The most famous pyramids of ancient Egypt. The First Wonder of the World: The Egyptian Pyramids Site Report Egyptian Pyramid
An endless series of eras of human civilization keeps a huge number of secrets and mysteries. Each of them requires close attention and study. The study is hampered by those huge time intervals that separate modern man from the affairs of the past. Looking at living people from eternity, the greatest architectural and artistic creations are not at all going to talk about how, by whom, and most importantly why they were created.
One of the most mysterious masterpieces of times gone into oblivion are, without any doubt, pyramids of ancient egypt. These grandiose creations of human hands delight and fascinate, amaze with their size and at the same time cause a feeling of deep bewilderment: why was it necessary to spend so much effort, energy, time on absolutely useless constructions.
Most likely, those who lived 45 centuries ago wanted to emphasize the greatness of their era, the significance of their rulers, the inviolability of their power and proximity to the gods. Or maybe these structures contain some other meaning, beyond the understanding of modern man. All this is a mystery behind seven seals, securely hidden for millennia.
The first ancient pyramids of Egypt
The facts indicate that The first pyramid was built in ancient Egypt under the founder of the III dynasty Pharaoh Djoser. He ruled approximately in 2780-2760 BC. e. and radically changed the architectural style of the tombs practiced before him.
From the end of the IV millennium BC. e. the rulers were buried in mastabas - truncated pyramids. These were small structures made of stones, fastened together with clay mortar. In those distant times, they may have made an impression on people, but in the present century they are shapeless stone piles that bear little resemblance to architectural creations.
The tomb of Djoser (located in Saqqara - 20 km south of Cairo) had nothing to do with the mastaba. Rather, it was six mastabas stacked on top of each other. The lowest one was also the widest. The next mastaba was smaller, it had an even smaller one, and even smaller one above. Thus, a stepped pyramid 62 meters high and 125 by 115 meters along the perimeter was obtained.
For those times, the building, of course, is majestic. Developed it, designed it, and then implemented it Pharaoh's vizier Imhotep. Apparently it was a very outstanding person, since her name survived for almost five thousand years. Imhotep is rightfully considered the founder of a new architectural style that lasted in ancient Egypt for almost 200 years.
The shape of the pyramids underwent significant structural changes during the time of the founder of the IV dynasty Pharaoh Sneferu(ruled 2613-2589 BC). Two pyramids are associated with his name, but these are no longer stepped, but fundamental structures with smooth sloping walls. One pyramid is called broken line- its height is 104 meters, another pyramid has a name pink. It is taller, its height is 109 meters.
The pyramids are located in Dahshur - a desert area 26 kilometers south of Cairo. They are not alone in their greatness. Next to them is another 20 pyramids of the pharaohs of the XII and XIII dynasty. In this necropolis, the pyramids of Sneferu are the oldest, but despite the fact that other man-made tombs were built many centuries later, these two pyramids are much better preserved. They have not lost their geometric shapes, have not crumbled under the weight of centuries, but continue to rise royally above the mortal earth, impassively looking at the world around them.
Such amazing vitality is explained by completely different construction technologies, completely different from those by which the rest of the necropolis structures were built.
The pink and broken pyramids are assembled from granite blocks, ideally processed and fitted to each other. These blocks are not cemented with mortar, but the structures stand like a monolith. A huge weight reliably binds all the knots of these ideal architectural structures, while 46 centuries that have passed since the time of their construction serve as proof of their strength.
The rest of the pyramids are assembled from ordinary raw stones, or rather, cobblestones. They were tied with mortar and, laying on top of each other, they created structures that were significantly inferior in strength to the Snefru pyramids. All this is rather strange, since in 700 years it was possible not only not to lose the technologies practiced during the IV dynasty, but also to significantly improve them. The fact remains that during the construction of the broken and pink pyramids, more advanced construction methods were used than in later centuries.
In general, it falls out of the usual series of similar building structures. Its name already speaks about it. The fact is that the angle of inclination of the walls of this structure from the base to the middle of the height is 54 ° 31 ′. Further, the angle changes and is equal to 43 ° 21 ′. What is the reason for such an architectural refinement is unknown, although there are a great many assumptions and theories.
The prevailing opinion is that in connection with the death of the pharaoh, they decided to speed up the construction work and therefore made the slope of the upper parts of the walls steeper. Other researchers believe that it was just a "test of the pen." Until that time, nothing like this had been built in Ancient Egypt, so they decided to create something original and different, but apparently this form did not meet with the support of others and did not take root.
It got its name due to the peculiar color of the stone blocks from which it is laid out. The blocks have a pale pink color and are filled with the appropriate shade in the setting sun. This was the reason to call it the pink pyramid. Although in ancient times it was not at all pink but white. This color had a lining made of white limestone. Over the centuries, the coating peeled off and pink limestone was exposed, from which, in fact, the pyramid was assembled.
The pyramids of Snefru are huge, but they cannot be compared with similar structures located on the Giza plateau (northwest of Cairo). There are three pyramids here, two of them are striking in their size. The largest is the pyramid of the son of Sneferu Pharaoh Cheops(ruled 2589-2566 BC). Its original height was 146.6 meters, and it was built from 2.3 million limestone blocks.
Great Pyramids of Giza aerial view
From above the pyramid was covered with white limestone, the top was decorated with a pyramidion: a stone made of polished granite. It was covered with gold and shone majestically in the rays of the sun. At the base of the stone there was a square ledge, at the top of the pyramid there was a recess for it. The pyramidion was thus securely fastened at a great height, perfectly complementing the grandiose picture. the greatest building planets.
With east side a temple and three pyramids for queens adjoined the pyramid. Today, only the foundation remains of the temple, while small pyramids have been preserved. The temple, located in the valley, was also destroyed. It was connected with the pyramid of Cheops by a road. But the "solar boat" of the ruler, made of cedar, remained in excellent condition. After the death of the pharaoh, it was dismantled and placed in storage at the foot of the pyramid, apparently considering that in the afterlife it would be necessary for the formidable ruler.
How the pyramid of Cheops was built
Such a huge structure at all times caused one question among people - how did such a masterpiece manage to be created. Each block of the pyramid weighs at least two tons, but in total, as already mentioned, there are more than two million. All of them are perfectly fitted to each other and raised to different heights. In addition, there are three chambers inside the pyramid. The uppermost, the burial "chamber of the king", is lined with granite blocks weighing 60 tons each.
This chamber is located at a height of 43 meters from the base of the monumental structure. Raising such blocks by tens of meters is a truly difficult task. However, the Egyptians somehow coped with this and even perfectly fitted the granite slabs to each other. There are no gaps between them, which speaks of the highest production technology.
