The History of the Giza Pyramids

The construction of the Giza Pyramids is traditionally credited to three Pharaohs, namely; Khufu, Khafre, and Menkaure. As earlier stated, this was during the Fourth Dynasty of the Old Kingdom. This period was characterized by massive monumental construction projects. Part of this is the birthing of the Giza Pyramids. Back to how it all began.

The first Giza pyramid was constructed by Pharaoh Khufu which is apparently the largest of all the Giza pyramids. The construction is believed to have taken place between 2580-2560 BCE. It has an incredible height of 481 feet about the plateau. That’s a huge one. Records also have it that about 2.3 million stone blocks went into the construction of the Khufu Pyramid—each block weighing an average of 2.5 to 15 tons. You can tell from the precision of the arrangement of the blocks, that Egypt long ago had advanced engineering skills.

The second pyramid was built by Pharaoh Khafre, the legitimate son of Khufu. Although not as big as the first one, this pyramid has its distinguishing features. It has casing stones at its apex, providing viewers with the illusion of a greater height. Adjacent to this pyramid is the Sphinx, a monument that has the body of a lion and the head of a pharaoh. It is believed to represent Pharaoh Khafre.  

The third and last of the Giza pyramids was built by Pharaoh Menkaure. It is the smallest of all the pyramids. Even though Mankaure's Pyramid is smaller in size, it has a unique construction made from granite core and very detailed architecture. This pyramid stands alongside three smaller queen's pyramids.

The construction of the Giza Pyramids