) and Heliopolis millennia before the founding of Cairo. For more than three thousand years (until the construction of the cathedral in Lincoln, England, ca. 1300)

The Great Pyramid was the tallest building on Earth. Since 1979, like many other pyramids of the complex " Memphis and its necropolises - the pyramid area from Giza to Dahshur", is a part World Heritage UNESCO.

Age of the pyramid

The architect of the Great Pyramid is considered to be Hemiun, the vizier and nephew of Cheops. He also bore the title "Manager of all Pharaoh's construction projects." It is assumed that the construction, which lasted twenty years (during the reign of Cheops), ended around 2540 BC. e.

unknown, Public Domain

Existing methods for dating the time when construction of the pyramid began are divided into historical, astronomical and radiocarbon. In Egypt, the date for the start of construction of the Cheops Pyramid was officially established (2009) and celebrated - August 23, 2560 BC. e. This date was obtained using the astronomical method of Kate Spence (University of Cambridge). However, this method and the dates obtained with it have been criticized by many Egyptologists.

Dates according to other dating methods: 2720 BC. e. (Stephen Hack, University of Nebraska), 2577 BC. e. (Juan Antonio Belmonte, University of Astrophysics in Canaris) and 2708 BC. e. (Pollux, Bauman University). Radiocarbon dating gives a range from 2680 BC. e. to 2850 BC e. Therefore, there is no serious confirmation of the established “birthday” of the pyramid, since Egyptologists cannot agree on exactly what year construction began.

First mention of the pyramid

The complete absence of mention of the pyramid in Egyptian papyri remains a mystery. The first descriptions are found in the Greek historian Herodotus (5th century BC) and in ancient Arab legends. Herodotus reported (at least 2 millennia after the appearance of the Great Pyramid) that it was built under a despot pharaoh named Cheops (Greek: Cheops). Koufou), who ruled for 50 years, that 100 thousand people were employed in construction. for twenty years, and that the pyramid is in honor of Cheops, but not his grave. The real grave is a burial near the pyramid. Herodotus gave erroneous information about the size of the pyramid, and also mentioned about the middle pyramid of the Giza plateau that it was built by the daughter of Cheops, who sold herself, and that each building stone corresponded to the man to whom she was given.

Appearance

The pyramid is called "Akhet-Khufu" - "Horizon of Khufu" (or more accurately "Related to the firmament - (it is) Khufu"). Consists of limestone and granite blocks. It was built on a natural limestone hill. After the pyramid has lost several layers of cladding, this hill is partially visible on the eastern, northern and southern sides of the pyramid.

Despite the fact that the Cheops pyramid is the tallest and most voluminous of all Egyptian pyramids, yet Pharaoh Snofru built pyramids in Meidum and Dakhshut ( Bent pyramid and ), the total mass of which is estimated at 8.4 million tons.

Rigelus, CC BY-SA 3.0

Initially, the pyramid was lined with white limestone, which was harder than the main blocks. The top of the pyramid was crowned with a gilded stone - pyramidion (ancient Egyptian - “Benben”). The cladding shone in the sun with a peach color, like “a shining miracle to which the sun god Ra himself seemed to give all his rays.”

In 1168, the Arabs sacked and burned Cairo. Residents of Cairo removed the cladding from the pyramid in order to build new houses.

Franck Monnier, Public Domain

Concavity of the sides

When the sun moves around the pyramid, you can notice the unevenness of the walls - the concavity of the central part of the walls. This may be due to erosion or damage from falling stone cladding. It is also possible that this was specially done during construction.

Franck Monnier, Public Domain

As Vito Maragioglio and Celeste Rinaldi note, the pyramid of Mycerinus no longer has such concave sides. I.E.S. Edwards explains this feature by saying that the central part of each side was simply pressed inward over time by the large mass of stone blocks.

Vivant Denon, Dominique, Public Domain

As in the 18th century, when this phenomenon was discovered, today there is still no satisfactory explanation for this architectural feature.

Tilt angle

It is not possible to accurately determine the original parameters of the pyramid, since its edges and surfaces are currently mostly dismantled and destroyed. This makes it difficult to calculate the exact angle of inclination. In addition, its symmetry itself is not ideal, so deviations in the numbers are observed with different measurements.

In the literature on Egyptology, Peter Janosi, Mark Lehner, Miroslav Werner, Zahi Hawass, Alberto Scigliotti came to the same results in measurements, who believe that the length of the sides can be from 230.33 to 230.37 m. Knowing the length of the side and the angle at the base, they calculated the height of the pyramid - from 146.59 to 146.60 m. The slope of the pyramid is 51° 50", which corresponds to a seked (ancient Egyptian unit of measurement of slope, which is defined as the ratio of half the base to the height) of 5 ½ palms. Taking into account the fact that in one cubit (cubit) there are 7 palms, it turns out that with such a chosen seked, the double ratio of the base to the height is equal to 22/7, a well-known approximation of the number pi from ancient times, which, apparently, happened by chance, since other pyramids were chosen other meanings for seked.

Franck Monnier, Public Domain

A study of the geometry of the Great Pyramid does not provide a clear answer to the question of the original proportions of this structure. It is assumed that the Egyptians had an idea of ​​​​the “Golden Section” and the number pi, which were reflected in the proportions of the pyramid: thus, the ratio of the height to half the perimeter of the base is 14/22 (height = 280 cubits, and the base = 220 cubits, semi-perimeter of the base = 2 ×220 cubits; 280/440 = 14/22). For the first time in world history, these values ​​were used in the construction of the pyramid at Meidum. However, for pyramids of later eras, these proportions were not used anywhere else, as, for example, some have height-to-base ratios like 6/5 ( Pink pyramid), 4/3 (Pyramid of Khafre) or 7/5 (Bent Pyramid).