Hemiun
The architect of the pyramid is called the vizier of the pharaoh Cheops Hemiun. It was Hemiun who designed this structure and supervised its construction. He died shortly before the completion of the work, which, according to ancient sources, lasted 20 long years. Two decades of titanic labor gave "up to the mountain" the greatest architectural masterpiece, stunning the human imagination for over 45 centuries.
So how was Hemiun able to build such magnificence? There is no single answer to this question. There are various versions and assumptions. One of the versions claims that the blocks did not rise to a great height at all. Workers crushed limestone, turned it into powder, removed moisture, and thus it became ordinary cement. The latter was poured into special formworks located directly on the pyramid under construction, diluted with water, stone and crushed stone were added for bonding and monolithic blocks were obtained.
Does this theory have a practical basis? Limestone is a rock of medium hardness. It is cut, polished, taking into account modern technologies. But how to turn more than six million tons of rock (the weight of the pyramid of Cheops is 6.3 million tons) into powder is a rather time-consuming task, rather even impossible. It is unlikely that Hemiun would have dared such an action. In addition, where would he get so much wood to simultaneously make several hundred formworks.
A tree in ancient Egypt was worth its weight in gold. It was brought from distant lands, and it was very expensive. Taking into account all the costs, it would be easier to cast gold bars and mold them into a tomb for the pharaoh. True, then it would not have stood for 45 centuries, but it would have cost less.
The other point of view is much more realistic. It is followed by some American and French researchers. Carefully examining the internal and external arrangement ancient building, they put forward a rather interesting theory, which is offered to the judgment of discerning readers.
In this case, it is planned to install an external ramp at the beginning of construction. Under the ramp is meant an embankment along which the slabs are dragged to the place where they should lie. The pyramid grows, and the height of the ramp increases. In addition to the height, its length also increases: after all, the flatter the embankment, the easier it is to drag blocks along it.
But at a certain height, there comes a moment when it becomes problematic to lengthen the ramp. To withstand the minimum angle, it is necessary to increase the embankment for a kilometer or more. Such a structure is already beginning to surpass the pyramid under construction in its volume. But its height is 146.6 meters. This is what kind of embankment is needed, and even with a slope angle of a maximum of 10 °.
Hemiun found a way out of a seemingly hopeless situation. The chamber-tomb for the king is at a height of 43 meters. It was up to this point that the outer ramp was made in order to drag 60 ton slabs along it. If the size of the embankment allowed, then the chamber would have been made much higher, but this height was critical.
To this place, along the outer ramp, 600 people could easily drag a huge and heavy block. They moved these stone blocks on a sled. Logs were hardly used, since the wheel was not yet known at that time, so the corresponding analogies in the heads of the builders most likely could not come.
Above, according to the project, there were already stone blocks weighing 2-3 tons. In order to lay them down, they made an internal ramp. It was a narrow spiral-shaped cavity, gently rising upwards. It was located, and is still located, very close to the edges of the pyramid, above the "king's chamber". If you know where to chisel the walls, then the inner ramp is easy to spot.
Above the chamber itself, five unloading cavities were installed, between which stone slabs were placed. They put a gable ceiling over them. They did this to evenly distribute the weight of the overlying layers of a huge structure.
The weight of these layers is one and a half million tons. If there were no unloading cavities, then a huge mass of stones would crush the "king's chamber" trimmed with black granite, like a nut shell.
The very process of installing the upper blocks was as follows: the outer ramp was dismantled to a height of 15-odd meters. That is, to the place where the main entrance to the pyramid is located (after the work was completed, it was sealed with a granite plug). Stone blocks were dragged here, from which the entire upper part of the pyramid, more than 100 meters high, was laid out.
The blocks were dragged along the rising corridor, which abuts against the "king's chamber". Currently, this tunnel is divided into an ascending corridor and a Grand Gallery. The Grand Gallery is a tall and narrow passage 48 meters long and 8 meters high. Right in the middle of the gallery stretches its entire length a square recess. Its width is 1 meter, depth is 60 centimeters. There are 27 pairs of recesses on the side protrusions. The passage ends with a horizontal ledge with a smooth surface, 2 and 1 meters wide and long, respectively.
Here, 45 centuries ago, wooden guides were installed, along which a sledge was moved, with a stone block lying on them. The guides were held on wooden bars driven into the recesses of the side ledges. The next block was dragged to a horizontal ledge, and from it they moved to an internal ramp, the entrance to which is located next to the "king's chamber". Researchers have not yet reached it, but there is no doubt that in the near future it will be discovered.
Next, a two-ton block was pulled along the ramp to the construction site. Here the builders laid it in one of the rows and started on the next one. First, the outer rows of blocks were laid out, and then the inner ones, in order to maintain the correct geometric shapes of the huge structure. This was a very complex and precise matter: after all, it is much more difficult to correctly set an inclined surface than a vertical one. However, the ancient engineers succeeded brilliantly.
The Pyramid of Cheops
and the highest
buildings of the world
After the construction of the majestic structure, it was covered with white limestone slabs. Now there is nothing left of the lining on the pyramid of Cheops. All of it was stolen long ago by the inhabitants of Cairo for the construction of their houses. The miserable remains of white limestone can only be observed on the neighboring pyramid - Pyramid of Khafre.
The height of this structure is 143.5 meters. According to legend, it was crowned with a granite pyramidion adorned with pure gold. When he disappeared from the top, where he is now is unknown. The technology of the construction of this structure is fully consistent with the one by which the largest pyramid was erected - the pyramid of Cheops.
Khafre created his creation almost 40 years after the father of Pharaoh Cheops. The years of his reign fall on 2558-2532 BC. e. From 2556 to 2558 BC. e. Another pharaoh, Djedefra, reigned in Egypt. He was the elder brother of Khafre, but he built his pyramid in Abu Roash - 10 km. north of Giza.
Its height after construction was only 68 meters, but the pyramid was lined not with white limestone, but with red granite. They brought it from the very south of the country, as they could not find it closer.
The third pyramid in Giza, standing next to the two giants, is Pyramid of Menkaure. Unlike her colleagues, her height is only 66 meters. In volume, it is 10 times smaller than the pyramid of Cheops. This pharaoh, who took power after Khafre, did not differ in apparently exorbitant ambitions and showed modesty unusual for such people.
It seems that most likely it is not the modesty and vanity of the ruler, but the economy of Ancient Egypt. Seventy years of continuous construction of gigantic structures that bring absolutely no profit, but, on the contrary, pump out all the funds from the treasury, have undermined the well-being of the state so much that it simply did not have the opportunity to build further something grandiose and exorbitantly huge.
