The pyramids on Giza plateau Prof. Gabriela Cosma Lb. engleza Grupul Scolar`O.Goga`Jibou,Salaj Str.Parcului,nr.3 Tel:

Why are pyramids famous ? Khufu`s Great Pyramid was the tallest man-made structure for 3,800 years. It was built 4,500 years ago. The construction lasted 20 years. It was 147 m tall and each base side is 227 m long. It consists of 2.3 million blocks of stone, weighing more than 2 tons each.The base sides are aligned to the 4 cardinal compass points. From an architectural point of view it is a perfect construction, that is why it is considered one of The Seven Wonders of the World, the only one still standing today. ``Soldiers! 40 centuries are watching us from the top of the pyramid.` (Napoleon )

Why were pyramids built? God Ra God Ra The Egyptians` mythology was vast. The most important god was Ra, the God of the Sun. The Egyptians believed that the pyramid shape copied the rays of the sun sent onto the Earth. That is why some rays of the sun sent onto the Earth. That is why some pharaohs wished to be buried inside the pyramid as pharaohs wished to be buried inside the pyramid as they believed that it would help them to travel to the other world where they would have eternal life. the other world where they would have eternal life.

The Great Pyramid Even in our days Khafre’s, Menkhaure`s and Khufu’s pyramids seem mysterious and inspire respect mixed with fear,especially the Pyramid of Khufu. Egyptologists discovered many of their mysteries, although there are still many others buried in the dust of time and desert. The pyramids are located on the Giza Plateau, on the western bank of the Nile river, at 9 km from Cairo, the capital of Egypt

The Interior of Khufu`s Pyramid The Egyptians never wanted access inside the pyramid to be easy. They blocked the entrance with huge blocks of granite and covered the entire surface with flat blocks of limestone. Three chambers were discovered inside and a corridor called The Grand Gallery. From the King’s chamber two shafts go upwards. These were meant to align with the stars which the Pharaoh’s spirit was to visit in the after-life.

A Royal Boat Boats had an important role in the Egyptians’ religious beliefs. The Pharaoh’s journey to after life was taken in a boat. The death chamber of the boat had six pairs of oars, which were used to maintain direction In 1950 Khufu’s boat was found near The Great Pyramid. It was 43.6 m long and it was built from cider wood. It was assembled with wooden nails and ropes

Khufu, The Tyrant? Herodotus, ancient Greek historian,mentioned that Khufu used slaves to carry out his astonishing achievement, but he was wrong in many aspects. Now we know that Egyptians were very proud of their buildings. Skilfull workers were hired full time, but most of the workers were peasants who paid their duties/taxes with their work or toil.

An Area Full of Life The pictures with pyramids leave the impression that these were isolated in the desert, but in ancient times they were surrounded by palaces, temples and other tombs and, nearby, there were ports for boats. The priests and workers used to live close to the site, in crowded towns. King Khufu, Cairo Museum

Powerful paintings The writings (hieroglyphs) were meant to guide the Pharaoh during the difficult journey. Some were prayers and curses. In The New Kingdom a new set of writings appeared, The Book of the Dead. It had five sections and each referred to an aspect of the afterlife. The paintings, writings and the sculptures were not only decorations. They were a part of the necessary things for the King in the after-life. For example, a scene representing a person who was baking bread was a guarantee that the dead would know how to bake bread in the life after death.

The Secret of the Pyramids The Egyptians had thorough knowledge of astronomy It was scientifically proved that the pyramids on the Giza Plateau are arranged like the reflection in the mirror of the Orion constellation. They thought that there was the home of Osiris, the God of the Dead and of he world beyond,and that is where they wished to finally get.

Bibliography www. google. ro en. wikipedia. org www. discoveringegypt. com Hieroglyphs (Osiris) Enciclopedia lumii antice,Editura Aquila`93,2006 Fagan,Brian M,70 de inventii ale antichitatii,Editura Aquila `93,2005