Some of the theories consider the pyramid astronomical observatory. It is argued that the corridors of the pyramid accurately point towards the “polar star” of that time - Thuban, the ventilation corridors on the south side - to the star Sirius, and on the north side - to the star Alnitak.

Internal structure

The entrance to the pyramid is at an altitude of 15.63 meters on the north side. The entrance is formed by stone slabs laid in the form of an arch, but this is the structure that was inside the pyramid - the true entrance has not been preserved. The true entrance to the pyramid was most likely closed with a stone plug. A description of such a plug can be found in Strabo, and its appearance can also be imagined based on the preserved slab that covered the upper entrance to the Bent Pyramid of Snefru, the father of Cheops. Today, tourists get inside the pyramid through a 17-meter gap, which was made 10 meters lower by the Baghdad caliph Abdullah al-Mamun in 820. He hoped to find the pharaoh's countless treasures there, but found there only a layer of dust half a cubit thick.

Inside the Cheops pyramid there are three burial chambers, located one above the other.

Yucatan, CC BY-SA 4.0

Funeral "pit"

A 105 m long descending corridor running at an inclination of 26° 26'46 leads to an 8.9 m long horizontal corridor leading to the chamber 5 . Situated below ground level in a limestone bedrock, it remained unfinished. The dimensions of the chamber are 14x8.1 m, it extends from east to west. The height reaches 3.5 m, the ceiling has a large crack. At the southern wall of the chamber there is a well about 3 m deep, from which south direction a narrow hole stretches for 16 m (0.7 × 0.7 m in cross-section), ending in a dead end.

John and Edgar Morton, Public Domain

At the beginning of the 19th century, engineers John Shae Perring and Richard William Howard Vyse cleared the floor of the chamber and dug a well 11.6 m deep, in which they hoped to discover a hidden burial chamber. They were based on the testimony of Herodotus, who claimed that the body of Cheops was on an island surrounded by a canal in a hidden underground chamber.

Their excavations came to nothing. Later studies showed that the chamber was abandoned unfinished, and it was decided to build the burial chambers in the center of the pyramid itself.

Photos taken in 1910

John and Edgar Morton, Public Domain

John and Edgar Morton, Public Domain

Ascending Corridor and Queen's Chambers

From the first third of the descending passage (18 m from the main entrance), an ascending passage goes south at the same angle of 26.5° ( 6 ) about 40 m long, ending at the bottom of the Great Gallery ( 9 ).

At its beginning, the ascending passage contains 3 large cubic granite “plugs”, which from the outside, from the descending passage, were masked by a block of limestone that fell out during the work of al-Mamun. Thus, for the previous approximately 3 thousand years, it was believed that there were no rooms in the Great Pyramid other than the descending passage and the underground chamber. Al-Mamun was unable to break through these plugs and simply hollowed out a bypass to the right of them in the softer limestone. This passage is still in use today. There are two main theories about the traffic jams, one of them is based on the fact that the ascending passage has traffic jams installed at the beginning of construction and thus this passage was sealed by them from the very beginning. The second argues that the current narrowing of the walls was caused by an earthquake, and the plugs were previously located within the Great Gallery and were used to seal the passage only after the funeral of the pharaoh.

Franck Monnier, GNU 1.2

An important mystery of this section of the ascending passage is that in the place where the traffic jams are now located, in the full-size, albeit shortened model of the pyramid passages - the so-called test corridors north of the Great Pyramid - there is a junction of not two, but three corridors at once, the third of which is a vertical tunnel. Since no one has yet been able to move the plugs, the question of whether there is a vertical hole above them remains open.

Jon Bodsworth, Green Copyright

In the middle of the ascending passage, the design of the walls has a peculiarity: in three places the so-called “frame stones” are installed - that is, the passage, square along its entire length, pierces through three monoliths. The purpose of these stones is unknown. In the area of ​​the frame stones, the walls of the passage have several small niches.

John and Edgar Morton, Public Domain

A horizontal corridor 35 m long and 1.75 m high leads to the second burial chamber from the lower part of the Great Gallery in a southerly direction. The walls of this horizontal corridor are made of very large limestone blocks, on which false “seams” are applied, imitating masonry from smaller blocks . Behind western wall passage there are cavities filled with sand.

The second chamber is traditionally called the “Queen’s Chamber,” although according to the ritual, the wives of the pharaohs were buried in separate small pyramids. The Queen's Chamber, lined with limestone, measures 5.74 meters from east to west and 5.23 meters from north to south; her maximum height 6.22 meters. There is a high niche in the eastern wall of the chamber.

Grotto, Grand Gallery and Pharaoh's Chambers

Another branch from the lower part of the Great Gallery is a narrow, almost vertical shaft about 60 m high, leading to the lower part of the descending passage. There is an assumption that it was intended to evacuate workers or priests who were completing the “sealing” of the main passage to the “King’s Chamber.” Approximately in the middle of it there is a small, most likely natural extension - the “Grotto” (Grotto) of irregular shape, in which several people could fit at most.

