What is the modern height of the Cheops pyramid. Pyramid of Cheops (Khufu)

The first wonder of the world of all time, one of the main structures of our planet, a place full of secrets and mysteries, a point of constant pilgrimage for tourists - the Egyptian pyramids and in particular the Cheops pyramid.

The construction of giant pyramids, of course, was far from easy. Enormous efforts of a large number of people were made to deliver stone blocks to the Giza or Saqqara plateau, and later to the Valley of the Kings, which became the new necropolis of the pharaohs.

At the moment, there are about a hundred discovered pyramids in Egypt, but discoveries continue, and their number is constantly increasing. At different times, one of the 7 wonders of the world meant different pyramids. Some meant all the pyramids of Egypt as a whole, some the pyramids near Memphis, some the three large pyramids of Giza, and most critics recognized exclusively the largest pyramid of Cheops.

Afterlife of Ancient Egypt

One of the central moments in the life of the ancient Egyptians was religion, which shaped the entire culture as a whole. Particular attention was paid to the afterlife, perceived as a clear continuation of earthly life. That is why preparation for life after death began long before death and was set as one of the main life tasks.

According to ancient Egyptian belief, man had several souls. The soul of Ka acted as a double of the Egyptian whom he was to meet in the afterlife. The soul of Ba contacted the person himself and left his body after death.

Religious life of the Egyptians and the god Anubis

At first, it was believed that only the pharaoh had the right to life after death, but he could bestow this “immortality” on his entourage, who were usually buried next to the tomb of the ruler. Ordinary people were not destined to enter the world of the dead, the only exceptions being slaves and servants, whom the pharaoh “took” with him, and who were depicted on the walls of the great tomb.

But for a comfortable life after death, the deceased had to be provided with everything necessary: ​​food, household utensils, servants, slaves and much more necessary for the average pharaoh. They also tried to preserve the person’s body so that Ba’s soul could later connect with him again. Therefore, in matters of body preservation, embalming and the creation of complex pyramid tombs were born.

The first pyramid in Egypt. Pyramid of Djoser

Speaking about the construction of the pyramids in Ancient Egypt Overall, the beginning of their story is worth mentioning. The very first pyramid in Egypt was built about five thousand years ago on the initiative of Pharaoh Djoser. It is in these 5 thousand years that the age of the pyramids in Egypt is estimated. The construction of the Pyramid of Djoser was led by the famous and legendary Imhotep, who was even deified in later centuries.

Pyramid of Djoser

The entire complex of the building being erected occupied an area of ​​545 by 278 meters. The perimeter was surrounded by a 10-meter wall with 14 gates, only one of which was real. In the center of the complex was the pyramid of Djoser with sides 118 by 140 meters. The height of the Djoser pyramid is 60 meters. Almost at a depth of 30 meters there was a burial chamber, to which corridors with many branches led. The branch rooms contained utensils and sacrifices. Here archaeologists found three bas-reliefs of Pharaoh Djoser himself. Near the eastern wall of Djoser's pyramid, 11 small burial chambers were discovered, intended for the royal family.

Unlike the famous large pyramids of Giza, Djoser's pyramid had a stepped shape, as if intended for the pharaoh's ascension to heaven. Of course, this pyramid is inferior in popularity and size to the Cheops pyramid, but still the contribution of the very first stone pyramid to the culture of Egypt is difficult to overestimate.

The Pyramid of Cheops. History and Brief Description

But still, the most famous for the ordinary population of our planet are the three nearby pyramids of Egypt - Khafre, Mekerin and the largest and tallest pyramid in Egypt - Cheops (Khufu)

Pyramids of Giza

The pyramid of Pharaoh Cheops was built near the city of Giza, currently a suburb of Cairo. At present, it is impossible to say for sure when the Cheops pyramid was built, and research gives a strong scatter. In Egypt, for example, the date of the start of construction of this pyramid is officially celebrated - August 23, 2480 BC.

Pyramid of Cheops and Sphinx

About 100,000 people were simultaneously involved in the construction of the wonder of the world, the Pyramid of Cheops. During the first ten years of work, a road was built along which huge stone blocks were delivered to the river and the underground structures of the pyramid. Work on the construction of the monument itself continued for about 20 years.

The size of the Cheops Pyramid in Giza is amazing. The height of the Cheops pyramid initially reached 147 meters. Over time, due to sand filling and loss of lining, it decreased to 137 meters. But even this figure allowed her to remain the most tall building person in the world. The pyramid has a square base with a side of 147 meters. To build this giant, it is estimated that 2,300,000 limestone blocks were required, weighing an average of 2.5 tons.

