Why did the ancient Egyptians build the pyramids, how these grandiose and mysterious creations of human hands were created. Many secrets have not yet been revealed, there are more questions than answers. Perhaps the rulers of those times wanted to emphasize the majesty of the era, to confirm the constancy of their power, to show their proximity to the gods.
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The first buildings
From the end of the 4th millennium BC. Pharaohs were buried in truncated buildings - medium-sized stone buildings (mastabah), for which a solution of clay was used. Today, such structures look like shapeless piles of stones, bearing no architectural value.
The history of the pyramids - the most unusual buildings of ancient Egypt - began in 2780-2760 BC, during the reign of Pharaoh Djoser, who completely changed the architectural style of the tombs. His new tomb consisted of as many as 6 mastabs built on top of each other. The narrowest was at the top, the widest at the bottom. Such a building was a stepped building. Its height was just over 60 meters, and the perimeter was 115 x 125 m.
The construction of the pyramids in ancient Egypt was carried out in a special architectural style that reigned for two hundred years. The famous vizier Imhotep became its developer and designer. They built pyramids in a different form. For example, the period of the reign of Pharaoh Sneferu was marked by the creation of two unique pyramids of ancient Egypt - broken and pink:
- In the first, the angle of inclination of the walls from the base of the building to its middle is 54 ° 31 ′, and then it changes to 43 ° 21 ′. There are many versions explaining this strange shape of the building. The main one is that the death of the pharaoh was sudden, so the workers made the slope steeper to speed up the construction process. There are also other opinions on this matter. For example, that it was a trial version, created for the sake of "experiment".
- The second got its name from the color of the blocks that were used for construction. The stone was a pale pink hue, and at sunset it turned bright pink. Initially, the outer cladding was white, but over time, the coating gradually peeled off, and pink limestone, the material from which the structure was laid, came out.
Still, the most famous are those structures that proudly rise on the Giza plateau. These three majestic pyramids of impressive size are known all over the world.
The largest pyramid
Its other name is the Khufu pyramid.This is one of the most famous and largest buildings in the world. Let's make a short description of it. When the pyramid of Cheops was built. It was erected near the city of Giza (currently a suburb of Cairo). The construction of the largest pyramid began on 23 August 2480 BC. For its construction, the forces of 100 thousand people were used. It took the first 10 years to build a road that would carry giant blocks of stones. It took another 20 years to build the structure itself.
Attention!The pyramid of Cheops is striking in its scale. Today, its height is 137 meters, but this was not always the case, since over time the cladding has worn off and part of the base was covered with sand. It was originally 10 meters higher.
147 meters is equal to the length of the side of the base made in the form of a square. According to research, more than 2 million lime blocks were used for construction, the average weight of one of them is 2.5 tons. Each block fits perfectly to the adjacent one and is raised to a certain height. The entrance can be found on the north side of the building, at a height of just over 15 meters. Stone slabs are laid around, resembling an arch.
It is still unknown how exactly the Egyptians managed to cope not only with the lifting of the blocks, but also with their impeccable fit to each other. Even the smallest gaps are absent between the blocks. Some are sure that they did not raise the blocks - they just pounded the limestone, brought it to a powdery state, and then removed the moisture, and so it turned into cement, which was poured into the previously created formwork. After that, water, crushed stone and stone were added - in this way, monolithic blocks appeared.
The stepped structure served several purposes: it was used as a sundial, a seasonal calendar and a reference point for carrying out geodetic measurements.
Little is known about who built the largest Egyptian pyramid. The architect was the pharaoh's vizier named Cheops Hemiun. He was engaged in design, was the head of work, but did not have time to see his brainchild, as he died shortly before the end of construction.
Attention! Today there is no exact information that the tomb of Cheops is located inside. However, it is believed that such buildings were part of the ritual burial complexes.
Camera inside the pyramid of Khufu
There are three chambers inside: the upper one is a royal burial and is lined with granite blocks, all of each - 60 tons each. This camera is located 43 meters from the base. There is also an ascending corridor and the queen's chambers. In the burial pit at the beginning of the 20th century, two engineers dug a well, where, in their opinion, a hidden burial room should have been located.
However, their efforts were in vain: it later turned out that the construction of the chamber had not been completed. Instead, the burial chambers are located in the center, located one above the other.
