THE GREAT PYRAMID OF KHUFU
OF THE SEVEN WONDERS of the Ancient World, Khufu's Pyramid is the only survivor. The Great Pyramid is located on Giza Plateau just outside Cario, Egypt, and it is probably the best-known structure in the world. When it was built, The Great Pyramid was 145.75 meters high, but over the years it has lost approximately 11 meters from its top. It covered an area of 53,000 square meters, large enough to hold the cathedrals of Florence, Milan, St. Peter's, Westminster Abbey, and St. Paul's combined. The Great Pyramid remained the tallest structure on earth for more than 43 centuries. It is an impressive 138.75 meters today, and it must have been even more impressive to visitors in the past, when there was no structure in the entire world taller than it.
KHUFU'S PYRAMID was an architectural and engineering feat. To produce a structure of its immense size, phenomenal technical knowledge and organization were required. The Great Pyramid was constructed with approximately 2,300,000 limestone and granite blocks weighing from 2.5 to 50 tons each. How were these huge stones cut? Egyptologists believe that copper and bronze saws must have been used to shape the blocks, but there is no definitive evidence for this. How were the blocks transported and raised to a height of 145 meters? Although it is not know for certain how the blocks were put into place, several theories have been proposed. One theory suggests that the Egyptians constructed a straight or spiral ramp that was raised as the work proceeded. This ramp, covered with mud and water, facilitated the movement of the blocks, which were pushed (or pulled), into place. Experts estimate that as many as 100,000 slaves were needed to build the pyramid, which was erected during Khufu's reign over a period of approximately 20 years. To this day, many questions remain unanswered. And there are other mysteries.
IN 1920s, a Frenchman named Antoine Bovis made a surprising discovery. In spite of the heat and the humidity inside the pyramid, the dead body of an animal left in the main chamber did not decay, but instead completely dehydrated. Bovis constructed a small-scale model of the pyramid and placed the body of a dead cat inside. It did not decay. Similar experiments were done in the other places, and all produced the same results. However, other researchers say that the effect was the result of the climate inside the pyramids and not the pyramid shape itself.
SOME SCIENTISTS question if the actual tomb of the pharaoh has been found. Traditionally one room with a stone box was considered the place of the king's burial, but some modern scientists believe that they have located a hidden room that might actually contain the king's tomb. However, they have not yet been given permission to explore the area inside the pyramid-to find the hidden tomb and perhaps even treasure. The people who built those pyramids have left mysteries that we are still trying to solve.