How were the pyramids built in Egypt?

The technology of building pyramids is still controversial in our time. Versions vary from the invention of concrete in Ancient Egypt to the construction of pyramids by aliens. But it is still believed that the pyramids were built by man solely by his own strength. So, to extract stone blocks, they first marked out a shape in the rock, hollowed out grooves and inserted dry wood into them. Later, the tree was doused with water, it expanded, a crack formed in the rock, and the block was separated. Then it was processed into the desired shape with tools and sent along the river to the construction site.

To lift the blocks up, the Egyptians used gently sloping embankments, along which these megaliths were dragged on wooden sleds. But even with such a backward technology by our standards, the quality of work is surprising - the blocks fit tightly to each other with minimal mismatches.

We can talk for a long time about the pyramids shrouded in myths and legends, their labyrinths and traps, mummies and treasures, but we’ll leave that to Egyptologists. For us, the Cheops Pyramid is one of the greatest structures of mankind throughout its existence and, of course, the only First Wonder of the World that has survived to this day from the depths of centuries.

Scheme of the Cheops pyramid

Video about the pyramids of Egypt

Video about the Cheops pyramid

The Pyramid of Cheops is a monumental structure fraught with many facts and mysteries. Here are fifteen of them, most of which you've probably never heard of. We will not touch upon myths and legends - the most interesting facts about the Cheops pyramid based on real research

  1. For about three thousand years, the Cheops pyramid was the tallest creation of human hands in the world. It was not until 1311 that Lincoln was built Cathedral, this building became the second tallest.
  2. The construction of the pyramid took 20 years. It remains a mystery how such a monumental structure was erected so quickly with an archaic level of construction knowledge and disgusting logistics. The construction of other burial structures took much longer - from 50 to 200 years.
  3. Pyramid of Cheops - an accurate compass. The edges of the Cheops pyramid are oriented to the cardinal points. The error is only 5 degrees. Such compliance is not easy to achieve even with the modern level of construction development. At first the fit was perfect, and only constant movement north pole The earth allowed a slight deviation to appear.

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  4. The Pyramids of Cheops were visible from space. The construction of the structure took more than 2.2 million blocks of limestone. This loose building material would certainly have deteriorated over time if it had not been covered with granite cladding. There are no gaps between the cladding slabs; they are perfectly polished. When the lining was in place, the sunlight reflected from it was so bright that the structure of Cheops was probably visible from space.

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  5. Constant temperature inside the building - 20⁰С. The Cheops Pyramid is a gigantic isothermal chamber - when the air temperature outside reaches 50⁰С, in this structure it does not rise above 20⁰С.

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  6. There was never a pharaoh's burial in the Cheops pyramid. Many consider the Cheops pyramid to be the burial place of the pharaoh. In fact, the remains of the rulers were buried in the Valley of the Kings. And inside the thick walls were stored necessary things, which, according to the ancient Egyptians, helped the ruler in the afterlife.

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  7. Delivery of building materials was carried out in a way unknown to science. The methods used to build stone monsters can be explained by the high level of construction organization. Huge stones were carved from quarries located on Mediterranean coast. It remains a mystery how they were transported hundreds of kilometers from the quarry to the construction site - the condition of the horse-drawn and water transport did not allow moving heavy stones over significant distances.

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  8. The Pyramid of Cheops was built by free people. This structure was built by free architects and masons who came to the construction site from all over the Egyptian state. Perhaps slaves were used as work force, but there is information that most of the workers were free and built for money. By the way, this ancient temple about 100,000 people died.
  9. The composition of the solution that fastened the blocks of the pyramid has not yet been solved. Lime and granite slabs are held together with a mysterious mortar that has no modern analogues. Grasping material was developed in the early Predynastic period. After cooling, the solution became stronger than stone and was not afraid of heat, dry winds, or time. Scientists do not know how and from what it was prepared.

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  10. Even a blade cannot be inserted between the cladding of the pyramid.. The skill of the builders is admirable, who were able to fit the cladding so tightly that it is impossible to even insert a knife blade between the cladding slabs. Few modern buildings can boast of such quality of laying building materials.

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  11. Pi and other oddities. The existence of the pyramid is confirmed by the fact that the Egyptians knew about the “golden ratio”, the number π and other constants used in geometry and architecture. Scientific evidence These formulas were developed by ancient Greek mathematicians a thousand years later.