More recently, using the technology of muon radiography, it was possible to find a room that was not previously known.... It was calculated that it is 30 meters long and 2 meters wide, and it is located right in the center of the building. Scientists aim to drill a small 3-centimeter hole to launch a mini-robot inside and explore the found room, since it is not yet known what is in it and for what purpose it serves.
Today, almost nothing is left of the cladding - the inhabitants of Cairo decided that it would be "more necessary" for the construction of their houses, and took it away to their homes. However, there are remains of white limestone on the neighboring Khafre pyramid, which is slightly smaller in size.
Second largest building
Its height is 143.5 meters. According to the legends, it was crowned with a granite pyramidion decorated with gold. There is no data on why which no longer exists, and where he is now. Khefren has been creating a tomb for himself for 40 years. It was erected using the same technology as the previous one, but it is located on a higher hill, and its slope is steeper, which makes the structure impregnable and difficult even for professional climbers. At the moment, climbing to the top is prohibited in order to preserve the remains of the old cladding.
The protective material granite was used inside and outside the pyramid, but it was not used in the burial chamber. At the moment, the condition of the building is assessed as good, despite the fact that its dimensions have slightly decreased. The blocks, made of limestone and weighing a couple of tons each, are attached to each other so tightly that it will not be possible to slip a sheet of paper or even hair between them.
The youngest of the three, the height is 62 meters. At the same time, in some pictures, tourists manage to choose an angle so that it looks the highest. The ancient building has been preserved in good condition and is open to the public. Starting from this building, the construction of large tombs ceased. Scientists believe that by that time the decline of the era of great structures began.
Attention!An interesting feature of the Mikerin pyramid is that the largest stone block in it weighs at least 200 tons.
Other architectural elements
Later, the pharaohs stopped creating grandiose structures. Thus, Pharaoh Userkaf ordered the construction of a building in Sakkara, the height of which is 44.5 meters. At the moment, it looks like a pile of stones that has nothing to do with an architectural structure. The same goes for the rest of the buildings. In total, about 100 pyramids were erected in Egypt. Their appearance is the same - only the height and volume change.
Great sphinx
A monolithic limestone rock was used to make this famous sculpture. The Great Sphinx is considered one of the elements of the architectural complex in Giza. The sphinx is 73 meters long, and it "stretches" up to 20 meters in height. Throughout its existence, the sculpture turned out to be almost completely covered with sand. They cleared it only in 1925 - then they learned about the actual dimensions of the architectural object.
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Some believe that the multi-stage pyramids in ancient Egypt were born as a result of the actions of a mysterious and powerful civilization or alien creatures. Different concepts about how the ancient Egyptians built their structures are attractive and have often formed the basis of works of literature and cinema.
The Pyramid of Cheops (Egyptian Achet-Chufu) is a monument from the Seven Wonders of the World, which, according to Wikipedia, remains indestructible to this day. The pyramid belongs to the Giza plateau, including and.
Where is
The Pyramid of Cheops, Egypt, is located in the province, 30 km from Cairo, in the historic town of Giza, along El Haram Street. The address includes only the name of the district and the street, since Al-Haram is a whole area of \u200b\u200bburial tombs and historical monuments. On the map, the tomb of Cheops is adjacent to the Great Sphinx and two smaller pyramids - Hevren and Menkaur.
How to get there
There are several ways to get to the Giza plateau and the Cheops pyramid. If you are resting in the Hurghada or Sharm el-Sheikh district, the easiest way would be to take a sightseeing bus from almost every hotel. You can get there on your own.
From anywhere in Egypt need to go to Cairo... The most convenient way to do this is by buses, the schedule of which will allow you not to stay overnight in Giza, but to have time to see the sights one day. Arriving in Cairo, take the metro and continue to Giza station, then change to bus # 900 or # 997. This shuttle bus will take you to Al Haram in 15 minutes. You will have to walk to the pyramid. This path is laid through no less interesting sights, so you will pass 2 km without noticing fatigue.
Origin story
The history of the creation of the pharaoh's pyramid remains shrouded in secrets and mysteries to this day. Previously it was believed that the construction of the Cheopsaz pyramid took about 20 years by the ancient Egyptians, however, modern scientists give a different conclusion. Having studied the rock paintings and records preserved from the time of the pharaoh, the researchers say that the pharaoh ruled in ancient Egypt for about 50 years, of which at least 40 lasted for the construction of the tomb. Thus, when asked how many years the pyramid has existed, scientists give approximately 4 thousand years.