So you can only sincerely sympathize with Mikerin. His creation looks very faded against the general fundamental and majestic background and does not make the proper impression on the true connoisseurs of antiquity, who come from all over the world to look at the pyramids of Ancient Egypt.
Other ancient pyramids of Egypt
Actually, with Mykerin, the construction of the Great Pyramids ceased. Nothing else, breathtaking and leading to a state of delight, was created by the pharaohs. The first pharaoh of the 5th dynasty, Userkaf (reigned 2465-2458 BC), built a pyramid 44.5 meters high. It is located in Saqqara and today it is a pile of poorly processed stones that bear little resemblance to an architectural structure.
For some unknown reason, the brilliant technology used in the installation of the pyramids of the pharaohs of the IV dynasty came to naught. They have never been reborn. Pyramids, over the course of all subsequent centuries, were built from carelessly processed stones or unbaked clay bricks and did not even remotely resemble the fundamental structures of the 26th century BC. e.
Such construction continued until the XIII dynasty. This is the XVIII, beginning of the XVII century BC. e. It was in the 17th century BC. e. the era of the construction of grandiose structures ended, and the pyramids of ancient Egypt became history. In the future, the rulers of this power have never practiced anything like this.
Thus, in ancient Egypt, about a hundred pyramids were built. They are all located on the left bank of the Nile from Abu Roash to Meidum (70 km south of Cairo) on a limestone plateau. They were created in different centuries different people, but there are no architectural differences in the appearance of these structures, unless they differ in volume and height.
Who built the Great Pyramids and why?
The pyramids of the pharaohs of the IV dynasty stand apart. During their construction, completely different technologies were used, and the quality of work stands out sharply against the general background of rather primitive and clumsily made structures. Some researchers explain this by the fact that the labor of slaves was not used in the construction of these structures. Hired teams of workers built majestic buildings - hence the corresponding quality. Subsequently, forced labor was used in such works, which immediately affected such original tombs for the pharaohs.
Perfectly machined and fitted stone blocks from one of the Great Pyramids
Such an argument can and will convince someone, but certain things are striking, which cannot be explained from this position. In particular - the ideal processing of stone blocks from which the pyramids are assembled. Their surfaces are mirror-smooth. This can only be done using special stone processing equipment. Nowadays, there are corresponding machines and tools, but where could they come from 45 centuries ago, in the era of the Bronze Age.
Another particular is traces of erosion in the lower layers of the pyramids, which indicates their long stay in the water. They even find shells - this once again emphasizes that the time of the creation of such majestic structures can be safely attributed to more ancient eras, when the climate was not so dry, and the limestone plateau was often flooded with water.
And finally, why did everyone decide that it was Snefru, Cheops and their successors who built the Great Pyramids. Where is that written? This point of view exists with the light hand of the ancient Greek historian Herodotus (484-425 BC). This venerable man visited Egypt in 445 BC. e., communicated with local representatives of the nobility, priests, and even described the construction of the pyramid of Cheops. But how true is all this? This master was caught more than once on serious distortions historical facts, but when they mean the pyramids of Ancient Egypt, they believe him unconditionally.
And one more particular - in the same pyramid of Cheops there are no images and inscriptions pointing to its creator. But such paraphernalia was an integral part of the funerary art of this state. And the granite sarcophagus itself in the "king's chamber", apparently, never served as a storage place for his mummified body. At least there is no evidence and traces that it was once there.
Sculpture of the Great Sphinx
It is also impossible to ignore such a creation of architecture as sculpture of the Great Sphinx. It is carved from a monolithic limestone rock and, although it has nothing to do with any of the pyramids of Ancient Egypt, it is an integral part of the man-made complex in Giza.
The dimensions of the Sphinx are truly enormous: length 73 meters, height 20 meters. Over the millennia, the sculpture was covered with sand up to the very neck. Periodically, they tried to clear it, though they were limited only to the front part. Completely cleared and learned the true volumes only in 1925.
The face of the Great Sphinx has pronounced negroid features.
There is an assumption that it was built during the time of Pharaoh Djedefre. He created it in memory of his father, but for some reason his face has pronounced negroid features. Some researchers, pointing to a disproportionately small head, claim that at first it was the muzzle of a lion, but then one of the later rulers of the state ordered to cut down the excess and immortalized his face.
Interestingly, the sculpture has clearly visible horizontal stripes. This is erosion, indicating that the Sphinx was once up to its neck in water. When? During the great flood that took place 11 thousand years BC. e. according to Sumerian mythology, or during floods - they were a frequent occurrence in the 5th millennium BC. e. Then it turns out that it was created long before the Egyptian pyramids or simultaneously with them, but at a time much earlier than 45 centuries ago. Who created, when and why?
There are many questions, but no concrete answers. Even the theory of the construction of the pyramid of Cheops described above does not have a single practical evidence. All this is just speculation and conjecture.
Based on all of the above, the conclusion suggests itself: the Great Pyramids were created by some other civilization that existed in these places millennia before Ancient Egypt. And they were erected for purposes that the human mind cannot comprehend.
Maybe it was a powerful energy station, maybe through the pyramids communication with space was carried out. It is also possible that it could be a treatment center: the properties of the pyramids indicate that they have a beneficial effect on a living organism and kill pathogenic bacteria.
But what about Cheops then? Unfortunately, there are no traces left of the powerful ruler, except for the pyramid with his name. The only thing is a small ivory figurine depicting this man. She was found at Giza in 1903.
People search, guess, assume, doubt. The pyramids of Ancient Egypt are devoid of throwing and hesitation. For 45 centuries they have seen everything, it is impossible to surprise or excite them with something. Great man-made creations dispassionately look at the vain world, and even Time itself respectfully bows its head before them, recognizing them as equal to Eternity.
The article was written by ridar-shakin
Based on materials from foreign and Russian publications
Everyone knows how many interesting, sometimes amazing scientific discoveries were made by scientists on ancient Egyptian land. A lot of wonderful finds were given by her tombs and temples. But the greatest miracle of Egypt, which amazed people in ancient times, were the pyramids - these amazing artificial mountains - the tombs of the ancient Egyptian kings.
Huge tombs and pyramids were built, requiring incredible prices and containing priceless treasures, and elaborately embalmed mummies. The splendor of Ancient Egypt lasted over 3 thousand years.
The pyramids were impressive tetrahedral tombs built for the pharaohs of the Old Kingdom. All the faces that formed a semblance of a triangle converged at the top, forming a pointed apex.