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  12. The inside walls of the Cheops pyramid are not covered with drawings or hieroglyphs. The walls of the corridors of the Cheops pyramid are empty - there are no numerous inscriptions and drawings on them. Egyptologists have found several dozen cartouches and inscriptions indicating the names of the builders who took part in the construction of the tomb. There were inscriptions of a technical nature that shed light on the technology of construction of this religious building.

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  13. The ancient Greeks and Arabs knew about the Cheops pyramid. The first researchers of Egyptian antiquities were the Greeks. The mathematician Thales knew very well about the existence of the Cheops structure, and even measured the length of its shadow. The Arab scientist Abdullah Al Mamun attempted to penetrate the forbidden walls. He managed to do this, but did not discover any treasures or secret knowledge.
  14. Napoleon was interested in ancient structures and during the Egyptian campaign he wished to visit the tomb of Cheops. But after the first minutes spent inside the ancient building, Napoleon felt so bad that he never returned to the issue of visiting ancient tombs. But he kept scientists interested in discovering Egyptian secrets and subsidized several scientific expeditions.

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  15. Birthday of the Cheops Pyramid – National holiday Egypt. Modern Egyptians receive a good income from tourists visiting ancient monuments. They even approved the birthday of the Cheops pyramid - it is celebrated on August 23. Despite the fact that this date is very controversial, on this day the Egyptians celebrate the beginning of the construction of the tomb of Cheops.

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The Pyramid of Cheops is a rare case in Egyptology when we can be sure who owns the monument. Often the ancient monuments of Egypt were appropriated by later rulers. The technology of appropriation was very simple - the name of the pharaoh-builder (cartouche) was simply lost from the inscriptions in the temple or in the tomb, and another name was knocked out.

This phenomenon was very common. Take, for example, the famous Pharaoh Tutankhamun. Until 1922, when archaeologist Howard Carter dug up, Egyptologists doubted the existence of this ruler. There was almost no written evidence about him; everything was destroyed by subsequent pharaohs.

In the 19th century, archaeologists often used very barbaric research methods. In the Cheops pyramid, gunpowder explosions were used to find hidden rooms. You can still see traces of such methods on the surfaces of structures (see photo on the left).

During this study, small rooms were discovered above the main burial chamber. Explorers rushed there in the hope of finding treasure, but, of course, there was nothing there except dust.

These rooms, only 1 meter in height, had a purely technical purpose. These are unloading chambers; they protect the ceiling of the burial chamber from collapse and relieve mechanical stress. But it was on the walls of these unloading chambers that scientists discovered inscriptions made by ancient builders.

These were block markings. Just as we now put a label on a product, the ancient Egyptian foremen marked the blocks: “This block is for the pyramid of Khufu, produced at that time, laid at that time.” These inscriptions cannot be fake; they prove that this structure was built by Cheops.

A little about Pharaoh Cheops

In the last paragraph we used the name “Khufu”. This is the official Egyptian name of this pharaoh. Cheops is the Greek interpretation of his name, and not the most common one. Other pronunciations “Cheops” or “Kiops” are more common.

The name “Khufu” is more common in the world. If you are going on an excursion to Giza with Russian speaking guide, then there will be no problems, he will be aware of this phonetic difference. But, if you communicate with locals or tourists from other countries, we recommend using the name “Khufu”.

Although Pharaoh Khufu is one of the, it is impossible to write much about him. We know very little about him.

In addition to the fact of the construction of this pyramid, we know that Khufu organized expeditions to develop useful resources in the Sinai Peninsula. That's all. To this day, only two artifacts have survived from Khufu - a giant pyramid 137 meters high and a small figurine from Ivory only 7.5 centimeters high (pictured on the right).

Pharaoh Cheops remained in people's memory as a tyrant ruler who forced people to work on grandiose construction. We can read about this in the works of the Greek historian Herodotus, who visited Egypt and recorded the stories of the priests.

Surprisingly, his father, Pharaoh Snofru, remained in people's memory as a very kind ruler, although he built as many as three pyramids (and) and overexerted the country twice as much as Cheops.

Cheops ( Khufu) is truly a wonder of the world. From the foot to the top it reaches 137.3 meters, and before it lost the top, its height was 146.7 meters. Just a century and a half ago, it was the tallest building in the world, only in 1880 it was surpassed by two superstructured towers of the Cologne Cathedral (by 20 meters), and in 1889 by the Eiffel Tower. The sides of its base are 230.4 meters, the area is 5.4 hectares. Its initial volume was 2,520,000 cubic meters; now it is about 170,000 cubic meters smaller, because for centuries the pyramid was used as a quarry. About 2,250,000 stone blocks, each with a volume of more than a cubic meter, were used for its construction; this material would be enough to build a city with a population of one hundred thousand. Its weight is 6.5-7 million tons. If it were hollow, it would fit a space rocket launcher. According to experts, it would not have been destroyed even atomic bomb, dropped on Hiroshima.