It is known that the architect was the nephew of the ruler, Hemion, who worked for a long time on the creation of the project and the drawing, relying on strong mathematical knowledge. Thoroughness and scrupulousness reflected in the unimaginable durability of the building, thus leading to a dead end all the scientists of our time.
Appearance
The pyramid was erected on a limestone rock, the foot of the building was framed by a low pulpit, which has not survived since those times. Limestone blocks were used as a material, which were amenable to grinding. After that, the pyramid was faced twice. The weight of the middle block reached 2.5 tons, the erected blocks were pulled from the Nile with the help of a dozen ropes, after which the most laborious part of the work began - lifting the block to the foundation. There are theories that the lifting was also carried out with the help of ropes and at an angle laid out from wooden beams. During the 12th century Arab attack on Cairo, the modern capital was burned to the ground. Then the Egyptians began to remove the cladding for the construction and restoration of their homes.
Statistical data
The height of the Cheopsan pyramid today is 139 meters away... According to some reports, the pyramid was originally 2 meters higher, such a difference in meters appeared due to the gradual subsidence of the foundation into the sand.
The dimensions of the Cheops pyramid in meters: perimeter - 922 m, area - 5.3 hectares, the length of the lateral rib - 930 m. It exceeds 4 million tons, and the volume is 2.58 million m³.
Concavity of sides
If you watch the pyramid for more than one hour, you can see how, in the light of the sun, the uneven sides of the pyramid appear. This discovery was made in the 18th century to the present day remains a secret of the Cheops pyramid... Scientist S. Edwards claims that the pyramid acquired such a disproportionate appearance over time, gradually sagging into the sand.
Tilt angle
The geometry of the pharaoh's tomb is a complex enigma, the answer to which cannot be unambiguous. One of these questions is the angle of inclination of the Cheops pyramid. With approximate data on the length and height of the sides, a whole galaxy of scientists from all over the world have concluded that the angle exceeds 51 degrees. An interesting question remains about the existence of the theory of the "Golden Section" at this time. Since the value for sekeda (Egyptian unit of measurement) was chosen a number close in value to pi. Another mystery of geometry the location of the corridors and passages remains, which, according to Egyptologists, give reasons for the name of the pyramid an astronomical observatory.
Internal structure
Now the entrance to the pyramid is in the north of the building in the form of an arch made of stone slabs. Tourists traverse a 17-meter corridor built in 820 to see what is inside the Cheops pyramid. It is known that the original entrance has not survived, as it was closed in antiquity with a stone slab. What the transfer of the entrance is connected with remains unknown. The internal structure of the Cheops pyramid includes 3 burial chambers, which are located one above the other.
Burial "pit"
In his writings, Herodotus described in detail the pyramid built during his lifetime. According to him, the 105-meter corridor leading to the base of the building is the road to the cell in which the body of the deceased pharaoh Cheops... Thus, in the 19th century, engineers cleared a passage underground. But the sarcophagus was not there, and the scientists concluded that the chamber remained completely unfinished. From this, a theory was deduced according to which the chamber for the ruler really should have been placed at the bottom of the foundation, but in the end result, it was moved to the center.
The Ascending Corridor and the Queen's Chambers
At 18 meters from the entrance, there is a corridor with an approximate height of 40 meters, which leads to the Great Gallery. At the beginning of this corridor there are three "plugs" made of granite, which block the passage to further corners of the construction. Previously it was believed that no rooms, except for the descending corridor, were built in the pyramid. However, Al-Mamun was able to pave a way around these "traffic jams". It was believed that they served as an obstacle to entering the King's chamber. The ascending corridor has a mysterious design - the square corridor is pierced with "frame stones", with small niches in the wall.
A horizontal corridor of 35 m leads to the 2nd chamber of the Great Gallery. The walls here are made of huge blocks, on which false seams are marked, giving the impression that the size of the blocks is half the size. This cell was called the "Queen's Chamber". It is faced with the same limestone and includes a high niche on one of the walls.