Jon Bodsworth, Green Copyright

Grotto ( 12 ) is located at the “junction” of the masonry of the pyramid and a small, about 9 meters high, hill on the limestone plateau that lies at the base Great Pyramid. The walls of the Grotto are partially reinforced by ancient masonry, and since some of its stones are too large, there is an assumption that the Grotto existed on the Giza plateau as an independent structure long before the construction of the pyramids, and the evacuation shaft itself was built taking into account the location of the Grotto. However, taking into account the fact that the shaft was hollowed out in the already laid masonry, and not laid out, as evidenced by its irregular circular cross-section, the question arises of how the builders managed to accurately reach the Grotto.

Jon Bodsworth, Green Copyright

Large gallery continues the ascending passage. Its height is 8.53 m, it is rectangular in cross-section, with walls slightly tapering upward (the so-called “false vault”), a high inclined tunnel 46.6 m long. In the middle of the Great Gallery along almost the entire length there is a square recess with a regular cross-section measuring 1 meter wide and 60 cm deep, and on both side protrusions there are 27 pairs of recesses of unknown purpose. The recess ends with the so-called. “Big step” - a high horizontal ledge, a 1x2 meter platform at the end of the Great Gallery, immediately before the hole into the “hallway” - the Antechamber. The platform has a pair of ramp recesses similar to those in the corners near the wall (the 28th and last pair of BG recesses). Through the “hallway” a hole leads into the funeral “Tsar’s Chamber” lined with black granite, where an empty granite sarcophagus is located. The sarcophagus lid is missing. Ventilation shafts have mouths in the “King’s Chamber” on the southern and northern walls at a height of about a meter from the floor level. The mouth of the southern ventilation shaft is severely damaged, the northern one appears intact. The floor, ceiling, and walls of the chamber do not have any decorations or holes or fastening elements of anything dating back to the construction of the pyramid. The ceiling slabs have all burst along the southern wall and are not falling into the room only due to the pressure from the weight of the overlying blocks.

John and Edgar Morton, Public Domain

Above the “Tsar’s Chamber” there are five unloading cavities with a total height of 17 m discovered in the 19th century, between which lie monolithic granite slabs about 2 m thick, and above there is a gable roof made of limestone. It is believed that their purpose is to distribute the weight of the overlying layers of the pyramid (about a million tons) to protect the “King's Chamber” from pressure. In these voids, graffiti was found, probably left by workers.

Ventilation ducts

So-called “ventilation” channels 20-25 cm wide extend from the “Tsar’s Chamber” and “Queen’s Chamber” in the northern and southern directions (first horizontally, then obliquely upward). At the same time, the channels of the “Tsar’s Chamber,” known since the 17th century, through, they are open both below and above (on the edges of the pyramid), while the lower ends of the channels of the “Queen’s Chamber” are separated from the surface of the wall by about 13 cm; they were discovered by tapping in 1872. The upper ends of these channels do not reach the surface by about 12 meters. The upper ends of the channels of the Queen's Chamber are closed by stone Gantenbrink Doors, each with two copper handles. The copper handles were sealed with plaster seals (not preserved, but traces remain). In the southern ventilation shaft, the “door” was discovered in 1993 with the help of the remote-controlled robot “Upout II”; the bend of the northern shaft did not allow this robot to detect the same “door” in it. In 2002, using a new modification of the robot, a hole was drilled in the southern “door,” but behind it a small cavity 18 centimeters long and another stone “door” were discovered. What lies next is still unknown. This robot confirmed the presence of a similar “door” at the end of the northern channel, but they did not drill it. In 2010, a new robot was able to insert a serpentine television camera into a drilled hole in the southern “door” and discovered that the copper “handles” on that side of the “door” were designed in the form of neat hinges, and individual red ocher icons were painted on the floor of the “ventilation” shaft. Currently, the most common version is that the purpose of the “ventilation” ducts was of a religious nature and is associated with the Egyptians’ ideas about afterlife journey souls. And the “door” at the end of the channel is nothing more than a door to afterworld. That is why it does not reach the surface of the pyramid. Pyramid of Queen Meritites (G1b)

Pyramid of Cheops (Khufu)
Great Pyramid of Giza
Arab. الهرم الأكبر or هرم خوفو
English Great Pyramid of Giza, Pyramid of Khufu or Pyramid of Cheops

Statistical data

• Height (today): ≈ 138.75 m
• Side angle (current): 51° 50"
• Side rib length (original): 230.33 m (calculated) or about 440 royal cubits
• Side fin length (current): approx. 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
• Foundation area (initially): ≈ 53,000 m² (5.3 ha)
• Lateral surface area of ​​the pyramid (initially): ≈ 85,500 m²
• Base perimeter: 922 m
• Total volume of the pyramid without deducting the cavities inside the pyramid (initially): ≈ 2.58 million m³
• Total volume of the pyramid minus all known cavities (initially): 2.50 million m³
• Average volume of stone blocks: 1,147 m³
• Average weight of stone blocks: 2.5 tons
• The heaviest stone block: about 35 tons - is located above the entrance to the “King’s Chamber”.
• The number of blocks of average volume does not exceed 1.65 million (2.50 million m³ - 0.6 million m³ of rock base inside the pyramid = 1.9 million m³/1.147 m³ = 1.65 million blocks of the specified volume can physically fit in the pyramid, without taking into account the volume of mortar in interblock joints); referring to a 20-year construction period * 300 working days per year * 10 working hours per day * 60 minutes per hour leads to a speed of laying (and delivery to the construction site) of about a block of two minutes.
• According to estimates, the total weight of the pyramid is about 4 million tons (1.65 million blocks x 2.5 tons)
• The base of the pyramid rests on a natural rocky elevation about 12-14 m high in the center and, according to the latest data, occupies at least 23% of the original volume of the pyramid

History of research

Recent Research

There is a version that tries to explain the precise fit of individual blocks during the construction of the pyramid by the fact that the blocks were created from a concrete-like material by gradually raising the formwork and making the blocks on the spot - hence the precision of the fit. This version was proposed by the French chemist, Professor J. Davidovits. Professor Davidovits in the mid-twentieth century developed a method for creating so-called geopolymer concrete. Davidovits suggested that his discovery might have been known to the creators of the pyramids. Subsequent studies refuted this theory.