Scientists note that during the existence of the Ancient Egyptian kingdom, more than 80 pyramids were built, but only a small part has come down to us. There are three surviving pyramids - these are the pyramids of Cheops, Khafre and Mykerin (they also have Egyptian names - Khufu, Khafre and Menkaur). Only the first of this list formally belongs to the legendary seven wonders of the world. However, they are all mysterious and majestic.
First Egyptian pyramid was built in the desert of Saqqara around 2650 BC. The most imposing pyramids built at Giza over 100 years later had flat sides. The top of each pyramid was probably covered with gold. Inside the pyramids were burial chambers and secret galleries. [Appendix 2] No one really knows why the Egyptians built these pyramid-shaped tombs, but it is possible that they saw them as a stairway to heaven, helping the pharaoh to gain eternal life. Pharaohs were called kings in ancient Egypt. But this is not the only version of the reasons for the construction of the Egyptian pyramids.
On March 22, 1993, news agencies around the world broadcast sensational news - an unknown German robotic engineer Rudolf Gantenbrink made an outstanding discovery. A remote-controlled robot launched by him explored the Cheops pyramid from the inside. Here is the discovery they made. It turned out that the pyramids have their own reflection in the sky, but rather they themselves are a reflection of the constellation Orion. The pyramids of Giza are the belt of Orion. Thus, according to R. Gantenbrink, the theory of "star correspondence" was confirmed. Thanks to the reference to the stars, high accuracy was achieved in the construction of the pyramids. Why is the construction of the pyramids focused specifically on the constellation of Orion? The Nile was the real ruler of Egypt. The flood of the river began on the day of the summer solstice, which was accompanied by the appearance of Sirius from behind the horizon. The rise of Sirius, in turn, preceded the appearance of Orion. This coincidence gave rise to ideas on which the religious cult is based. After a period of absence of these constellations, began new season rebirth of life. That is why Orion was associated with the great god Osiris.
Excellent astronomers lived in ancient Egypt. The Egyptians, as you know, in order to determine the exact time of crops, followed the stars very carefully, compiling star maps and tables. Therefore, the pyramids are oriented strictly along the meridian, their faces look at 4 cardinal points, the entrance is always located on the north side of the structure.
Another interesting theory is the use of the pyramids as a power plant.
You can find several confirmations of this hypothesis, based on the architecture of the pyramid of Cheops. Did it make sense for the ancient Egyptians to build such a grand structure just to honor the memory of the pharaoh? The pyramid is riddled with various shafts and channels throughout its height and extent. It has been scientifically proven that these channels are laid in accordance with the maps of the starry sky. A vertical channel runs along the axial line of the pyramid, which, perhaps, is an energy installation for communication with the Universal Mind or the spirits of ancestors, according to the beliefs of the ancient people. It is interesting that inside the pyramid there are a large number of rooms that have nothing to do with the burial rite. It has not yet been proven whether, in fact, Pharaoh Khufu (Cheops) was buried in the burial chamber of the Great Pyramid or still elsewhere.
The mysteries of the pyramids of Ancient Egypt with each new discovery leave more and more questions than answers. The pyramid of Cheops was built on the basis of an older pyramid, the construction time of which is presumably 14 thousand years BC. Its size is so large that it occupies about half the volume of the Great Pyramid. When arranging and painting interior spaces special lamps, possibly electric ones, were used. They were discovered during excavations and still gave off a faint light, despite the thousands of years since they were buried.
There is a hypothesis that the Egyptians received electricity using power plants like the Great Gallery in the pyramid of Cheops. On the faces of the pyramid, scientists have found various images made with the help of grooves. Drawings, if desired, can be seen in reflected light. On the south side of the pyramid, most likely, a portrait of the ancient Egyptian god Thoth, one of the most significant gods in Egyptian mythology, is depicted. Riddles in stone, the secrets of the pyramids of Ancient Egypt will excite the imagination of mankind for a long time, getting their response in books and films. One can only hope that the technologies of the twenty-first century will still be able to open to people the knowledge that was buried under the thickness of sand and time.
Back in the 10th century, the historian Masudi argued that the Egyptian pyramids of Giza are not only the repository of all the knowledge of the ancient Egyptians on astronomy, art and religion, but also contain "historical and prophetic predictions." In 1865, Robert Menzies suggested that if we take the sacred inch of the Egyptians as a basis and measure the length of the inner chambers of the Egyptian pyramid, then we will find the chronological dates of the most important events past and future. Based on the discoveries made by Mr. Varil in 1948-49, symbolist Egyptologists believe that the architecture of most of the temples of ancient Egypt contains a number of symbols of a philosophical, historical, and especially religious nature. In their opinion, the location of the foundations of the colonnades and even the superstructures of the superficial structures of these monuments indicate esoteric knowledge hidden from the layman. In turn, the famous astronomer, director of the Bourges Observatory, Abbot Moret, devoted his life to unraveling the mysteries that the study of ancient Egyptian temples and the pyramid of Cheops in Giza brings to scientists.
The measurements of the Egyptian pyramid of Cheops obtained by engineer Davidson were amazing. The diagonal of the Egyptian pyramid of Cheops gives its absolutely exact direction along the meridian, and the accuracy of this direction to the theoretical north pole reaches 4 minutes 30 seconds: this is more accurate than the Paris Observatory. In addition, this meridian, passing through the Egyptian pyramid of Cheops, divides the surface of the sea and land into two equal parts, counting America and the Pacific Ocean. Moreover: the latitude passing through the center of the pyramid of Cheops also divides the entire globe into two equal parts, according to the amount of land and water. Thus, for 2500 years BC. The Egyptians knew the exact ratio of the surface of all the continents and it was not by chance that they chose the mouth of the Nile for the construction of the Egyptian pyramids of Giza. When measuring the Cheops pyramid itself, it turned out that the perimeter of the pyramid of Giza, divided by double the height, gives the exact number "Pi", with an accuracy of one hundred thousandth. Interestingly, the sacred measure of the length of Egypt, i.e. the pyramidal inch (coincidentally equal to modern English) is one billionth of the Earth's orbit in 24 hours. Another linear measure of the pyramid is a cubit, equal to 25 inches, or 635.66 millimeters - this is one ten-millionth of the Earth's polar radius. The sum of the two diagonals of the Egyptian pyramid, expressed in inches, gives the number of years during which the north pole of our earth makes one complete revolution. The volume of the pyramid, multiplied by the specific gravity of the stone from which it is made, gives the theoretical weight of the globe. The same measure is found again in the chambers of the king when measuring the "sarcophagus". We find its volume in relation to the volume of the globe. This volume, so to speak, the standard of weight, coincides exactly with the weight of one English pound (453.59 g). The archaic units of English measures correspond exactly to the "sacred" units of Ancient Egypt!
pyramid ancient egyptian pharaoh tomb
Why did the ancient Egyptians build pyramids, how were these grandiose and mysterious creations of human hands created. Many mysteries have not yet been revealed, and there are more questions than answers. Perhaps the rulers of those times wanted to emphasize the majesty of the era, to confirm the constancy of their power, to show proximity to the gods.
