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Five things you may not know about the Great Pyramid of Giza

The Pyramid of Cheops, also known as the Great Pyramid of Giza or the Pyramid of Khufu, is the oldest and largest of the three main pyramids of the Giza necropolis. It is the oldest of the seven wonders of the ancient world and the only one that has survived to the present day.

It took 15 to 30 years to build the pyramid, and Egyptologists believe it was built to house the remains of Pharaoh Cheops. The slaves used in ancient times to build these mega tombs used at least, if not more, than 2,300,000 blocks, each weighing on average about 2.5 tonnes.

The Pyramids are the place of mystery par excellence, so it is very interesting to go and discover some curiosities that may be little known to the general public.

Di Nina - Opera propria, CC BY 2.5, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=282496
Five curiosities about the pyramid of Giza
The Pyramid of Cheops, also known as the Great Pyramid of Giza or the Pyramid of Khufu, is the oldest and largest of the three main pyramids in the necropolis of Giza. It is the oldest of the seven wonders of the ancient world and the only one that has survived to the present day. It took 15 to 30 years to build the pyramid, and Egyptologists believe it was built to house the remains of Pharaoh Cheops. The slaves used in ancient times to build these mega tombs used at least, if not more, than 2,300,000 blocks, each weighing on average about 2.5 tonnes. The pyramids are the place of mystery par excellence, so it is very interesting to go and discover some curiosities that may be little known to the general public.
Di Alex lbh - Opera propria, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=132080
Originally, the surface of the pyramid was smooth
Originally, the pyramid was completely covered by a white limestone covering with a completely smooth outer surface. However, due to an earthquake in the 14th century, this covering crumbled and was later used for the construction of buildings in Cairo. Only a few stones of the covering are still visible around the base.
Di Berthold Werner - Opera propria, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=12
At one time, the pyramids were taller
Due to both the destruction of their limestone outer covering and thousands of years of weathering erosion, the pyramids today are considerably lower than their original heights. The Great Pyramid of Cheops, which measured about 147 metres at the time of construction, is now only 138 metres high. The Pyramid of Chephren was once 143 metres high, but is now 136 metres. The smallest of the pyramids, the Pyramid of Mycerinus was 66 metres high and now measures 61 metres.
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The continued looting by grave robbers
Due to their popularity, their grandeur and also the difficulty in protecting them, especially in earlier centuries, the pyramids of Giza were plundered many times, in the same way as other royal tombs. Since it was known that pharaohs were buried with very precious objects, these types of thieves were quite common in ancient Egypt. So, what is thought is that the pyramids were looted within 500 years of completion and sealing.
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Pyramids and constellations
The architectural and astronomical knowledge of the Egyptians still leaves scientists speechless today. In fact, the three pyramids of Giza (Cheops, Chephren and Mycerinus) are aligned similarly to the three stars in the belt of the constellation Orion, which is clearly observable with modern instruments, but was a fact known even in more ancient times.
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Despite being ancient, the Giza complex is not the oldest
It is known how ancient the pyramids of Giza are, yet they were not the first to be built. Egyptologists think that the step pyramid of Dsojer at Saqqara, which is supposed to date back to around 2630 BC, is the oldest extant pyramid to date. The Great Pyramid of Giza was built around 2560 BC, 70 years after the pyramid of Dsojer.
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