Grotto, Great Gallery and Pharaoh's Chambers
There is another passage from the Great Gallery - a vertical shaft 60 meters high. It is believed that her purpose was an evacuation exit for workers who were completing work on "The Tsar's Chamber". In the middle of the room is the "Grotto", intended for several people. The walls here are made of stone, and the shaft was already laid in the existing structure.
The King's Chamber has two 17-meter discharge cavities above it, which were supposedly formed in order to distribute the pressure of the blocks over the King's chamber. The weight of the limestone blocks above the chamber reaches 1 million tons.
Ventilation ducts
The "King's Chamber" and "Queen's Chamber" each have two ventilation outlets, which have a through structure. There are many versions about their purpose, but the most famous is the version of the afterlife movement of souls, according to which the soul of the deceased King rises along the channel.
Research history
A detailed study of the Cheops pyramid began back in the 19th century by a group of Egyptologists who, from studying the external proportions and location of the pyramid, moved on to unraveling the secrets of the internal structure.
Recent research
Scientists, puzzled by the question of the perfect fit of the blocks in size, put forward the theory that the formation of limestone was carried out on site, without stopping the construction of the pyramid. Only this fact can explain the coincidence of all mathematical calculations.
Scheme of the Cheops pyramid
The pyramid of Cheops is considered one of the most mysterious on the Giza plateau. Interesting facts, legends and conjectures attract hundreds of thousands of tourists every year.
- The area of \u200b\u200bthe pyramid is equal to the area of \u200b\u200b10 football fields;
- The construction took about 2.2 million blocks;
- The usual understanding that the pyramid is the tomb of the King has been refuted by scientists who say that the pyramid was never used as a tomb and had a different purpose;
- There are also theories that the pyramid is a special calendar. The thoroughness of the construction led to the fact that orientation in space along the pyramid will be more accurate than according to the usual compass.
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After lengthy research, scientists have not found a solution to the mystery of the Cheops pyramid, but the process of excavation and study of details does not stop, maintaining the hope that someday people will still be able to understand the mysteries of the pyramid.
What to see nearby
The Pyramid of Cheops is not the only attraction in the area. Arriving on an excursion, you can get acquainted with other no less interesting buildings.
- Pharaoh's boats - 7 real boats were discovered during excavations near the pyramid. They are made from a single piece of cedar and have no marks for fasteners or nails. After the reconstruction, the dimensions of the boats were established, the length of which is about 43 meters, the width is 6 meters. There is a museum next to the pyramid, which houses all the samples.
- The pyramids of the queens of Cheops - to the east of the pyramid of Pharaoh Cheops, there are 3 pyramids of a much smaller size. They were intended for the wives, the Queens of the Pharaoh. The first - Queen Meritites I - is now almost erased from the ground, as 2/3 of its buildings have sunk into the sand. Here is also the tomb of the mother of the pharaoh, Hetepheres I, who died during the reign of Cheops. 4 assessments, average: 4,50 out of 5)
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The Pyramid of Cheops was built around 2600 BC.
The pyramids are shrouded in mystery to this day. Many scientists have devoted their entire lives to unraveling the great construction and purpose of these magnificent buildings. However, several millennia, from the first study of Herodotus to the present day, have not brought the expected success. The main questions remained unanswered - who? when? what for? We will tell you about the most reliable assumptions and versions collected by the best scientists over several centuries and related to the history of the Egyptian pyramids.
Already in ancient times, the pyramids were considered one of the main wonders of the world! Their number was about 100 pieces located along the banks of the Nile River. If you look at all the pyramids from above, then their location is similar to the map of the starry sky. The largest, main pyramids are at Giza. The world famous sphinxes, as well as temples and tombs of the pharaohs, are also located here. A very important factor of the pyramids is that all their faces are clearly located along the magnetic poles of the Earth! You probably already know the names of the three main pyramids? If not, then be sure to remember - the pyramid of Cheops, Mikerin and Khafre.
The largest pyramid, Cheops, was erected by Khufu, who at that time was the pharaoh. The estimated, most accurate date of construction is 2590 BC. The height of the pyramid is more than 146 meters, the length of each side is more than 241 m. The sides are located to the cardinal points with amazing accuracy, the angle of inclination is 52 degrees. The Cheops pyramid covers an area of \u200b\u200b5.4 hectares, the base is aligned with the horizon with an accuracy of 3 centimeters. The pyramid consists of more than 2,350,000 stone blocks, each weighing about two and a half tons! The pyramid was originally covered with white sandstone cladding for precise shape and long-term preservation. Unfortunately, the facing has not survived to this day.