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First buildings
From the end of the 4th millennium BC. pharaohs were buried in truncated structures - medium-sized stone buildings (mastabs), for fastening which a solution of clay was used. Today, such structures look like shapeless piles of stones that do not carry any architectural value.
The history of the pyramids - the most unusual buildings of ancient Egypt - began in 2780-2760 BC, during the reign of Pharaoh Djoser, who completely changed the architectural style of the tombs. His new tomb consisted of as many as 6 mastabas erected on top of each other. The narrowest was at the top, the widest at the bottom. Such a building was a stepped building. Its height was just over 60 meters, and the perimeter was 115 by 125 meters.
The construction of the pyramids in ancient Egypt was carried out in a special architectural style that reigned for two hundred years. Its developer and designer was the famous vizier Imhotep. They built pyramids in a different form. For example, the period of the reign of Pharaoh Snefru was marked by the creation of two unique pyramids of ancient Egypt - broken and pink:
- At the first, the angle of inclination of the walls from the base of the building to its middle is 54° 31', and then it changes to 43° 21'. There are many versions explaining such a strange form of construction. The main one is that the death of the pharaoh was sudden, so the workers made the slope steeper to speed up the construction process. There are other opinions on this matter. For example, that it was a trial version created for the sake of "experiment".
- The second got its name due to the color of the blocks that were used for construction. The stone was a pale pink hue, and at sunset it turned bright pink. Initially, the outer cladding was white, but over time, the coating gradually peeled off, and pink limestone, the material from which the structure was laid out, came out.
But still, the most famous are those structures that proudly rise on the Giza plateau. These three majestic pyramids of impressive size are famous all over the world.
The largest pyramid
Its other name is the Pyramid of Khufu. This is one of the most famous and largest buildings in the world. Let's make it short description. When was the pyramid of Cheops built? It was erected near the city of Giza (on this moment- a suburb of Cairo). The largest pyramid began to be built on August 23, 2480 BC. For its construction, the forces of 100 thousand people were used. The first 10 years were required in order to build a road along which giant blocks of stones were delivered. It took another 20 years to build the structure itself.
Attention! The Pyramid of Cheops is striking in its scale. Today, its height is 137 meters, but this was not always the case, because over time the cladding was worn out and part of the base was covered with sand. Initially, it was 10 meters higher.
147 meters is the length of the side of the base, made in the form of a square. According to studies, more than 2 million limestone blocks were used for construction, the average weight of one of them is 2.5 tons. Each block fits perfectly to the next one and is raised to a certain height. The entrance can be found on the north side of the building, at a height of just over 15 meters. Stone slabs resembling an arch are laid out around.
It is still unknown how exactly the Egyptians managed to cope not only with the lifting of the blocks, but also with their perfect fit to each other. There are no gaps between blocks. Some are sure that they were not engaged in raising the blocks - they just crushed the limestone, brought it to a powdery state, and then removed the moisture, and so it turned into cement, which was poured into pre-created formwork. After that, water, crushed stone and stone were added - in this way monolithic blocks arose.
The stepped structure served several purposes: it was used as a sundial, a seasonal calendar, and a reference point for geodetic measurements.
Little is known about who built the largest Egyptian pyramid. The architect was the vizier of the pharaoh named Cheops Hemiun. He was engaged in design, was the head of the work, but he did not have time to see his offspring, as he died shortly before the completion of construction.
Attention! Today there is no exact information that the tomb of Cheops is located inside. However, it is believed that such buildings were part of ritual burial complexes.
Chamber inside Khufu's pyramid
Inside there are three chambers: the upper one is the royal burial chamber and is lined with granite blocks, each one weighs 60 tons. This chamber is located at a height of 43 meters from the base. There is also an ascending corridor and the queen's chambers. In the burial pit at the beginning of the 20th century, two engineers dug a well, where, in their opinion, a hidden burial chamber should have been located.
However, their efforts were in vain: it later turned out that the construction of the chamber was not completed. Instead, the burial chambers were arranged in the center, they are located one above the other.
More recently, using muon radiography technology, it was possible to find a room that was not known before.. It was calculated that its length is 30 meters, and its width is 2 meters, it is located right in the center of the building. Scientists are trying to drill a small 3-centimeter hole in order to launch a mini-robot inside and explore the room they found, since it is still unknown what is in it and for what purposes it serves.
Today, there is almost nothing left of the cladding - the inhabitants of Cairo decided that it would be “more necessary” for the construction of their houses, and they took it to their homes. However, there are remains of white limestone on the nearby Pyramid of Khafre, which is somewhat smaller.
Second largest building
Its height is 143.5 meters. If you believe the legends, then it was crowned with a granite pyramidion, decorated with gold. There is no data on why what is no longer there, and where it is now. Khafre spent 40 years building a tomb for himself. It was built using the same technology as the previous one, but it is located on a higher hill, and its slope is steeper, which makes the structure impregnable and difficult even for professional climbers. At the moment, climbing to the top is prohibited in order to preserve the remains of the old cladding.
The protective material granite was used inside and outside the pyramid, but it was not used in the burial chamber. At the moment, the condition of the building is assessed as good, despite the fact that its size has slightly decreased. The blocks, made of limestone and weighing a couple of tons each, are attached to each other so tightly that not a piece of paper or even a hair can be inserted between them.
The youngest of the three, the height is 62 meters. At the same time, in some pictures, tourists manage to choose the angle so that it looks the highest. The ancient building has been preserved in good condition and is open to the public. Starting from this building, large tombs were no longer erected. Scientists believe that by that time the decline of the era of great buildings began.
Attention! An interesting feature of the Menkaure pyramid is that the largest stone block in it weighs at least 200 tons.
Other architectural elements
Later pharaohs stopped creating grandiose structures. Thus, Pharaoh Userkaf ordered the construction of a building in Saqqara, the height of which is 44.5 meters. At the moment, it looks like a pile of stones that has nothing to do with an architectural structure. The same goes for the rest of the buildings. In total, about 100 pyramids were erected in Egypt. Their appearance is the same - only the height and volume change.