There are also non-scientific works on the pyramids by some researchers, such as Erich von Däniken and Christopher Dunn (The Mystery of the Ancient Egyptian Machines, 1984), based on outdated information from Sir William Flinders Petrie from the book The Pyramids and Temples of Giza (1883).

Around the pyramid

Pharaoh's boats

Near the pyramids, seven pits with real ancient Egyptian boats, dismantled into pieces, were discovered.

The first of these vessels, called "" or "Sun Boats", was discovered in 1954 by Egyptian architect Kamal el-Mallah and archaeologist Zaki Nour.

The boat was made of cedar and did not have a single trace of nails for fastening the elements. The boat consisted of 1224 parts; they were assembled by restorer Ahmed Youssef Mustafa only in 1968.

The dimensions of the boat are: length - 43.3 m, width - 5.6 m, and draft - 1.50 m. A museum of this boat is open on the south side of the Cheops pyramid.

Pyramid of Pharaoh Khufu(Cheops is the Greek version of this Egyptian name) is the most famous and most famous Egyptian pyramid.

First of all, because she - tallest pyramid ever built in the world. Secondly, she became for other pharaohs Ancient Egypt a kind of standard and model for the construction of their own tombs.

Of course, tombs are a rather arbitrary term, since there is no evidence that they directly served as graves for the mummies of pharaohs, but at the same time, there is every reason to consider them part of funerary-ritual complexes.

Where is the Cheops pyramid located?

It was erected on a stone plateau near the village of Giza, which has now become a suburb of the capital of modern Egypt - Cairo. It is this building that first comes to mind when we hear the words: “Egyptian pyramids”, “pyramids of Egypt”, “great pyramids”, “wonder of the world”.

Many people who have never been to Egypt before believe that the great pyramids of Giza (Cheops, Khafre and Mikerin) are located somewhere far away in the desert, and therefore, when heading west along the Sharia al-Ahram road (“Avenue of the Pyramids”) for the first time, they are surprised to see giant figures towering against the backdrop of distant buildings.

The ancient monuments are now actually located within Greater Cairo. On the recommendation of scientists, certain measures are being taken to stop further expansion of the city in this direction in order to preserve the famous pyramid complex.

When was the Cheops pyramid built?

The question is when was this built great pyramid in Giza, has been one of the widely discussed issues for a long time - from the very beginning of the birth of Egyptology as a science.

At first, Egyptologists - historians and archaeologists - had serious differences of opinion about her age. However, as scientific knowledge accumulated as a result of archaeological excavations, analysis of found artifacts, and study of the entire complex of documents in professional Egyptology, the following point of view began to prevail. This amazing architectural object - the tallest pyramid in the world - was built during the reign of Pharaoh Cheops of the 4th dynasty (c. 2585-2566 BC).

Some scientific schools believe that the reign of Cheops falls on the 27th century BC. Despite certain discrepancies in the matter of dating, it can be stated that, according to historical science, it was built in the 27th or 26th centuries BC. That is, the age of the Cheops pyramid is about 4600 years.

It would be strange if such an opinion prevailed among the general public, which became keenly interested in Egyptian antiquities, starting with the first publications of Egyptologists of the 19th century. This interest continues even after 200 years.

Among lovers of the history of Ancient Egypt, two can be distinguished: large groups– those who rely on the conclusions of professional Egyptologists, and those who focus on more “exotic theories” of the origin of these structures, including the Pyramid of Cheops. The second group of views is based not on a comprehensive and systematic analysis of all the vast material accumulated by Egyptology as a science (this requires a lot of time and preparation), but on the inherent thirst for miracles in human nature.

The pyramids themselves, especially Cheops, are perceived by them as a miracle without any quotation marks. The arguments of scientists seem to them, on the one hand, too complex, on the other, too “down-to-earth”, and therefore not convincing. They think much cooler are the theories of the creation of ancient megastructures by aliens or, for example, some mysterious civilization, who lived long before the times of the Egyptian pharaohs, possessed technical capabilities that were incomprehensible to the mind.

The paradox of the human psyche lies in the fact that it is much easier to believe in a miracle than to admit things that are more or less ordinary. But that's a separate conversation. It only remains to note that there are many non-scientific theories regarding the history and monuments of Ancient Egypt. They call the age of the Cheops pyramid from many tens of thousands of years to 6-7 thousand years, that is, according to these theories, this structure was built much earlier than traditional Egyptology believes.

Despite all the attractiveness and, of course, interestingness, all these concepts have one global drawback - they are based on some assumptions, which, in turn, are not supported by anything. That is, they are suitable for fantasy novels, but not for more or less serious consideration.

