The Great Pyramid at Giza
This pyramid, along with the others at the site, is the last surviving of the Seven Wonders of the ancient world. It was ordered built by Cheops (Khufu), a king of the 4th Dynasty. It was built on a high rocky ledge on the west side of the Nile River, about 24 km (15 mi) north of Memphis. Barges brought the limestone and granite rocks to the site during the annual flood. Also in the complex are two smaller pyramids, one for Khufu’s son Khephren and one for his grandson Menkaure.
It is 146.6 m (481 ft) tall, on a base of 230.3 m (756 ft) square. It was constructed of about two and one-half million limestone blocks, each weighing about two and one-half tons. The original outer passage was sealed with granite blocks.
The original entrance shaft was intended at first to lead to an underground burial chamber. Before it was completed, two changes in design were made. A burial chamber was built in the centre of the pyramid. Later, the King’s Chamber was added at the head of the Grand Gallery. At a lower level, the Queen’s Chamber was built. Two narrow shafts from the King’s Chamber were cut to align with the stars Orion and Sirius, serving to guide the king’s soul. The pyramid itself is precisely aligned to the four points of the compass.
The Pharos of Alexandria
Alexandria had one of the best harbours along the Mediterranean, being divided by an island. However, the coastline was flat and dangerous for ships. Thus, a marker at the entrance to the harbour was necessary for guiding merchant ships.
On the island, the Pharos lighthouse was built in the 3rd century BCE. It was a three-storey structure set upon a huge base. The second storey was an octagon, and the third storey was cylindrical. The total height was about 120 m (394 ft). At the top was a huge statue of Zeus Soter. The light seems to have been a beacon of burning oil that was reflected to sea by polished metallic mirrors.
The lighthouse was considered one of the Seven Wonders of the ancient world. In 1375, it was destroyed by an earthquake.
The Sphinx
It is a recumbent lion that has a human head, carved from an outcropping of rock. Located on the Giza plateau, it has received sand erosion over the centuries. Numerous times, it has been dug out of the sand that piled up around it. It is 19.8 m (65 ft) high and 73.2 m (240 ft) long and is situated at the foot of Khephren’s causeway.
Between the paws of the Sphinx is a granite stela which records a dream in which the sun god told a sleeping prince (later Tuthmosis IV) to clear the sand around him. A nearby temple appears to have been built for the veneration of the Sphinx after this revelation.
Most scholars believe that it was built by Klephren. It has his features, and it guards his pyramid. The Egyptians believed that a lion watched over the gates of the underworld. A king is shown as a sphinx defeating his enemies. Sphinxes line processional routes to temples. The figure of the sphinx was eventually adopted in such countries as Israel, Syria, Greece, and Italy.
The Tomb of Tutankhamen
This is the smallest royal tomb in the Valley of the Kings, occupying 83.6 sq m (900 sq ft). Of its four chambers, only the burial chamber was leveled and decorated, suggesting that it had been hastily cut. However, it contained the greatest treasure ever found by archaeologists.
The antechamber contained three gilded wooden beds with carved animal heads. In front and on top of them were chairs, stools, boxes, bows and arrows, walking sticks, and flowers. One of the walking sticks had an inscribed gold ferrule and knob. Under one bed was a box containing a trumpet. There were other objects as well. Under another bed was a low doorway which led to another small room filled with objects.
