The pyramids of Egypt. Gizeh: Khufu, Chephren and Menkaure

To hear of Egypt is to hear of its pyramids, the Pyramids of Egypt.

In Egypt there are dozens of pyramids but the most famous are undoubtedly the Pyramids of Gizeh located about 20 km from the center of the city of Cairo.

It is a funerary complex, the largest in Ancient Egypt, made up of various buildings, among which the 3 pyramids and the sphinx stand out, but also made up of various temples and mastabas that give an idea of ​​the splendor that Egyptian civilization had in the past..

What to see at the Pyramids of Giza

Pyramid of Cheops

Also called the Great Pyramid, the Pyramid of Cheops is the largest of all those that exist in Egypt.

It was built around 2570 BC by order of Pharaoh Cheops and was originally 146 meters high with 230 meters long at the base of each of its sides.

It was made up of 2,300,000 stone blocks and was covered with limestone, which has now been lost. For that reason its current height is 136 meters.

Its interior is simply impressive. It consists of 3 funerary chambers which are accessed through various galleries. The most important, the Grand Gallery, leads to the main chamber, the King’s Chamber, where the empty granite sarcophagus is located.

Next to it, we can find 3 smaller pyramids, the pyramids of the queens, and the Solar Barque of Cheops.

Pyramid of Khafre

Located next to the pyramid of Cheops, Khafre is a simpler pyramid with only a burial chamber but with impressive dimensions.

Built years later by order of Kefren, son of Cheops, it reached a height of 143 meters, 3 meters less than the Great Pyramid.

It is currently larger than the previous one because it still retains the limestone that covered it on its top.

This, together with the fact that it is located in a higher area, makes it appear larger and that is why for a long time it was called the Great Pyramid.

As a curiosity, say that there is an underground passageway that connects the pyramid with the Sphinx.

Pyramid of Menkaure

It is the smallest of the three, it measures only 65 meters, but it does not stop being interesting for that. It is also devoid of its original coating and around it we can find three other smaller pyramids. Inside there is no sarcophagus as it was lost in a shipwreck at the beginning of the 20th century.

Visit and enter the pyramids

If you want to visit the pyramids, in all the circuits that are carried out in Egypt they have the visit included, but if you go on your own it is easily accessible by taxi from the center of Cairo.

It is possible to enter the pyramids and for this you have to pay a separate ticket.

To get into Cheops, a few tickets go on sale each day so you’ll need to go early to get them.

The other 2 can be visited alternately, that is, some days one is open and other days another, and you also have to buy a separate ticket.