The Pyramids of Giza
The Great Pyramid (Back)
The Great Pyramid is one of the seven wonders of the ancient
world. It was built for King Khufu, or Cheops. It was built around 2560
B.C. in 20 years out of about 2,300,000 blocks of stone. Each block
was either limestone or granite and the average weight per block was two
tons. Some of the biggest blocks weigh nine tons. The total weight of the
of the pyramid is 6.5 million tons! The Great Pyramid is 146.5 meters high.
The base covers 13.6 acres. At the base, each side is 227 meters. The pyramid's
sides slope at 51 degrees, 50', 35".
The Other Pyramids at Giza
Khafre and Menkaure, two later pharaohs, built the other
pyramids at Giza. They were both smaller than the Great Pyramid.
The Sphinx
The Sphinx's face is believed to be Khafre's. It was carved
out of a natural limestone mound at the site, called a "living rock".