It was built, according to the most common dating, in 2560-2540. BC e., although some scientists give dates about 150 years earlier. Inside the pyramid there are three chambers corresponding to the three stages of its construction. The first chamber is carved into the rock at a depth of about 30 meters below the base of the pyramid and not exactly in the middle of it; its area is 8 x 14 meters, height is 3.5 meters. It remained unfinished, as did the second, which is located in the core of the pyramid, exactly below the top, at a height of about 20 meters above the base; its area is 5.7 x 5.2 meters, the vaulted ceiling reaches a height of 6.7 meters; it was once called the “tomb of the queen.” The third chamber is the king’s tomb; unlike the other two, it is finished; the sarcophagus of Cheops was found in it. It was built at a height of 42.3 meters above the base and slightly south of the axis of the pyramid; its dimensions are 10.4 x 5.2 meters; height – 5.8 meters. It is lined with immaculately polished granite slabs carefully fitted to each other; There are five unloading chambers above the ceiling, overall height of which - 17 meters. They take on the weight of approximately a million tons of rock mass so that it does not press directly on the burial chamber.

The pharaoh's sarcophagus is wider than the entrance to the chamber. It is hewn from one piece of brown-gray granite, without a date or inscription, and is quite badly damaged. It stands in the western corner of the tomb, right on the floor. It was placed here during construction, and apparently no one has moved it since then. This sarcophagus looks like it was cast from metal. But the body of Cheops himself is not in it.

All three chambers have "hallways" and are all connected by corridors or shafts. Some mines end in a dead end. Two shafts lead out from the royal tomb to the surface of the pyramid, going out approximately in the middle of the northern and southern walls. One of their purposes is to provide ventilation; perhaps there were others.

Discovery: Exploding History. Secrets Great Pyramid

The original entrance to the pyramid is located on the north side, 25 meters above the base. Now there is another entrance to the pyramid, made in 820 by the Caliph Mamun, who hoped to discover the countless treasures of the pharaoh, but found nothing. This entrance is located about 15 meters lower than the previous one, almost in the very center of the northern side.

The Great Pyramid was surrounded by no less labor-intensive and expensive buildings. Herodotus, who saw the road leading from the upper (mortuary) temple to the lower one, which was lined with polished slabs and had a width of 18 meters, called its construction a work “almost as huge as the construction of the pyramid itself.” Now only 80 meters of it have survived - the road disappeared at the end of the 19th century during the construction of the village of Nazlat es-Simman, now, like Giza, which has become part of Cairo. Somewhere in its place stood a lower temple, 30 meters high, but it probably fell victim to people looking for building material in ancient times.

Of the buildings surrounding the Great Pyramid, only the ruins of the upper (mortuary) temple and three satellite pyramids have survived. Traces of the temple were discovered in 1939 by the Egyptian archaeologist Abu Seif. As usual, it was located to the east of the pyramid, and its pediment had a length of 100 Egyptian cubits (52.5 meters); it was built of Tura limestone, had a courtyard with 38 square granite pillars, 12 of the same pillars stood in the vestibule in front of the small sanctuary. On both sides of it, about 10 meters, during excavations, two “docks” were found hollowed out in the limestone plateau, where the “solar boats” were probably kept; a third such “dock” was discovered to the left of the road to the lower temple. Unfortunately, the “docks” turned out to be empty, but archaeologists were rewarded by the chance discovery of two more such “docks” in 1954. In one of them rested a perfectly preserved boat - the oldest ship in the world. Its length is 36 meters, and it is made of cedar.

The satellite pyramids also stand east of the Great Pyramid, although they were usually built further south. The pyramids are located from north to south “in height”, the side of the square base of the first pyramid is 49.5 meters, the second – 49, the third – 46.9. Each of them had a stone fence, a funeral chapel and a burial chamber, into which a steep shaft led; in addition, next to the first there was a “dock” for the “solar boat”. Most scientists believe that these pyramids belonged to the wives of Khufu, of whom the first (main), according to ancient custom, was probably his sister. The names of the first two are unknown to us, the third was called Henutsen.

