Why Was the Great Pyramid of Giza Built?
The Great Pyramid of Giza was built to serve as the burial location for the Pharaoh Khufu. This pyramid is one of the three fourth-dynasty pyramids built in the Giza region and is the largest, with a height of approximately 147 meters and sides measuring 216 meters each.
The orientation of the Great Pyramid of Giza is nearly perfectly north by design. Its construction required approximately 2.3 million stone blocks, with each weighing between 2.5 to 15 tons. As of 2014, researchers suggest that to complete the pyramid, the workers needed to place a stone block every 150 seconds.
The interior of the pyramid features three different burial chambers, one of which is built into the bedrock underneath the pyramid. The second chamber is located above ground level and was incorrectly identified as a queen’s burial chamber by early researchers and explorers. The third burial chamber was prepared exclusively to house Khufu’s sarcophagus and is located near the exact center of the pyramid.
The Pharaoh’s chamber was only accessible through the Grand Gallery, which had a height of 26 feet. The pyramid’s design incorporated a series of sliding granite blocking systems that was meant to prevent thieves from reaching the central chamber.