Great sphinx
For the manufacture of this famous sculpture monolithic limestone rock was used. Great sphinx considered one of the elements architectural complex in Giza. The length of the sphinx is 73 meters, and it “stretched” up to 20 meters in height. For all the time of its existence, the sculpture turned out to be almost completely covered with sand. It was cleared only in 1925 - then they learned about the actual dimensions of the architectural object.
Conclusion
Some believe that the multi-stage pyramids in ancient Egypt were born as a result of the actions of a mysterious and powerful civilization or alien beings. Different concepts of how the ancient Egyptians built their structures are attractive and more than once formed the basis of works of literature and cinema.
The Egyptian pyramids are the tombs of the Egyptian pharaohs. The largest of them - the pyramids of Cheops, Khafre and Mikerin in El Giza in ancient times were considered one of the Seven Wonders of the World. The construction of the pyramid, in which the Greeks and Romans already saw a monument to the unprecedented pride of kings and cruelty, which doomed the entire Egyptian people to senseless construction, was the most important cult act and was supposed to express, apparently, the mystical identity of the country and its ruler.
The people worked on the construction of the pyramids in the part of the year free from agricultural work. Texts have survived that testify to the attention and care that the kings themselves (albeit of later times) paid to the construction of their tomb and its builders. It is also known about the special cult honors that were given to the pyramid itself.
Description of the most famous pyramids (briefly)
The Pyramid of Cheops (Khufu), the Great Pyramid is the face of the Egyptian pyramids and the largest building of antiquity, gives rise to many secrets and legends around itself. It took two decades to build the pyramid. Construction time IV dynasty 2600 BC. e. Located in Giza. The original height is 146.60 m, today it is 138.75 m. The dimensions of the base are 230 m. It was the largest building in the world for more than 4,000 years.
The pyramid has not one, but three funerary halls. One of them is located below ground level, and two are above the base line. Intertwining corridors lead to the burial chambers. It is possible to walk along them to the chamber of the pharaoh, to the chamber of his wife and to the lower hall. The chamber of the pharaoh is a chamber made of pink granite, 10 x 5 m in size. A granite sarcophagus without a lid is installed in it. Not a single report of the researchers mentioned the found mummies, therefore it is not known whether Cheops was buried here. It should be noted that the mummy of Cheops was not found in other tombs either.
After the Great Wall of China, it is she who is the largest structure that has ever been erected in the history of mankind.
The second most important is the pyramid of Khafre, the son of Cheops. It was found during archaeological excavations in 1860. The tomb of this ancient Egyptian king is “guarded” by the famous Sphinx, which looks like a lion lying on the sand, whose face may have been given the features of Khafre himself. Near the pyramid of Khafre there is a separate pyramid for his wife, a temple, a port and a wall of protection.
The estimated time of the construction of the pyramid is the middle of the 26th century BC. e. It was built on a 10-meter plateau, so it seems higher than the pyramid of Cheops, but this is not entirely true. The original height is 143.9 m, today it is 136.4 m. The dimensions of the base are 210.5 m. The pyramid was decorated with a pink granite pyramidion, which is now lost. We have no information about whether the granite was decorated with limestone, gypsum or gold.
The third great pyramid is the Pyramid of Menkaure (also known as the "Pyramid of Menkaure"). It is the smallest of them, and was built later than others. Construction time IV dynasty (approximately 2540-2520 BC) The original height is 65.55 m, today it is 62 m. The dimensions of the base are 102.2 × 104.6 m. According to eyewitnesses, the pyramid Menkaura was the most beautiful of all the pyramids. For works of sculpture during the reign of Menkaur, it was characteristic highest quality artistic performance. In addition, the pyramid of Menkaure marked the end of the era of the great pyramids. All subsequent buildings were small in size.
The Step Pyramid of Djoser is one of the largest in Egypt. Time of construction III Dynasty (approximately 2650 BC). It is located in the village of Sakkara, and was erected for Pharaoh Djoser by Imhotep himself. The original height is 62.5 m, today it is 62 m. The size of the pyramid is 125 m × 115 m. This is the first pyramid in Egypt, and it is very well preserved.
Initially, Imhotep was going to create an ordinary stone mastaba (rectangular tomb). Only in the process of construction did it turn into the first step pyramid. The meaning of the steps was, as it is believed, symbolic - the deceased pharaoh had to rise to heaven along them.
The burial complex included chapels, courtyards, and storage facilities. The base of the six-step pyramid itself is not square, but rectangular. Inside the building there are 12 burial chambers, where Djoser himself and members of his family could probably be buried. The mummy of the pharaoh was not found during the excavations. The entire territory of the complex of 15 hectares was surrounded by a 10-meter stone wall. Part of the wall and other buildings have now been restored.
The most unusual pyramid in Meidum. Construction time III Dynasty (approximately 2680 BC) Located 100 km south of the capital of Egypt, it was built for Pharaoh Huni, the last ruler of the III dynasty, but completed by his son Sneferu. It originally had eight steps, but today only the last three are visible. The original height is 93.5 m, today it is 65 m. The base is 144 m.
About her unusual forms first reported by Al-Maqrizi in the 15th century. The pyramid had a stepped shape. In his essays, Al-Maqrizi described a pyramid consisting of 5 steps, and also that it was seriously damaged from erosion and from pulling away the masonry by local residents.
Pink Pyramid or Northern Pyramid. Construction time IV dynasty (approximately from 2640 to 2620 BC) The original height is 109.5 m, today it is 104 m. The base is 220 m. its construction in the XXVI century BC. e. was the tallest building in the world. It is now the third tallest pyramid in Egypt, after Khufu and Khafre at Giza.
It is unusual in that it has a pink tint due to the special stone that was used in construction. Researchers believe that this pyramid was erected by the pharaoh Sneferu, already mentioned above. The "Pink" pyramid was not always pink. Previously, its walls were covered with white limestone. However, in our time, white limestone is almost completely absent, since even in the Middle Ages a significant part of it was removed for the construction of houses in Cairo, as a result of which pinkish limestone was exposed.
Not far from the Pink one is a Broken ("cut" or "diamond-shaped") pyramid. Construction time IV dynasty (XXVI century BC) The original height is 104.7 m, today it is 101.1 m. The base is 189.4 m. It got its name because of its irregular shape. It was built in three stages, at each of which it was given different angles of inclination. It differs from other Egyptian pyramids in that the pyramid has an entrance not only on the north side, which was the standard, but also a second entrance, which is open higher, on the west side.