Pyramid dimensions

What are dimensions of the Cheops pyramid? It would seem that the answer to this is very easy to get, you just need to take a longer ruler and just try everything on. However, in reality it is not so simple.

Over the almost five thousand years that have passed since its construction, the structure has suffered greatly both from natural disasters and from the barbaric actions of the people themselves. The top of this architectural and construction miracle was originally crowned with a pyramidion - a stone also of a pyramidal shape, presumably carved from red granite. It is gone now, just as the overwhelming number of facing slabs that covered its walls are gone. These polished slabs gave the tallest pyramid, according to Herodotus, a gray-yellow color and shine.

Measurements made using modern equipment showed that its height after completion was 146.5 meters, but even having lost 9 meters in height, it remains the tallest stone structure on earth.

The main dimensions of the Cheops pyramid and its parts:

Height: 146.5 m (currently 137 m)

Side length: 230.38 m (originally 232.5 m).

Side tilt: 51° 50"

Big Gallery:

Height: 8.48 to 8.74 m

Length 47.85 m

Tilt: 26°16" 40"

Queen's Chamber:

Height: 6.26 m

Length: 5.76 m

Width: 5.23 m

King's Chamber:

Height: 5.84 m

Length: 10.49 m

Width: 5.42 m

Road:

Length: 825 m

Boat pits (on the northeast and southeast corners of the pyramid):

Depth: 8 m

Length 52 m

Width: 7.5 m

Inside the pyramid of Pharaoh Cheops

The Tomb of Cheops, like all the pyramids of the III and IV dynasties, is an almost solid monolith made of stone blocks. The interior of the pyramid occupies a completely insignificant volume compared to the volume of the pyramid itself. Nevertheless, internal structure of the Cheops pyramid also surprises with its engineering solutions and craftsmanship. It is more complex than the internal structure of the pyramids of Egypt, which were built after it.

Inside the structure there are 4 main rooms, which received the following names in Egyptological literature: the chamber of the king (king), the chamber of the queen (queen), the underground chamber (unfinished) and the Great Gallery.

The entrance is located on its northern side, at a height of 16 meters above the ground. When the first Egyptian antiquity researchers - the French - measured the height, they came up with 12 meters - the base of the pyramid was heavily covered with sand at the end of the 19th century. The original entrance is located above the entrance that tourists now use (it was broken through by the Mamluks of Caliph Al-Mamun in the 9th century AD, because for a long time they could not find the entrance, then hidden under the existing facing slabs).

Boat of Cheops

The tomb of Cheops, like all the pyramid complexes of Ancient Egypt, was surrounded by a wall, of which only ruins now remain. In a southern direction, not far from the wall, in 1954, two large pits lined with stone were found, in which wooden boats, the sacred Solar Boats of the Pharaoh, were stored disassembled.

The pits with boats were closed with huge stone blocks of limestone weighing up to 16 tons. One of the boats was restored (it took 16 years of painstaking work) and put on display in a pavilion specially built for this purpose next to the ancient object.

The boat is made mainly from Lebanese cedar with the use of selected local wood species. Its length is 43.5 meters and its width is 9 meters. The second boat was left in its place, preserved from further destruction. Later, three empty docks were also found, repeating the shape of a boat.

Construction of the pyramid complex

With the exception of a few internal chambers and corridors, the tomb of Cheops is built entirely of dense stone, mainly limestone. Its construction - unique phenomenon in the history of human civilization.

It is precisely oriented to the cardinal points. The deviation is only 3"43"! And modern builders could be proud of such precision.

Now the creation of Cheops contains 201 rows of stone blocks, but once there were from 215 to 220 rows. The height of the very first row is the largest - it is 1.5 meters, the second row is already smaller in height - 1.25 m, the third - 1.2 m, the fourth - 1.1 m. Further, the height of the rows is even less, as a rule, from 65 to 90 cm. Closer to the top the height of the blocks is reduced to 55 cm.

According to modern estimates (and the first person to do such calculations was Napoleon), about 2,300,000 (2 million 300 thousand) stone blocks and slabs were used for the great construction. The stone blocks necessary for construction were cut down both near the construction site and in the limestone cliffs rising on the eastern (opposite) bank of the Nile.

To clad the main object of the Cheops memorial, sandstone slabs were used, which were mined in quarries, also relatively close to limestone mining. The length of the cladding slabs in the lower rows reached 1.5 m and decreased to 75 cm in subsequent rows. According to estimates, about 115,500 slabs were required for the cladding.

Sand and limestone blocks were transported across the Nile on transport ships, and overland they were dragged on large wooden sleds and moved on stone rollers and balls. Granite, used in the construction and decoration of internal corridors and chambers, was also delivered along the Nile, but from afar - from the south, from the outskirts of present-day Aswan, located at a distance of about one thousand kilometers from the construction site.

To build such a colossus, ancient builders had to move and raise to a height a volume of stones that weighs approximately 6 (six) million tons. To transport such cargo today railway it would take 100 thousand railway platforms (such as a 4-axle platform for heavy-duty containers, model 13-470, with a lifting capacity of 60 tons), loaded to the maximum.

And yet, the most difficult and difficult work was not the delivery and transportation of stone blocks to the construction site, but their direct extraction in quarries by cutting down and further grinding to precise sizes. At that time, they had not yet learned how to make iron and steel tools - the Iron Age was ahead. Egyptians in the middle of the 3rd millennium BC. they didn’t even know bronze. They made their tools from almost pure copper, so the tools quickly became dull and became unusable. And, of course, copper was expensive. Judging by archaeological finds, stone tools made of flint were therefore widely used: knife blades, drills, saw teeth, etc. That is, the stone was processed with stone, although it was harder than the one being processed.

