Thursday, June 5, 2008

The Great Pyramid of Giza

The Great Pyramid of Giza , also called Khufu's Pyramid or the Pyramid of Khufu, and Pyramid of Cheops, is the oldest and largest of the three pyramids in the Giza Necropolis bordering what is now Cairo, Egypt in Africa, and is the only remaining member of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. It is believed the pyramid was built as a tomb for Fourth dynasty Egyptian pharaoh Khufu (Cheops in Greek) and constructed over a 20 year period concluding around 2560 BC. The Great Pyramid was the tallest man-made structure in the world for over 3,800 years. Visibly all that remains is the underlying step-pyramid core structure seen today. Many of the casing stones that once covered the structure can still be seen around the base of the Great Pyramid. There have been varying scientific and alternative theories regarding the Great Pyramid's construction techniques. Most accepted construction theories are based on the idea that it was built by moving huge stones from a quarry and dragging and lifting them into place.

There are three known chambers inside the Great Pyramid. The lowest chamber is cut into the bedrock upon which the pyramid was built and was unfinished. A passage from the Grand Gallery leads to the Queen's Chamber, while an antechamber leads from the Grand Gallery to the King's Chamber. Despite precautions such as covering the entrance hole with casing and the portcullises, even before the Old Kingdom ended thieves simply bypassed all the barriers, digging through the soft limestone and breaking a corner of Khufu's red granite sarophagus while removing the lid.This sarcophagus of the King's Chamber was hollowed out of a single piece of Red Aswan granite and has been found to be too large to fit through the passageway leading to the chamber. Both the King's Chamber and the Queen's Chamber contains small shafts that ascend out of the pyramid. Egyptologists now conclude they were instead used for ceremonial purposes. The Great Pyramid is the only pyramid known to contain both ascending and descending passages. The Great Pyramid of Giza is the main part of a complex setting of buildings that included two mortuary temples in honor of Khufu (one close to the pyramid and one near the Nile), three smaller pyramids for Khufu's wives, an even smaller "satellite" pyramid, a raised causeway connecting the two temples, and small mastaba tombs surrounding the pyramid for nobles.

Why I choose this building, it is because this pyramid is biggest and tallest in three pyramid at Cairo, Egypt. All of you know pyramid is seven wonders of the ancient world, but many of you don't know, only pyramid of Giza is seven wonders of the ancient world and another two pyramids are not.

Also I choose this building because this building not to built for live person but its built for dead mans, its specially for pharaoh and their queens. The pyramid until now still the mystery for its' construction because there have been varying scientific and alternative theories regarding the Great Pyramid's construction techniques. Most accepted construction theories are based on the idea that it was built by moving huge stones from a quarry and dragging and lifting them into place. The disagreements center on the method by which the stones were conveyed and placed. A recent theory proposes that the building blocks were manufactured in-place from a kind of "limestone concrete". In addition to the many theories as to the techniques involved, there are also disagreements as to the kind of workforce that was used. One theory, suggested by the Greeks, posits that slaves were forced to work until the pyramid was done. This theory is no longer accepted in the modern era, however. Archaeologists believe that the Great Pyramid was built by tens of thousands of skilled workers who camped near the pyramids and worked for a salary or as a form of paying taxes until the construction was completed. The worker's cemeteries were discovered in 1990 by archaeologists Zahi Hawass and Mark Lehner. Verner posited that the labor was organized into a hierarchy, consisting of two gangs of 100,000 men, divided into five zaa or phyle of 20,000 men each, which may have been further divided according to the skills of the workers.

1 comment:

Huda said...

you story about the Great Pyramid of Giza so so interesting because i had never read about that so deeply..this is a good opportunity for me that i get know and learn more the great history of Egypt..

But there are a lot of difficulties for me to understand some difficult words. so that, i take time to finish it and to understand that..overall...i enjoy it