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The Monuments of Giza
It is impossible to think in Egypt and do not visualize in the mind the three great pyramids and the enigmatic Sphinx. All these legendary monuments are located in Giza, a town at the west bank of the Nile River to 20 Km southwest of Cairo city. These colossal monuments are the best examples of the greatness of the ancient Egypt. The pyramids have been in Giza, since 4000 years ago and they are the only vestige of the original seven wonders of the ancient world. The legendary necropolis of Giza consists of the “Pyramid of Khufu” (known as the great pyramid of Cheops), the “Pyramide of Khafre” (Chephren), the “Pyramid of Menkaure” (Mykerinus , which is the smallest pyramid), and the Sphinx, which is located at the east side of the complex and it believe that it was constructed during the reign of “Khafre”. Besides, there are also many other minors monuments, like small pyramids and temples.
The Pyramids of Giza
These monuments were built approximately 2560 BC, using a great number of workers. The Greek Historian Herodotus estimated that around 100 000 workers were used during 20 years to this colossal work. Nevertheless, modern scientists like the Polish architect Wieslaw Kozinski believe that almost 300 000 men amongst slaves and rural Egyptian population, worked in the construction of the great pyramid of Cheops. It estimate that almost two millions blocks of limestone, basalt and granite were used in the great pyramid, each block weights around 6 tons and was transported a distance of over 500 miles. Therefore, the construction of the pyramids is still a great mystery, since some researches accepted by Egyptologists calculate that the ancient Egyptians had to put 0.55 blocks per minute (each block weight several tons) 10 hours per day, 365 days per year during 20 years to built the pyramid of Cheops.
Besides, the pyramids were constructed with a great accurate; since originally each side of the great pyramid was 440 Egyptian royal cubits (1 royal cubit= 0.524 meters) and the tall was 280 Egyptian royal cubits (146.6 meters) with a slope angle of 51º 50’ 40’’.
Unfortunately the erosion and several earthquakes have destroyed partially the incredible accurate of the great pyramid. Today each side of this monument has around 230.4 meters. Besides, some of the blocks of the pyramids were extracted to build others constructions; some of these stone blocks can still be seen in some structures in Cairo.
Another important detail about the pyramids is their orientation, they are oriented 4’ west of north; some experts believe that this peculiar orientation is due to the position of the stars b-Ursae Minoris and z-Ursae Majoris about 3,000 years ago, thanks to this feature; some scientists date the start of the pyramid’s construction around 2467 BC.
The Great Pyramid of Cheops
The total mass of the great pyramid is estimated around 5.9 million tons and its volume is approximately 2.6 million cubic meters. The great pyramid was surfaced by white casing stones and blocks of highly polished white limestone; therefore the monument shines with the sun.
The great pyramid has also an endless number of passages and chambers very straight and precise. There are three main chambers inside the pyramid, which are arranged centrally, through the vertical axis of the pyramid; being the largest: the lowest chamber also known as “unfinished chamber”, which was cut into the bedrock upon which the pyramid was constructed. The middle chamber is known as the “Queen’s Chamber” and it is the smallest of the three with around 25 square meters of area and 4.5 meters in height. A peculiar detail about this chamber is that was explored using a robot created by the German engineer “Rudolf Gantenbrink”. The Egyptologist “Mark Lehner” believes that this chamber was designed as a “serdab” a structure used in other pyramids in Egypt.
The third chamber is the main, the King’s Chamber. It is located at end of the lengthy series of entrance ways into the pyramid structure. Its original measurements were 10x20x11.2 cubits (5.25x10.5x6 meters). These dimensions are consistent with the geometric methods that used the ancient Egyptians to determine the Golden Ratio phi. Inside the great pyramid, there had a great number of sarcophagus and a large gallery, which is 49x3x11 meters. This chamber contains also 2 “air shafts”, which ascend out of the pyramid , directly to the “Thuban” star and the “Alnitak” star in the “Orion” constellation. It believes that, these air shafts were used with ceremonial purposes; since they allowed to the pharaoh´s spirit to reach the stars.
The King’s sarcophagus is located in the King’s chamber and it was hollowed out of a single piece of red Aswan granite. A peculiar detail about this sarcophagus is that it is too short to accommodate a medium height individual without the bending of the knees, but this burial technique was not used in the ancient Egypt. Therefore, several scientists believe that the sarcophagus was not designed to host a human body.
The Sphinx of Giza
The other legendary monument in Giza is the Sphinx, a mythological figure of zoomorphic shape; composed by a lion’s body (which is a solar symbol) with a human head (which symbolized the power controlled by the intelligence of the pharaoh). In the ancient Egypt there had 3 types of sphinx Androsphinx (body of lion with human head such as the Giza’s sphinx), Criosphinx (body of lion with head of ram deity) and Hierocosphinx (body of lion with head of falcon or hawk deity). It believes that the face of the Giza’s sphinx represents the head of the pharaoh “Khafra” (2723-2563 BC) and it believes also that the sphinx was originally bearded with the sort of formally plaited bearded. The Sphinx was made of limestone bedrock, which originated fifty million years ago from sediments deposited at the bottom of sea waters during the middle Eocene period; this kind of rock is easily eroded.
The Sphinx faces the rising sun with a temple in front, which resembles the sun temples that were built later by the kings of the 5th dynasty. The Sphinx’s body is 72.55 meters length and 20.22 meters tall and your face is 4 meters wide. There are three passages into or under the Sphinx, 2 of them of obscure origin.
The Sphinx of Giza
When Napoleon arrived in Egypt in 1798, the Sphinx was buried with sand up to its neck, therefore, it believes, the nose has been missing for at least 400 years. During the XIX century, several people tried to clear the Sphinx, but the circumstances forced to abandon this project. Finally, in the XX century (from 1925 to 1936), the French engineer “Emile Baraize” excavated the Sphinx, which was exposed to the elements for first time since the pharaohs’ time. In the last years the statue is crumbling because of the wind, the humidity and the poor quality of the rock. There is a big fissure across the haunches, which ha been filled with cement.
Definitely the amazing monuments of Giza are the main symbols of the power and mystery of the ancient Egypt and an icon of the human spirit. They have been the center of admiration and controversy for hundreds of generations since their construction. Every day, there are new theories and discoveries about the origin and purpose of these enigmatic and colossal monuments. Nevertheless, there is only one thing that we have really clear about these impressive giants of the desert. They will be for much time a source of amazement and inspiration to new generations of men and it is the greatest legacy of the ancient Egyptians to humanity.
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