The entrance to the pyramid is at a height of 14 meters. There are no decorations inside, no inscriptions or drawings. For that, there are three chambers, the lower of which is located at a depth of 30 meters above the ground. The room is carved into the rock, in order to get to it you need to overcome 120 meters of a narrow corridor (1.1x1.0) at an angle of 27 degrees. After that, the remaining 9 meters, the angle changes to zero relative to the horizon. The tunnel ends with a burial chamber with dimensions (8.0x14.0x3.0).
Now the passage to the lower tier is closed, for that you can go up the stairs, and then along the 40-meter corridor that leads to the queen's chamber. A room with dimensions (5.5x5.2x6.3) is located clearly in the middle, at a height of 20 meters from the ground. There are two ventilation shafts in the walls, directed exactly north and south, but not facing the street.
Even higher is the "Great Gallery" - a corridor more than 48 meters long, with a ceiling height of 8.4 m and an inclination angle of 26 degrees. The walls are lined with polished limestone slabs in eight layers. At the end of the corridor there is the main room - the tomb of the pharaoh with dimensions (10.5x5.3x5.8). The chamber is lined with black Aswan granite, each block of which weighs at least thirty tons! Moreover, all blocks are so well polished and fitted that even the thinnest knife blade will not pass between them. The ceiling consists of 9 monoliths, each weighing over 400 tons. Above them are located unloading chambers 17 meters high, designed to preserve the peace of the pharaoh. A gable roof was built above them, made of huge blocks that take on the weight of more than a million tons! Note also that the pharaoh's sarcophagus is much wider than the entrance to the chamber, and most likely it was hewn right here, from a large block of granite.
There are also ventilation chambers (0.2x0.2) with an exact north-south direction, but unlike the queen's chamber, here they go outside. In 817, Caliph Mamun was able to penetrate into the tomb of the pharaoh, but found there only an empty sarcophagus, the remains of Cheops were never found.
The finds near the pyramid are also interesting. For example, in 1953, during excavations, the oldest ship in the world was discovered - a wooden boat, about 44 meters long, built without nails from cedar. On the wooden elements of which traces of silt were found, it means that at one time the boat was used for its intended purpose. Ancient scriptures claim that the pyramid was surrounded by a stone wall that was 10 meters high and 3 meters wide. Two temples were located nearby - the upper and the lower. The upper one was to the east of the pyramid, built of Turkish limestone, it contained about 40 granite pillars. The lower temple was used for the first part of the burial ceremony.
The essence of the entire system of buildings was most likely as follows - initially, the remains of the pharaoh were delivered along the Nile to the lower temple, where, after the necessary preparations, they were sent to the upper temple along a long connecting corridor. In the upper temple, among the many columns, a funeral service and prayers for the repose of the pharaoh took place. After that, the body was delivered to the lower chamber of the pyramid, where the pharaoh was carefully walled up. On the four sides of the pyramid, walled up in the rocks, there were four boats intended for travel in the afterlife. The main pyramid was accompanied by three small companion pyramids (base length 49 m), located, like the upper temple, in the east. Moreover, each next of which (from north to south) is smaller than the previous one. It is believed that the companion pyramids were intended for the wives of the pharaoh.
There are other theories about the purpose of the pyramids. In those distant times, the pharaohs were ruled by a group of priests who possessed unearthly knowledge. This was a separate caste of people who called themselves the elect. They knew mathematics, medicine, astronomy and other sciences very well. The level of education of the priests was several times higher than our idea of \u200b\u200bthe world. This knowledge was inaccessible to the common man. The priests chose their disciples themselves, initiating and teaching them in underground rooms located under the pyramids. The teachings assumed a connection with the universe and an awareness of the essence of earthly existence. After that, the student was subjected to tests in the labyrinths of the pyramids, then in a secret sanctuary, under pain of death, they achieved complete obedience and an oath not to disclose secrets. The priests could predict the future, thanks to their connection with the higher forces of the universe. Let's make a reservation right away, later the chosen ones disappeared, due to the so-called disconnection.