Explaining the non-standard shape of the pyramid, the German Egyptologist Ludwig Borchardt (1863-1938) put forward his “increment theory”. According to it, the king died suddenly and the angle of inclination of the pyramid's faces was sharply changed from 54° 31 min. up to 43° 21 min., for the fastest completion of work.
What is known about the Egyptian pyramids
pyramid building
Slabs weighing at least 2.5 tons, from which the pyramids were built, were cut out of stone in a nearby quarry and dragged to the construction site using ramps, blocks and levers. There is an opinion scientific community marginal that concrete was used in the construction of the pyramid, that is, the slabs were made directly at the construction site. At the top of the pyramids, to this day, traces of wooden forms have been preserved, erased at the base by numerous sandstorms. To prevent the walls of the pyramids from cracking as a result of the compression-expansion process, the individual blocks were separated by thin layers of mortar. The slope of the outer walls is exactly 45°. The surface was covered with blocks of polished white limestone. Already after the fall, the limestone was stretched locals for your needs.
What is encrypted in the pyramids
What is the secret of the Egyptian pyramids? Why, for almost 5 millennia, they do not cease to excite the imagination of everyone who has seen them? What kind of assumptions were not put forward about this: they were built by aliens, they encoded astronomical, magical knowledge of the ancient priests, they contain a prediction of the future. The digital magic of the great was so popular that by measuring it in all directions and adding up the results, amateurs could predict anything.
Why were the pyramids built?
Even the debate about whether the pyramids are actually the tombs of the pharaohs does not stop today. Some of the researchers believe that these are temples where the sun god Amon-Ra was ordained as a cultist, others that the pyramid is a huge scientific laboratory of the ancients. Someone argues that the pyramids are huge natural generators of earthly energy, in which the pharaohs were “charged” with this energy for a long time, even rejuvenated and prepared for state activity. And then they were buried near the pyramids, in small rooms, perhaps near the funeral temples.
The pyramids admired many greats of this world:, Cleopatra,. The latter, to inspire his grenadiers during the Egyptian campaign, he first exclaimed: “The pyramids are looking at you,” and then instantly calculated in his mind that from the two and a half million stone blocks of the pyramid of Cheops it would be possible to build a wall around France three meters high.
Interesting facts about the Egyptian pyramids
All Egyptian pyramids were built on the western bank of the Nile River, which is the place where the sun sets and is associated with the realm of the dead in Egyptian mythology.
The sides of the pyramids are curved by one meter so that they can accumulate solar energy. Thanks to this, the pyramids could reach thousands of degrees and emit an incomprehensible rumble from such heat.
Despite the intense heat that reigns around the pyramids, the temperature in them actually remains relatively constant and stays around 20 ° C.
The Egyptian pyramids also have this feature. The stone blocks are arranged in such a way that there are no gaps between them at all, even the thinnest blade will not fit through.
The Great Pyramid consists of 2.3 million blocks, perfectly aligned and matching each other. The blocks weigh from 2 to 30 tons, and some of them even reach a weight of more than 50 tons.
Although many people associate pyramids with hieroglyphs, no inscriptions or hieroglyphs have been found in the Great Pyramid of Giza.
Estimates of the number of workers involved in the construction of the pyramids vary greatly, however, it is quite possible that they were erected by at least 100 thousand people.
Three large pyramids on the Giza Plateau copy the "Belt of Orion" from the constellation Orion on Earth. The Pyramid of Cheops and the similarly sized Pyramid of Khafre take the place of the two brightest stars in the Orion belt, Al-Nitak and Al-Nilam, while the smaller pyramid of Menkaur is offset from the axis of the two neighbors, just like the third and smallest star of the belt, Mintaka.
Buildings similar to the Egyptian pyramids can also be found in Sudan, where the tradition was later picked up.
Each side of the pyramid is located in the direction of one side of the world.
It has been estimated that large necropolises at that level of technology should have been built in at least a century. How, for example, the pyramid of Cheops was built in just 20 years?
In the 12th century, an attempt was made to destroy the pyramids of Giza. Al-Aziz, the Kurdish ruler and second sultan of the Ayyubid dynasty, tried to demolish them, but he was forced to retreat, as this task was too large-scale. And yet, he was able to damage the Pyramid of Menkaure, where, due to his attempts, a vertical gaping hole was left in its northern slope.
Pyramids are one of the many evidences in favor of the existence of some advanced civilization in those ancient times. Meanwhile, that era fits into the time frame of the existence of the legendary Atlantis, although no one undertakes to assert that the civilization that built the early pyramids was in fact the civilization of the Atlanteans.
Information for tourists
The Great Pyramid Complex at Giza is open to the public from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm every day, except during the winter months (open until 4:30 pm) and the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, when access is closed at 3:00 pm.
Some of the travelers believe that if the pyramids are under open sky and are not a museum in the truest sense of the word, then here you can behave freely, climb these structures. It should be remembered: it is strictly forbidden to do this - in the interests of your own safety!
Before you enter the pyramids, you need to objectively assess your psychological state and physical health. For those who are afraid of closed spaces (claustrophobia), it is better to skip this part of the tour. Due to the fact that inside the tombs it is usually dry, hot and a little dusty, asthmatics, hypertensive patients and those suffering from other diseases of the cardiovascular and nervous system are not recommended to come here.
How much can an excursion to the area of the Egyptian pyramids cost a tourist? Cost has several components. Entrance ticket it will cost you 60 Egyptian pounds, which is approximately 8 euros. Would you like to visit the pyramid of Cheops? For this you will have to pay 100 pounds or 13 euros. Inspection from the inside of the pyramid of Khafre is largely cheaper - 20 pounds or 2.60 euros.
You will have to pay separately for visiting the Solar Boat Museum, which is located south of the Cheops Pyramid (40 pounds or 5 euros). Taking pictures in the pyramid zone is allowed, but you will have to pay 1 euro for the right to take pictures. Visiting other pyramids in Giza - for example, the mother and wife of Pharaoh Khafre - is not paid.
Pyramid of Pharaoh Khufu (in the Greek version of Cheops), or the Great Pyramid - the greatest of the Egyptian pyramids, the oldest of the seven wonders of the world of antiquity and the only one of them that has come down to our time. For over four thousand years, the pyramid was the largest building in the world.
The pyramid of Cheops is located in the far suburbs of Cairo Giza. Nearby are two more pyramids of the pharaohs Khafre and Menkaure (Khafren and Mikerin), according to ancient historians, the sons and successors of Khufu. These are the three largest pyramids in Egypt.
Following the ancient authors, most modern historians consider the pyramids to be the burial structures of the ancient Egyptian monarchs. Some scientists believe that these were astronomical observatories. There is no direct evidence that pharaohs were buried in the pyramids, but other versions of their purpose are less convincing.
