1. Egypt has a rich cultural heritage dating back to thousands of years before the birth of Christ. The Egyptians of those ancient times possessed skills and knowledge that baffles scientists and scholars today. The pyramids located at Giza, near Cairo, are the subject of such study and speculation. The pyramids are believed to be tombs for Pharaohs. The Giza complex has three main pyramids named after the Pharaohs they were built for. The Greek names are bracketed. The oldest and largest is Khufu (Cheops), followed by Khafre (Chephren), and the last to be built was Menkaure (Mycerinus). All three were built between 2575 and 2465 BCE.

2. The length of each side at the base of the Khufu Pyramid measures 230 metres and originally it was 147 metres high. The Khafre Pyramid’s length at its sides are 216 metres and its height was 143 metres. The smallest is Menkaure measuring 109 metres at each side, with a height of 66 metres. All three pyramids look very different today. This is because through the ages, they have been subjected to plunder, both inside and out.

3. The Khufu Pyramid, also called the Great Pyramid, is the largest pyramid that was ever built. It is the only one of the Seven Ancient Wonders of the World which still exists. Its sides are aligned to the cardinal points of the compass. It is estimated that about 2.3 million stone blocks were used in its construction. The pyramid contains three chambers. The exterior and inner passages were covered with fine, light limestone. The core was constructed with yellow lime stone blocks, and the interior burial chamber was built with huge granite blocks. The entrance is about 18 metres above ground level, and descends to an underground chamber via a sloping corridor. A passage from this corridor leads to another chamber. Earlier, this was thought to be the Queen’s burial chamber, but later studies have shown that assumption to be false. The corridor also gives access to the Grand Gallery, from which a narrow passage leads to the King’s Chamber. This chamber had a red granite sarcophagus placed almost exactly in the centre of the pyramid. The Grand Gallery was blocked by a system of sliding granite blocks.

4. The Khafre Pyramid looks taller than Khufu, but this is only because it was built on higher ground. This pyramid still has some limestone casing on top. Khafre also built the magnificent stone structure known as the Sphinx. This huge statue has the head of a man, and the body of a lion. It represents Ra the sun god.

5. Menkaure died before his pyramid was completed. The lower portion is made of red granite and the upper parts are made from limestone. Some fine sculptures were found in the funerary complex of this pyramid.

6. Herodotus, the Greek historian, visited Egypt around 450 BCE. He described the Great Pyramid. According to what he was told in Egypt, the Great Pyramid was built by 100,000 slaves over a period of twenty years. This no longer has credence. There is now evidence that skilled workers lived near the sites. Engineers have calculated that the job must have been done in much less time using far fewer people.

7. The Egyptians covered the Khufu and Khafre pyramids with a limestone casing. This was removed by Turks in 820 CE. It was used to adorn buildings and mosques in Cairo. In the 12th century, depredations were performed on the Menkaure pyramid, when the Kurdish son of Saladin tried to destroy it.

8. Europeans also removed artefacts from the Giza complex. A sarcophagus found in the Menkaure pyramid was sent to England, but the ship carrying it sank, depositing the ancient artefact at the bottom of the Mediterranean Sea.

9. The Giza complex was an intricate network of tombs, temples and workspaces. To the south of the Sphinx, there was a town of Pyramid builders, which contained bakeries, workshops and storage space. There was also a cemetery for the workers. In 1925, a pit tomb containing the remains of Khufu’s mother was found.

10. The pyramids of Giza still hold many mysteries. Scientists advance new theories about how they were built. The mortar that was used has been chemically analysed but cannot be reproduced. They are still a fascinating subject, and one of the most visited tourist sites in the world.