Modern scientists have found a lot of evidence for this - the 33-year duration of Christ, the date of the beginning of the Second World War. Back in 1964, Charles Smith suggested that the pyramids store information for understanding the prophecies from the Bible from the beginning of time to the second coming of God.
In 1994, a discovery was made using computer simulations that explained the location of the three main pyramids, which exactly correspond to the positions of the three stars in Orion's belt, which at the time were crossing the Giza meridian. If this assumption is correct, then the age of the pyramids can be increased to 10,400 years BC! The same Sphinx is a confirmation of this theory, because his gaze is directed exactly to the point where this constellation was located.
With the help of modern equipment, hidden tunnels were discovered under the Sphinx itself, which, according to the legend, were supposed to lead to a chamber containing a capsule with a message for all mankind. Indeed, the chamber was found, it contained a sarcophagus made of black granite, unfortunately it was also empty. For that, on the walls of the tunnel leading to the chamber, drawings were found that represent predictions of the future of humanity. From there it became known that a series of cosmic cataclysms awaits our civilization, which will nightmare "Earth" for several millennia .. However, the priests will again appear on our planet and find a way to salvation, having conquered space and restoring a civilization based on the laws of life.
Cheops pyramid. Device. Puzzles. Pyramids on the map. Dimensions. A photo
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.
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 Babylon. 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, 146.5 meters high, has been the largest structure in the world for over 4 millennia, which is an absolute record that is unlikely to ever be broken. Initially, it was completely covered with smooth stone, which crumbled over time. There are many scientific and alternative theories about the methods of building a large pyramid, from alien intervention to generally accepted ones based on the fact that huge blocks of stone were moved from quarries by special mechanisms. 
Inside the pyramid of Cheops there are three chambers - tombs. The lowest one is carved at the base of the rock on which the pyramid was built. For unknown reasons, its construction was not completed. Above it are the Queen's Chamber and the Pharaoh's Chamber. The Great Pyramid is the only one in Egypt with both ascending and descending corridors. It is the central key element of the Giza complex, 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 each weigh 25-80 tons. These granite blocks were delivered from the quarry at a distance of almost 1000 kilometers. An estimated 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 the construction of the pyramid, many of which often contradict each other. Scientists can never agree on whether the blocks were dragging, or rolling, or even being lucky. The Greeks believed that the slave labor of millions of Egyptians was used, while modern research has shown that several tens of thousands of skilled workers worked on the construction, divided into teams according to their qualifications and skills. 
The original entrance to the pyramid was 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 repaired with granite boulders, making a new passage 17 meters high (# 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 sectional diagram of the pyramid, where all corridors and chambers are marked: 
Immediately after entering the pyramid, a descending corridor with a length of 105 meters begins (No. 4 in the diagram above), which flows into a small horizontal corridor leading to the lower chamber (No. 5 on the map). From the cell there is a narrow opening ending in a dead end. and also a small well 3 meters deep. As mentioned above, for some reason this chamber was abandoned unfinished and the main chambers were later built higher in the very center of the pyramid 
An ascending passage goes up from the descending corridor, at the same angle of 26.5 °. Its length is 40 meters and it leads to the Great Gallery (No. 9 on the diagram), from where there are passages to the chamber of the pharaoh (No. 10) and the chamber of the queen (No. 7).
At the very beginning of the large gallery, a narrow, almost vertical chamber is carved 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 
From the Chamber of the Pharaoh and the Chamber of the Queen, ventilation ducts, 20 centimeters wide, evenly diverge, in the direction to the north and south. 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 associated with them. 
There is an opinion that the ancient Egyptians were fluent in geometry, and knew about the "number Pi" and the "Golden Section", which was reflected in the proportions of the Cheops pyramid and the angle of inclination. The same angle of inclination was used for the pyramid at Meidum. But it is possible that this is a simple accident, since such an 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 were actually built by the Egyptians trying to copy it 
According to some astronomers, the Great Pyramid was the astronomical observatory of the ancient Egyptians, as the corridors and ventilation ducts accurately point to the stars Tuban, Sirius and Alnitak. Opponents of this theory argue that this is a coincidence. During excavations near the pyramid, pits with ancient Egyptian boats made of cedar without the use of nails and fasteners were discovered. This boat was disassembled into 1224 pieces, which were assembled by the restorer Ahmed Yussuf Mustafa, which took him 14 years. Currently, a museum is open on the southern side of the pyramid, where you can contemplate this boat (the very construction of the museum in the photo below looks quite original, it is worth noting), as well as buy many souvenirs 
It is currently the most visited tourist attraction in Egypt. You can read more about other ancient wonders in the article "Seven Ancient Wonders of the World" 
Therefore, this article will only provide basic general facts and figures related to the Great Pyramid as a whole.