The average volume of the blocks from which the tomb of Cheops is made is approximately equal to one cubic meter, weight - about 2.5 tons. But there were, as an exception, some blocks weighing 50 tons. For comparison, this is the weight of the modern T-90 Vladimir tank. It is impossible to lift and drag even the smallest of these blocks with your bare hands: this requires so many people that they simply cannot all fit together. Certain technical means were needed to lift and carry these blocks: all kinds of levers and rollers, goats and sleds, strong ropes and, of course, a huge number of people who had to pull these ropes, straining all their strength. But the unlimited power of Pharaoh Cheops, the resources that the ruler of Egypt had at his disposal - human and material - allowed him to attract tens of thousands of people to the construction of his own tomb at the same time.

How many years did it take to build the tomb of Cheops?

According to Herodotus, it took about twenty years to build. Modern research and calculations show that the ancient Greek thinker and historian named a very real figure for the duration of construction of the tallest stone structure in the world.

Who built it

We will leave fantastic hypotheses about mythical giants, aliens from outer space and even about the inhabitants of the mysterious Atlantis alone. Who built the pyramid of Cheops according to historical science? Somehow it happened that there is a fairly widespread opinion that it was built by slaves (this opinion usually extends to other pyramids in Egypt).

However, scientific data allows us to say quite confidently that these objects are largely the result of the labor of Egyptians, who were not slaves. Of course, they also cannot be called free in the full sense of the word - they were forced people, under the authority of dignitaries, priests and, of course, the pharaoh.

During the construction process there were cyclical periods associated with the annual flood of the Nile. At this time, thousands and thousands of peasants were involved in the construction, who performed unskilled work dragging and moving stone blocks.

Craftsmen who worked in quarries, stone carvers and polishers worked constantly, all year round. This was the work that they knew how to do, for which they received food, shelter, clothing, etc. Construction experience, skills and work techniques were passed on from generation to generation.

The total number of builders of such an important object for Cheops during the Nile flood period reached 100 thousand people. This figure was first cited by Herodotus, but modern calculations and archaeological finds show that it is quite plausible.

But in whose head was the architectural design of such a grandiose structure born? Who was able to organize the work of thousands and thousands of people over several decades? From the depths of centuries the name of this great man has reached us. His name was Hemiun. He was a dignitary and vizier under Pharaoh Cheops.

His tomb is located near the western side of the tomb of Cheops himself. A statue of this architect has reached us, which was found in his tomb. It is interesting that both Hemiun and the other pyramid builders were, so to speak, part-time architects. Along with construction management, they performed a host of other duties. The profession of an architect in Ancient Egypt never acquired the status of an independent activity.

An example of construction excellence and creative genius

The ancient builders of both this and other pyramids took care of everything. For example, crypts located deep in masonry or underground had ventilation ducts. The interior of the pyramid of Pharaoh Cheops was supplied with air through two small sections of the channel, which passed through the entire thickness of the structure, and went outside on the eighty-fifth layer of masonry on the southern and northern sides of this wonder of the world.

Although the first Europeans who explored the pyramids were faced with the fact that in the underground passages of the tomb of Cheops it was difficult to breathe due to the stale and suffocating air, this happened not because there was no ventilation, but because over the past almost five thousand years the ventilation passages clogged with dust and waste from bats and other living organisms - insects, bacteria, which found suitable conditions here. One of the still unsolved mysteries of the Cheops pyramid is that similar channels go from the queen’s chamber, but... they do not go outside (see diagram of the interior above).

Protection from water was also carefully thought out. For facing masonry, the blocks were selected especially carefully. If necessary, the stone was additionally cut on site and then polished. Therefore, the stones were adjacent to each other so tightly that water simply could not get between them. All the water running down the lining was collected in the ditches below. The ditches are made with a slope towards the deeper ditches with which the ditches are connected. In this way, water was diverted away from the tombs and their foundations. About 300 such ditches and ditches for receiving rainwater were discovered around the three largest pyramids of Giza alone.

For many centuries, the pyramid complexes of Giza have stood with damaged cladding due primarily to human vandalism rather than natural disasters. And one can only be amazed at the margin of safety that the ancient builders put into their creations.

The ritual-funeral memorial of Cheops has remained, in many ways, an unsurpassed example of “pyramid architecture” for the entire era of the construction of such objects.

In a word, it was not without reason that the Great Pyramid of Giza was recognized as one of the main wonders of the world back in ancient times. Without any technical supervision, the ancient Egyptians built their amazing creations in such a way that they still stand today, which cannot be said about many, many relatively modern structures, whose construction and engineering miscalculations and shortcomings led to death and destruction.

The Pyramid of Cheops is a legacy of ancient Egyptian civilization; all tourists coming to Egypt try to see it. It amazes the imagination with its grandiose size. The weight of the pyramid is about 4 million tons, its height is 139 meters, and its age is 4.5 thousand years. It still remains a mystery how people built the pyramids in those ancient times. It is not known for certain why these majestic structures were erected.

Legends of the Cheops Pyramid

Shrouded in mystery, ancient Egypt was once the most powerful country on Earth. Perhaps his people knew secrets that are still inaccessible to modern humanity. Looking at the huge stone blocks of the pyramid, which are laid with perfect precision, you begin to believe in miracles.