All three satellite pyramids are quite well preserved, only they lack external cladding.

Apparently, it was planned to build another one to the east of the first one, large sizes, but construction was stopped. According to one hypothesis, it was intended for Queen Hetepheres, the wife of the pharaoh Sneferu and Khufu's mother. In the end, Khufu decided to build a secret rock tomb for her a little further north. This tomb was actually hidden... until January 1925, when the photographer Reisner's tripod fell into the gap between the camouflage blocks. Then members of the Harvard-Boston expedition carried out treasures for three months: thousands of small gold plaques, pieces of furniture and household utensils; gold and silver bracelets, cosmetic boxes with “shadows” for eyeliner, manicure knives, boxes with the name of the queen, filled with jewelry. Canopic jars with her entrails and an alabaster sarcophagus were found, which, however, turned out to be empty. This is the first tomb of a member of the royal family from the Old Kingdom era to be found intact.

The Great Pyramid was surrounded by a ten-meter stone wall. The ruins of the wall show that it was 3 meters thick and was 10.5 meters away from the pyramid. Near it, in the distance, there were mastabas (tombs) of dignitaries: almost a hundred of them have been preserved on the northern side, more than ten on the southern side, and about forty on the eastern side.

The only one of the 7 wonders of the world that has survived to this day is the Pyramid of Cheops, or the Pyramid of Khufu, as the Egyptians themselves call it, unlike the rest of the world, which uses the Greek pronunciation of the name of the pharaoh.

To fully understand how far from us are those times when the Cheops Pyramid was built, one only has to think that for contemporaries of the other six wonders of the world, the Great Pyramid of Giza was so old that they no longer knew the answer to its secret.

Despite the fact that the most great pyramid in the world is more than four thousand years old, it has been quite well preserved to this day. Today excursions to Egyptian pyramids can be ordered from almost any hotel in Cairo.

History and construction of the Great Pyramid of Cheops

It is believed that a certain Hemion, the pharaoh’s nephew and vizier, and, by extension, also a court architect, was involved in bringing the royal ambitions to life. The Pyramid of Cheops was built around 2540 BC, and its construction began twenty years earlier - somewhere in 2560 BC.

More than two million huge stones were needed to build the Great Pyramid of Giza. The largest blocks weighed several tens of tons. For the structure weighing 6.4 million tons, so that it does not sink underground under its own weight, strong rocky soil was chosen. Granite blocks were delivered from a quarry that was located 1000 km away. Scientists still cannot find the answer to the question of how these stones were transported and how the Cheops pyramid was built

The purpose of the tallest pyramid in Ancient Egypt also causes a lot of controversy. According to the most common opinion, this is really the tomb of Cheops (the second pharaoh of the IV dynasty of rulers) and members of his family. But nevertheless, discussions around the mystery of the pyramid do not subside. For example, from the point of view of some astronomers, some kind of observatory was equipped here, since the ventilation ducts and corridors point with amazing accuracy to the stars Sirius, Thuban, and Alnitak. It is also interesting that during the construction of the Cheops pyramid, the coordinates of the Earth’s magnetic poles were also taken into account.

Geometry and description of the pyramid of Khufu

The dimensions of the Cheops pyramid are surprising even modern man. Its base occupies a huge area of ​​53 thousand square meters, which is equivalent to ten football fields. Other parameters are no less striking: the length of the base is 230 m, the length of the side edge is the same, and the area of ​​the side surface is 85.5 thousand square meters.

Now the height of the Cheops pyramid is 138 meters, but initially it reached 147 meters, which can be compared to a fifty-story skyscraper. The years have left their mark on the safety of the pyramid. Numerous earthquakes over thousands of years collapsed the stone top of the structure, and the smooth stone with which the outer walls were lined crumbled. And yet, the interior of the attraction, despite many robberies and vandals, remained virtually unchanged.

The entrance to the pyramid, located on the north, was originally at a height of almost 16 meters and was sealed with a granite plug. Now tourists get inside through a huge gap made ten meters below, left in 1820 by the Arabs led by Caliph Abdullah al-Mamun, who attempted to find treasures supposedly hidden here.

Inside the Cheops pyramid there are three tombs, located one above the other. The lowest, unfinished underground chamber is located at the base of the rock. Above it are the burial chambers of the queen and pharaoh, to which the rising Great Gallery leads. Those who built the pyramid created a complex system of corridors and shafts, the plan of which is still being studied by scientists. Egyptologists have put forward a whole theory of understanding the afterlife of people of that time. These arguments explain the secret doors and other design features.

