over the world, received great fame thanks to one of them - Cheops. She became a real wonder of the world, which can be seen in our time. The three tallest buildings are considered to be the great Egyptian pyramids - the pyramids of Cheops, Menkaure and Khafre. But do not forget that in this ancient city there are many small structures that keep no less secrets than more monumental ones.

The Pyramid of Cheops at Giza was built a very long time ago. It is still not known exactly how long it took to build it. It is believed that this great pyramid at Giza dates back to the time when the country was ruled by Cheops, the pharaoh of the 4th dynasty. Huge interest in the history of its construction does not decrease even today. Myths about the pyramid There are many theories about the origin of this grandiose structure. Some of them are based on information received from Egyptologists, others have a somewhat exotic, fabulous touch. There is even a version that this building was erected by aliens or some kind of extinct civilization that lived in these places even before the advent of the pharaohs. And they built it using unknown technical capabilities. According to such theories, the age of this pyramid in Giza is much older than that indicated by modern scientists.

It is quite difficult to accurately measure the parameters of the Cheops pyramid in our time, since it has suffered greatly during its long history. Today, for example, the stone that crowned the building is no longer there, the cladding slabs have been destroyed. According to the data obtained with the help of modern measuring instruments, at first great pyramid of giza had a height of 146.5 meters. The length of one side is 232.5 meters. The sides have a slope of 51 degrees 50 minutes. Weight - 6400000 tons. The internal structure of the famous is quite interesting.

Everyone who enters this majestic building can visit four spacious rooms. These are the chambers of the king and queen, a large gallery and an underground chamber. Researchers found four mines inside the pyramid. At first, it was suggested that they were necessary for ventilation of the premises, but later a more daring version arose, according to which the mines are channels to the stars. Two of them are aimed at the North Star, the third - at the star Sirius, the fourth - at Orion. Since ancient times, people have sought to climb to the top of the Cheops pyramid, where there is a small platform measuring ten square meters. There was a belief that one could touch eternity there. Many famous Russians have visited this mysterious place. Among them is Emperor Nicholas II. And today, many tourists come to Giza who want to see this miracle with their own eyes.

Sphinx - guardian of the pyramids of Giza

The pyramids of Giza are guarded by the Great Sphinx - the oldest sculpture that has survived to this day. It is a lion with a human head. The history of the creation of this figure is no less mysterious than the history of the pyramids. There are many versions of the appearance of the Sphinx, but the most common of them says that the sculpture was built by Khafre in memory of his father, Pharaoh Cheops.

It is believed that the Sphinx was created much earlier, and under the pharaoh it was dug out of the sand during the construction of the great pyramid. Some inconsistency of the first version is that the face of the Sphinx has negroid features, while all the images of Cheops that have survived to this day do not have such.