According to one legend, the pyramid served as a grain storage facility during the great famine. These events are described in the Bible (Book of Exodus). Pharaoh had a prophetic dream, warning of a series of lean years. Joseph, the son of Jacob, sold into slavery by his brothers, managed to unravel Pharaoh's dream. The ruler of Egypt instructed Joseph to organize the procurement of grain, appointing him as his first adviser. The storage facilities must have been huge, given that they fed many nations for seven years when there was famine on Earth. The slight discrepancy in dates - about 1 thousand years old - is explained by adherents of this theory by the inaccuracy of carbon analysis, through which archaeologists determine the age of ancient buildings.

According to another legend, the pyramid served to transfer the material body of the pharaoh into upper world Gods. Amazing fact is that inside the pyramid where the sarcophagus for the body is located, the mummy of the pharaoh was not found, which the robbers could not take. Why did the rulers of Egypt build such huge tombs for themselves? Was their goal really to build a beautiful mausoleum that testified to greatness and power? If the construction process took several decades and required enormous amounts of labor, it means that the final goal of constructing the pyramid was vitally important to the pharaoh. Some researchers believe that we know very little about the level of development ancient civilization, the mysteries of which are yet to be discovered. The Egyptians knew the secret of eternal life. It was acquired by the pharaohs after death, thanks to technology that was hidden inside the pyramids.

Some researchers believe that the Cheops pyramid was built by a great civilization even more ancient than the Egyptian one, about which we know nothing. And the Egyptians only restored existing ancient buildings and used them at their own discretion. They themselves did not know the intention of the forerunners who built the pyramids. The Forerunners could be giants of the Antediluvian civilization or inhabitants of other planets who flew to Earth in search of a new homeland. The gigantic size of the blocks from which the pyramid is built is easier to imagine as a convenient building material for ten-meter giants than for ordinary people.

One more interesting legend I would like to mention the Cheops pyramid. They say that inside the monolithic structure there is a secret room in which there is a portal that opens paths to other dimensions. Thanks to the portal, you can instantly find yourself at a selected point in time or on another inhabited planet of the Universe. It was carefully hidden by the builders for the benefit of people, but will soon be found. The question remains whether modern scientists will understand the ancient technologies to take advantage of the discovery. In the meantime, archaeological research in the pyramid continues.

In the era of antiquity, when the Greco-Roman civilization began to flourish, ancient philosophers compiled a description of the most outstanding architectural monuments on Earth. They were called the "Seven Wonders of the World." They included Hanging Gardens Babylon, Colossus of Rhodes and others majestic buildings, built before our era. The Pyramid of Cheops, as the oldest, is in first place on this list. This wonder of the world is the only one that has survived to this day; all the others were destroyed many centuries ago.

According to the descriptions of ancient Greek historians, the large pyramid shone in the rays of the sun, casting a warm golden sheen. It was lined with meter-thick limestone slabs. The smooth white limestone, decorated with hieroglyphs and designs, reflected the sands of the surrounding desert. Later local residents dismantled the cladding for their homes, which they lost as a result of devastating fires. Perhaps the top of the pyramid was decorated with a special triangular block made of precious material.

Around the Cheops pyramid in the valley there is a whole City of dead. Dilapidated buildings of mortuary temples, two other large pyramids and several smaller tombs. A huge statue of a sphinx with a broken nose, which was recently restored, is carved from a monolithic block of gigantic proportions. It was taken from the same quarry as the stones used to build the tombs. Once upon a time, ten meters from the pyramid there was a three-meter thick wall. Perhaps it was intended to protect the royal treasures, but it could not stop the robbers.

History of construction

Scientists still cannot come to a consensus on how ancient people built the Cheops pyramid from huge blocks of stone. Based on the drawings found on the walls of others, it was assumed that workers cut each block into the rocks and then dragged it to the construction site along a ramp made of cedar. History does not have a consensus on who was involved in the work - peasants for whom there was no other work during the Nile flood, slaves of the pharaoh or hired workers.

The difficulty is that the blocks had to not only be delivered to the construction site, but also raised to a great height. Before its construction, the Cheops Pyramid was the tallest structure on Earth. Modern architects see the solution to this problem differently. By official version Primitive mechanical blocks were used for lifting. It’s scary to imagine how many people died during construction using this method. When the ropes and straps holding the block broke, it could crush dozens of people with its weight. It was especially difficult to install the upper block of the building at a height of 140 meters above the ground.

Some scientists suggest that ancient people had the technology to control Earth's gravity. The blocks weighing more than 2 tons, from which the Cheops pyramid was built, could be moved with ease using this method. The construction was carried out by hired workers who knew all the secrets of the craft, under the leadership of the nephew of Pharaoh Cheops. Did not have human casualties, backbreaking labor of slaves, only the art of construction, which has reached the highest technologies that are inaccessible to our civilization.

The pyramid has the same base on each side. Its length is 230 meters and 40 centimeters. Amazing accuracy for ancient uneducated builders. The density of the stones is so great that it is impossible to insert a razor blade between them. An area of ​​five hectares is occupied by one monolithic structure, the blocks of which are connected with a special solution. There are several passages and chambers inside the pyramid. There are ventilation holes facing different directions of the world. The purpose of many interior spaces remains a mystery. The robbers took away everything valuable long before the first archaeologists entered the tomb.