For how many years now has the Pyramid of Pharaoh Cheops in Giza, as well as Great Sphinx, is in no hurry to reveal all his secrets. For tourists, it remains the most striking attraction of Egypt. It is impossible to fully comprehend the secrets of its corridors, shafts and ventilation ducts. Only one thing is clear: the Great Pyramid is the fruit of a brilliant design idea.

  • There are many opinions about when the Cheops pyramid was built and who did it. The most original assumptions are various versions of construction completed long before the Flood by civilizations that did not survive it, as well as hypotheses about alien creators.
  • Despite the fact that no one knows the exact time when the Cheops Pyramid was built, in Egypt the date of the start of its construction is officially celebrated - August 23, 2560 BC.
  • The latest excavations, carried out at the beginning of the 21st century, indicate that the work of the pyramid builders was hard, but at the same time they were well cared for. They had a high-calorie diet of meat and fish and comfortable sleeping places. Many Egyptologists are of the opinion that they were not even slaves.
  • Studying the ideal proportions of the Great Pyramid of Giza, scientists came to the conclusion that already in those days the ancient Egyptians knew very well what the golden ratio was and actively used its principle when creating a drawing.

  • There are no decorative paintings or historical inscriptions inside the Cheops pyramid, except for a small portrait in the passage to the queen's chamber. There is not even any evidence that the pyramid even belonged to Pharaoh Khufu.
  • Until 1300, for three millennia, the Great Pyramid was the tallest man-made structure on the planet, until Lincoln Cathedral was built to surpass it.
  • The heaviest stone block used in the construction of the pyramid weighs 35 tons and is placed above the entrance to the pharaoh's burial chamber.
  • Before the Vandal Arab invasion of Egypt, the outer slabs of the Cairo pyramid were so carefully polished that in the light of the moon they emitted a mysterious shimmer, and in the rays of the sun their cladding shone with a soft peach light.
  • To explore rooms that are difficult for humans to reach, scientists used a special robot.
  • From 6 to 10 thousand tourists visit the pyramids every day, and about 3 million per year.

Useful information for tourists

Currently, in the museum on the south side of the pyramid you can get acquainted with exhibits that were found during excavations and in the pyramid itself. There is an opportunity to see the restored unique cedar boat (Solar Boat), which was built by the ancient Egyptians. You can also buy souvenirs here. And the next viewing point on the territory will be the Great Sphinx.

In the evenings, a sound and light show is shown in Giza: alternating spotlight illumination of local attractions is accompanied by a fascinating story, including in Russian and English.

Opening hours of the Giza Museum complex

  • daily from 8.00 to 17.00;
  • in winter – until 16.30;
  • during Ramadan - until 15.00.

Ticket prices

  • entrance ticket to the Giza zone for foreigners – $8;
  • entrance to the Cheops pyramid – $16;
  • inspection Solar boat – $7.

For children and students, prices are usually two times lower.

  • To visit the Cheops Pyramid, only 300 tickets are sold per day: 150 at 8.00 and 150 at 13.00.
  • It is best to go to the pyramids in the morning to grab a ticket and protect yourself from the midday heat.
  • The entrance to the pyramid is very low, you will have to walk 100 meters bent over, and it is also very dry, hot and slightly dusty inside. Water is not recommended for people suffering from claustrophobia, diseases of the respiratory tract and heart.
  • Photo and video shooting is prohibited inside. As for photographs against the backdrop of the Great Pyramid, it is better not to give your camera into the wrong hands, as there are frequent cases of theft.
  • It is better to take a photo of the Cheops pyramid (as well as other pyramids) in the morning or evening, when the sun is not shining too brightly, otherwise the image will turn out flat.
  • Climbing the pyramid is strictly prohibited.
  • For local residents tourists are the main and often the only source of income, so you will constantly be offered to buy something. Therefore, think carefully about whether you need certain offers, and in any case, be sure to bargain. Give tips only to those who truly deserve them.
  • Be careful: there are a lot of pickpockets around.

How to get to the Cheops pyramid

Address: Egypt, Cairo, El Giza district, El Haram street

Getting there from Cairo:

  • By metro (line No. 2) - to Giza station. Then transfer to bus No. 900 or No. 997 and drive along Al-Haram avenue for 15–20 minutes.
  • By bus No. 355 and No. 357 from the airport and Heliopolis. It runs every 20 minutes.
  • Take a taxi to Al-Haram.

From Hurghada or Sharm el-Sheikh: by tourist bus or taxi.