9 The Great Pyramid of Giza

GUSTAVO'S MISSION NOTES THE GREAT PYRAMID OF GIZA The ancient Egyptians believed that life continued after death. They built pyramids to contain the mummified bodies of their kings—the pharaohs. The mummies were meant to stay in the pyramids forever, while the pharaohs' spirits traveled to the afterlife. There are more than 100 pyramids across Egypt. The biggest is the Great Pyramid of Giza, which is near Cairo. It was built for Pharaoh Khufu. The stone at the top of a pyramid is called the capstone The outer layer was made of smooth, white limestone slabs Rough, dark limestone blocks were used for inner structure Burial chamber of Pharaoh Khufu

FACT FILE Like all the other important tombs of ancient Egypt, it was built on the west bank of the River Nile. The Egyptians believed this was the land of the dead. The Great Pyramid was built in 2589 BCE—that's more than 4,500 years ago! The Great Pyramid is 482ft tall and made of 2,300,000 blocks of limestone. It took 20 years to build. Each block weighed as much as an average elephant! WHO WAS PHARAOH KHUFU? Khufu was famous for building the Great Pyramid, which is one of the Seven Wonders of the World. But apart from this, we know very little about him. He was the son of Sneferu and Queen Hetepheres I, and is believed to have had three wives. Khufu had the biggest pyramid, but the only surviving statue of him is tiny—just 3in high.