Date of construction and geometric dimensions
According to generally accepted opinion, the Great Pyramid was built in 2560-2580s BC as a tomb for the reigning Pharaoh of the IV dynasty Cheops (Khufu). Despite some difficulties in explaining the possibility of building it in the required time frame with the equipment available at that time, this version is nevertheless considered the main one and has quite numerous confirmations in the form of inscriptions found inside the Pyramid and the Pit of the Solar Boat with it.
The Pyramid of Cheops is the largest of the Egyptian pyramids.
- Height (today): ≈ 138.75 m
- Height (initially): ≈ 146.5 m
- Angle: 51 ° 50 "
- Side length (originally): 230.33 m (estimated) or about 440 Royal cubits
- Side edge length (now): about 225 m
- The length of the sides of the base of the pyramid: south - 230.454 m; north - 230.253 m; west - 230.357 m; east - 230.394 m.
- Base area (initially): ≈ 53,000 m² (5.3 ha)
- Pyramid area: (initially) ≈ 85,500 m²
- Perimeter: 922 m.
- Total volume of the pyramid without deduction of cavities inside the pyramid (initially): ≈ 2.58 million m³
- Total volume of the pyramid, after deducting all known cavities (initially): 2.50 million m³
- Average size of observed rough masonry blocks: 1.27 m in width and depth, 71 cm in height (according to Petri)
- Average weight of rough masonry blocks: 2.5 t
- Heaviest rough masonry stone block: 15 t
- Heaviest stone block (known; granite; above the entrance to the King's Chamber): 90 t
- Number of blocks: about 2.5 million (provided that the pyramid is not a filling type)
- Estimated total weight of the pyramid: about 6.25 million tons (possibly about 6 million tons according to microgravimetry)
- The base of the pyramid rests on a natural rock eminence with a height in the center (in the Grotto area) of more than 9 m.
- The materials used in the construction (of the known ones): limestone from the Giza Plateau - rough masonry, Toursky white limestone - walls of the interior, ventilation mines and external cladding, Asuan granite - Predkamera, Tsar's Chamber, unloading chambers (partially), corks; Sinai is a sarcophagus. Quartz sand was also found inside.
- the pyramidion of the pyramid was not found, the stones of its attachment, too.
- The True Entrance is located traditionally, that is, on the north side. He is the only one known.
The difference in the thickness of the layers of the masonry of the pyramid
Despite the fact that the pyramid is built in layers, the thickness of the layers is different and varies from 60 cm to one and a half meters.
The reasons for this are not exactly known, there are several hypotheses, the simplest one says that large blocks were laid in epochs when an excessive amount of labor appeared on the laying of layers of rough masonry. This may be due, for example, to its release after the completion of a certain labor-intensive stage of construction of some complex internal infrastructures or a block harvesting season, etc. The circuit requires careful analysis.
The current state of affairs and appearance after the disappearance of the cladding
The Great Pyramid now has edges concave inward. This often gives rise to different theories and speculations, but it should be remembered that the structure has lost several meters of cladding on each side, and the nature of its plundering onto the stone does not give reason to believe that the edges were not initially flat.
Perhaps the observed picture is simply a consequence of the most profitable stone mining.