When was the pyramid of Cheops built?
Based on the ancient "royal lists", it is established that Cheops ruled around 2585-2566. BC. The construction of the "Sacred Height" lasted 20 years and ended after the death of Khufu, around 2560 BC.
Other versions of construction dates based on astronomical methods give dates from 2720 to 2577. BC. The radiocarbon method shows a spread of 170 years, from 2850 to 2680. BC.
There are also exotic opinions expressed by supporters of theories of visiting the Earth by aliens, the existence of ancient pra-civilizations, or adherents of occult currents. They determine the age of the pyramid of Cheops from 6-7 to tens of thousands of years.
How the pyramid was built
The Pyramid of Cheops is still the largest stone building on the planet. Its height is 137 m, the length of the side of the base is 230.38 m, the angle of inclination of the edge is 51 ° 50", the total volume is about 2.5 million cubic meters. At the time of completion of construction, the height was 9.5 m higher, and the side of the base was 2 m longer, however, over the past centuries, almost the entire lining of the pyramid has been dismantled.Natural factors have also done their job - temperature drops and winds from the desert, carrying clouds of sand.
Ancient Greek historians reported that the labor of millions of slaves was used in the construction. Modern researchers believe that with the proper organization of work and engineering, the Egyptians would have had several tens of thousands of workers for the construction. For the transportation of materials, temporary workers were involved, the number of which, according to Herodotus, reached 100 thousand. Modern scientists fully agree with this, as well as with the reality of a 20-year construction period.
Hemiun, the head of the royal works, supervised the construction of the pyramid. Hemiun's tomb is located next to his creation; a statue of the architect was found in it.
The main material for the construction was gray limestone, which was cut down in the nearest quarries or brought from the other side of the Nile. The pyramid was lined with light sandstone, because of which it literally shone under the sunlight. Granite was used for interior decoration, which was delivered a thousand kilometers from the area of \u200b\u200bpresent-day Aswan. The building was crowned with a hewn gilded granite block - a pyramidion.
In total, the construction of the pyramid took about 2.3 million blocks of limestone and 115 thousand facing plates. The total mass of the building, according to modern estimates, is almost 6 million tons.
The block sizes vary. The largest ones are laid in the base, their height is one and a half meters. The blocks are smaller the higher they are. The height of the block at the top was 55 cm. The length of the facing slabs ranged from 1.5 to 0.75 m.
The work of the pyramid builders was extremely difficult. A lot of time and effort required the extraction of stone, hewing blocks and fitting to the right size. In those days, neither iron nor bronze was known in Egypt. The tools were made of relatively soft copper, so they wore down quickly and were very expensive. Flint tools were widely used - saws, drills, hammers. Many of them were found during excavations.
Delivery of materials was carried out by river, and the stone was brought to the construction site on a wooden sled or rollers. It was hellish work, because the average weight of one block is 2.5 tons, and some of them weighed up to 50 tons.
A variety of devices were used to lift and install the monoliths, and inclined embankments were erected to pull up the most massive elements that make up the lower rows. Images of construction work have been found in a number of Egyptian temples and tombs.
Recently, an original theory has emerged regarding the construction methods of the Egyptians. Scientists who studied the microstructure of the blocks in order to establish their origin, found foreign inclusions. According to experts, these are the remains of animal hair and human hair, from which the scientists concluded that the limestone was crushed in the places of extraction and delivered to the construction site in crushed form. Blocks were made directly at the place of laying from the limestone mass, which thus were a semblance of modern concrete structures, and tool marks on the blocks are actually formwork prints.
Be that as it may, the construction was completed, and the grandiose dimensions of the pyramid fully justify the supporters of the theories of the Atlanteans and aliens who do not believe in the possibility of human genius.
What is inside the pyramid
The entrance to the pyramid was made at a height of almost 16 meters in the form of an arch of granite slabs. It was later sealed with a granite cork and covered with cladding. The current entrance, 10 meters lower, was broken in 831 by order of Caliph Al-Mamun, who hoped to find gold here, but did not find anything of value.
The main premises are the pharaoh's chamber, the queen's chamber, the Great Gallery and the underground chamber. The passage punched by Al-Mamun leads to a 105-meter inclined corridor, ending in a chamber carved into the rock below the base of the pyramid. Its dimensions are 14x8 m., height 3.5 m. Works here were not completed for unknown reasons.
At 18 meters from the entrance, a 40-meter-long ascending corridor separates from the descending corridor, ending in the Great Gallery. The Gallery itself is a high (8.5 m) tunnel 46.6 m long leading to the pharaoh's chamber. The corridor to the queen's chamber branches off from the Gallery at its very beginning. A rectangular ditch 60 cm deep and 1 m wide was pierced in the floor of the Gallery; its purpose is unknown.
The length of the pharaoh's chamber is 10.5 m, width 5.4 m, height 5.84 m. It is lined with black granite slabs. Here is an empty granite sarcophagus. The queen's chamber is more modest - 5.76 x 5.23 x 6.26 m.
Channels 20-25 cm wide lead from the burial chambers to the surface of the pyramid. The channels of the king's chamber go out at one end into the room, at the other - onto the surface of the pyramid. The channels of the queen's chamber begin 13 cm from the wall and do not reach 12 m to the surface, and both ends of the channels are closed with stone doors with handles. It is assumed that the channels were made to ventilate the premises during the work. Another version, connected with the beliefs of the Egyptians, claims that this is the path to the afterlife, which the souls of the deceased had to go through.
No less mysterious is another small room, the Grotto, to which an almost vertical passage leads from the beginning of the Great Gallery. The grotto is located at the junction of the base of the pyramid and the hill on which it stands. The walls of the Grotto are reinforced with rather roughly worked stone. It is assumed that this is part of some structure older than the pyramid.
It is necessary to mention one discovery related to the pyramid. In 1954, at the southern edge, two stone-lined pits were discovered, in which were the pharaoh's boats, made of Lebanese cedar. One of the boats has been restored and is now in a special pavilion next to the pyramid. Its length is 43.5 m, width is 5.6 m.
The study of the pyramid of Cheops continues. Research using the latest methods used in the exploration of the earth's interior, show with a high degree of probability the existence of unknown caverns inside the pyramid. So it is quite possible that scientists expect new interesting findings and discoveries.
In the meantime, the Great Pyramid keeps its secrets, proudly rising in the middle of the desert, like millennia ago. After all, according to an ancient Arabic proverb, everything in the world is afraid of time, but time is afraid of the pyramids.
