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The Pyramid of Cheops
Continuing the series of stories about the wonders of antiquity on LifeGlobe, I will tell you about the largest of the Egyptian pyramids — the Pyramid of Cheops, located in Giza.
It is also called the Pyramid of Khufu, or simply the Great Pyramid
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The entry refers to the place: Egypt
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This is the oldest of the seven wonders of the world, moreover, perfectly preserved to our times, unlike the Colossus of Rhodes or the Hanging Gardens of Semiramis.
Egyptologists believe that the pyramid was built as a tomb for the fourth dynasty of the Egyptian pharaoh Cheops.
The construction of the pyramid lasted about 20 years and was completed in 2560 BC.
The giant pyramid with a height of 146.5 meters was the largest structure in the world for more than 4 millennia, which is an absolute record that is unlikely to ever be broken.
Initially, it was completely covered with smooth stone, which eventually crumbled.
There are many scientific and alternative theories about the methods of building the great pyramid, from alien intervention, to the generally accepted ones, based on the fact that huge blocks of stone were moved from the quarries by special mechanisms.
Inside the pyramid of Cheops there are three chambers — tombs.
The lowest one is carved into the base of the rock on which the pyramid is built.
For unknown reasons, its construction was not completed.
Above it are the chamber of the Queen and the chamber of the Pharaoh.
The Great Pyramid is the only one in Egypt where there are both ascending and descending corridors.
It is the central key element of the complex in Giza, around which several more pyramids were built for the wives of the pharaoh, as well as other temples and tombs.
The Great Pyramid consists of approximately 2.3 million stone blocks.
The largest stones were found in the pharaoh's chamber, and weigh 25-80 tons each.
These granite blocks were delivered from the quarry at a distance of almost 1000 kilometers.
According to general estimates, 5.5 million tons of limestone and 8,000 tons of granite were spent on the construction of the pyramid.
Let's turn to the theories of pyramid construction, many of which often contradict each other.
Scientists can not come to an agreement on whether the blocks were pulled, or rolled, or were carried at all.
The Greeks believed that the slave labor of millions of Egyptians was used, while modern studies have proved that several tens of thousands of skilled workers worked on the construction, divided into teams according to their qualifications and skills.
Initially, the entrance to the pyramid was located at a height of 15.63 meters (#1 in the diagram below), on the north side, assembled from stone slabs in the form of arches.
Later, it was sealed up with granite blocks, making a new passage with a height of 17 meters (#2 on the diagram).
This passage was carved in 820 by the Caliph Abu Jafar, in an attempt to plunder the pyramid (it is worth noting that he never found any treasures).
Currently, it is through it that tourists get inside the pyramid
Below is a diagram of the pyramid in the section, where all the corridors and chambers are marked:
Immediately after entering the pyramid, a 105 meter long descending corridor begins (No. 4 in the diagram above), flowing into a small horizontal corridor leading to the lower chamber (No. 5 on the map).
A narrow manhole leads out of the cell, ending in a dead end.
and also a small well with a depth of 3 meters.
As mentioned above, for some reason this chamber was left unfinished, and the main chambers were later built higher, in the very center of the pyramid
From the descending corridor, an ascending passage goes up, at the same angle of 26.5°.
Its length is 40 meters and it leads to a Large Gallery (No. 9 on the diagram), from where there are passages to the Pharaoh's Chamber (No. 10) and the queen's chamber (No. 7).
At the very beginning of the large gallery, a narrow, almost vertical chamber is hollowed out, with a small extension in the middle, which is called the Grotto (No. 12).
Presumably, the grotto already existed before the construction of the pyramid, as a separate structure.
Ventilation channels with a width of 20 centimeters, in the direction to the north and to the south, evenly diverge from the Pharaoh's Chamber and the Queen's Chamber.
The purpose of these channels is unknown — either they were used specifically for ventilation, or the traditional ideas of the Egyptians about the afterlife are connected with them There is an opinion that the ancient Egyptians perfectly mastered geometry, and knew about the "number of Pi" and the "Golden Section", which was reflected in the proportions of the pyramid of Cheops and the angle of inclination.
The same angle of inclination was used for the pyramid in Meidum.
But it is possible that this is a simple accident, since this angle was not repeated anywhere else, all subsequent pyramids had different angles of inclination.
Particularly fanatical supporters of mystical theories suggest that this particular pyramid was built by representatives of alien civilizations, and the rest of the Egyptian pyramids were really built by the Egyptians trying to copy it According to some astronomers, the Great Pyramid is an astronomical observatory of the ancient Egyptians, since the corridors and ventilation ducts accurately point to the stars Tuban, Sirius and Alnitak.
Opponents of this theory claim that this is a simple coincidence.
During excavations near the pyramid, pits were found with ancient Egyptian boats made of cedar without the use of nails and fasteners.
This boat was disassembled into 1224 parts, which were assembled by the restorer Ahmed Yussuf Mustafa, which took him 14 years.
Currently, a museum is open on the south side of the pyramid, where you can see this boat (the construction of the museum itself in the photo below looks quite original, it is worth noting), as well as buy a lot of souvenirs
Currently, it is the most visited tourist attraction in Egypt.
You can read more about other ancient wonders in the article " Seven Ancient Wonders of the world"
September 14, 2011 / Categories: Places, History, Photos, Architecture
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