The question of using the pyramid for its intended purpose
Since the most ancient times, the question has been sharply raised - was the pyramid of Cheops used for its intended purpose? There is still no definite answer to this question. On the one hand, there is almost complete confidence that the pyramid was completely finished by the builders. On the other hand, what we see inside it, for example, a clearly not of the best quality sarcophagus in the King's Chamber, an unfinished floor in the Queen's Chamber, or a picture of continuous incompleteness in the Underground Chamber - all indicate that the pharaoh in these famous the premises could hardly have been buried at all. Herodotus also claimed that Cheops was buried elsewhere, on an island surrounded by water on all sides. On the third hand, traces of obvious cracking of the plugs and dampers of the Antechambers indicate that the pyramid was carefully sealed for some reason. The official point of view of science on this score suggests that the burglars visited the pyramid no later than the first 500-600 years after its construction. But what they found, who they were and whether they found anything at all is absolutely unknown. In the volume of the Great Pyramid, the volume of all known and explored rooms is less than 1 percent, and it is already known that in addition to the investigated ones, there are several unknown sealed rooms in it.
Blocks and Careers
Egyptologists believe that the pyramids of Giza were built from natural stone that was mined in three quarries. The actual construction of the pyramids is made of nummulite limestone of the Mokattam Formation. The quarries were located in the immediate vicinity of the pyramids. The lower parts of the pyramids of Khafre and Mikerin were faced with granite from the Aswan quarry, which is located in southern Egypt at a distance of 934 kilometers along the Nile (700 kilometers in a straight line). Several rows of granite facing have been preserved at the Mikerin pyramid. The middle and upper parts of the two large pyramids were faced with limestone from the Tours quarry, which is located on the eastern bank of the Nile south of Cairo at a distance of 13-17 kilometers from the pyramids. The number of pyramid facing blocks (granite and limestone) that have come down to us is relatively small. Therefore, we can simply agree that stone from the Tours and Aswan quarries was used in the construction of the pyramids. The opinion that the pyramids were built of nummulite limestone does not fully correspond to reality. The lower ranks of the pyramids are composed of the hard limestone of the Moqattam Formation. Above, blocks of soft limestone, in which there are no nummulites, prevail. It is fundamentally. That is, when describing the blocks of pyramids in the special literature, it seems as if it remains "behind the scenes" that most of them are cut out of soft limestone.
The lower rows of pyramids (approximately 1-7 / 10 rows) are made up of blocks cut from hard limestone. The first row of the Cheops pyramid (1.5 m thick) is cut from a layer of strong limestone, having the greatest thickness - 1.5 m.In the upper rows of the pyramids, blocks cut from soft limestone prevail (or cast blocks indistinguishable from them. - the statement requires proof, Supervisor 03:05, 22 May 2011 (UTC)). When developing a quarry, it was necessary to fulfill one condition: the time elapsed from the moment the soft limestones were opened to the cutting of building blocks from them should be minimal. That is, soft limestones had to be cut into blocks before they harden from contact with air. In addition, after cutting the blocks of soft limestone, it took some time for them to harden and not crumble during transportation. The cyclical nature of quarry development meets these requirements. A site was being developed, the area of \u200b\u200bwhich was approximately 1.5 times the area of \u200b\u200ba number of blocks, on which the construction of the pyramid was stopped. The blocks were cut out of layers of hard and soft limestone and were stored "per layer", that is, according to their vertical dimensions. After excavation of all limestone from the area of \u200b\u200bthe site, its laying into the body of the pyramid began. The sequence of laying blocks of different thickness (and, accordingly, different weight) was determined by the ratio of labor costs for their lifting. This provided the ranking of the rows of blocks by their thickness.
Base of the pyramid
The rock base of the Cheops pyramid, according to modern calculations, occupies from 23% of the pyramid's volume or about 600,000 cubic meters. The minimum figures were obtained when determining the height of the rock in terms of an average level of 12.5 meters. But the authors of the study do not exclude the possibility of using an average height of 20 meters. In any case new exploration work is required to clarify these data. Also, a revision of most of the old works with the calculations of the stone used during construction is required. In addition, there are estimates of 10-12% of the volume of the pyramid, which is occupied by the mortar holding the blocks.
The directions to the north of the lateral faces were so precisely defined that due to the sphericity of the Earth and the colossal size of the Pyramid, its northern side was 20 cm shorter than the southern one. (the exact dimensions of the pyramid are known from the preserved pits of the supporting corner stones)
Sources
[http://supernovum.ru/public/index.php?doc\u003d171 | Mining and geological aspect of the construction technology of the pyramids of Giza]
[http://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/docs/00/31/95/86/PDF/PyramidsSR.pdf Geological and Geomorphological study of the original hill at the base of Fourth Dynasty Egyptian monuments.]
