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The Pyramids of Giza, along with the Sphinx, have been the most recognisable icon of Egypt for the past four thousand years. They are part of the Pyramid Fields from Giza to Dahshur, which were inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in October, 1979.
The Giza Necropolis, where the pyramids are located, is about 25km southwest of Cairo city centre, and 8km outside the old town of Giza. At Giza are three giant-size pyramids, and numerous smaller ones. The biggest as well as oldest of the three is the Pyramid of Khufu, also known as the Great Pyramid or the Pyramid of Cheops. The Pyramid of Khufu was built over a 20-year period, completed around 2560 BC. It entombs the Fourth dynasty pharoah Khufu.
In the middle, a few hundred metres to its southwest, is the Pyramid of Khafre, or Chephren, who was one of Khufu's successors. The Pyramid of Khafre is the one with the Sphinx a short distance in front of it, and often appears in photographs with the Sphinx, which according to Egyptologists, was modelled after the Pharoah Khafre. It is often thought to be the largest of the pyramids, but it is not. Its large appearance is due in part to its position on a higher elevation.
A few hundred meters to the southwest of the Pyramid of Khafre is that of his successor, the Pharoah Menkaure. The Pyramid of Menkaure is the smallest of the three great pyramids.