The pyramid is currently listed cultural heritage UNESCO. Her photo adorns many Egyptian tourist brochures. In the 19th century, Egyptian authorities wanted to dismantle the huge monolithic blocks of ancient structures to build dams on the Nile River. But labor costs far outweighed the benefits of work, so monuments ancient architecture stand to this day, delighting pilgrims in the Giza Valley.

Of course, everyone knows where the Cheops pyramid is located. After all, this is one of the most outstanding monuments not only of Egypt, but of the entire planet. And despite the achievements of modern science, the secrets of the Cheops pyramid are still unrevealed. This is one of the reasons why this huge structure attracts numerous tourists, as well as the fact that it is the only wonder of the world that has survived to this day.

This place really has some special magnetism. And even the numerous souvenir sellers and camel drivers who want to make money from curious tourists do not spoil general impression. Looking ahead, I will say that the Cheops Pyramid inside is not as stunning as the outside. And if you decide to save money on an “internal” excursion, you won’t lose much. Moreover, I would not recommend going inside for people with claustrophobia, breathing problems or heart problems. The corridors here are quite narrow, and the air is heavy and stuffy, despite the presence of ventilation ducts. By the way, excursion tours are often very intense and do not allow time to get acquainted with the pyramidal structures inside. Therefore, be sure to clarify this point in advance if you still decide to come into contact with the secret from the inside.

History of construction

The most famous pyramidal structure owes its “birth” to Pharaoh Khufu, who ruled Egypt for at least 27 years. According to legend, a huge amount of money was spent on the creation of this great monument, which led to the weakening of the state. Scientists do not yet have a consensus on how true this is. But it is clear that a lot of resources were spent. After all, the original height of the Cheops pyramid was 146.6 meters. But what is noteworthy is that it looks slightly lower than the neighboring building. And not only because she “lost” the top. The son of Cheops, building his pyramid, cheated a little by choosing a place 10 meters higher.

There are many versions of how the Cheops pyramid was built, consisting of 2.3 million stone blocks. Their total weight is approximately 6.5 million tons. The stone blocks are carefully fitted to each other and held together with a special compound - pink gypsum “milk”. The walls have a slope of 52 degrees and embody the number "pi". This giant is located on an area of ​​5 hectares. The diagram of the Cheops pyramid clearly demonstrates that inside it is practically a monolith, in which there are only a few corridors, halls and ventilation ducts. To avoid theft, the ancient Egyptians placed special mechanisms inside. But the traps of the Cheops pyramid, religious prohibitions and other tricks did not protect the structure from robbers.

There is also no exact information about how old the Cheops pyramid is. Its age is estimated at only approximately 4.5 thousand years. But some researchers believe that the monument could have been erected much earlier - back in the 11th millennium BC, and that representatives of extraterrestrial civilizations were involved in the construction.

There are many legends about this building. But I also picked Interesting Facts about the Cheops pyramid, confirmed by scientific research. Among them are those that still remain little known. And if you have never been here on an excursion, then you are unlikely to know that:

• For almost three thousand years, the Cheops pyramid was the tallest structure in the world. She gave the “Palm of Championship” only in 1311 - at that time construction was completed in Lincoln Cathedral. Sometimes the Eiffel Tower, built at the end of the 19th century, is mistakenly called the new record holder. In fact, before it there were structures higher than the Cheops pyramid. These are mainly temple buildings, as well as the Washington Memorial.
• Many consider the pyramid to be the tomb of a pharaoh. But this is a misconception, since the Egyptian ruler was buried in the Valley of the Kings, and his body was never inside the structure. But still there is a direct connection with the pharaoh. The pyramid functionally played the role of a kind of “suitcase”. Within its walls are many things that, according to the ancient Egyptians, were necessary for a royal person in the afterlife.
• For a long time it was believed that the pyramids were built by slaves. But as modern researchers have proven, free residents of Ancient Egypt, who also had high professional qualifications, were involved in construction. The dimensions and proportions of the Cheops pyramid are perfectly calculated, and the structure was built with impeccable precision.
• The Pyramid of Cheops in Egypt was first mentioned in writing in the works of Herodotus. The author describes his own impressions of visiting this religious building and shares the information he received from local priests. This work is dated 440 BC. However, Herodotus was unable to obtain any valuable information, except for some geometric data.
• The Pyramid of Cheops has its own “birthday.” The Egyptians celebrate it on August 23, and this day is national holiday. However, this holiday appeared in Egypt quite recently - only in 2009, and has only a tentative relationship to the exact date of the start of construction. This hypothesis was put forward by scientists from Cambridge.

But, nevertheless, too many tourists gather here on this day, and if you want to explore the main Egyptian attraction in a relaxed atmosphere, do not plan an excursion for this day. There are also other nuances that are useful to know if you are going to get to know this wonder of the world with your own eyes.

Helpful information

The Pyramid of Cheops on the map is located on the left and slightly south of Cairo, in Giza. It is from the Egyptian capital that it is most convenient to get to this pyramid complex, where, in addition to the famous tomb of Khufu, you will also see the pyramids of the son and grandson of the pharaoh (Khephren and Mikerin), which are slightly lower. This is the best preserved pyramidal complex in the entire country. The journey from Cairo takes about 20 minutes. Excursion tour can be purchased both directly in the capital and in any of the resorts. The road from Hugarda is approximately 5-6 hours by bus, from Sherm al-Sheikh - from 7 to 8 hours.

• When buying excursions from these cities, do not focus on the cheapest offers - there is a risk of ending up in an uncomfortable bus without air conditioning, which, given the high Egyptian temperatures, can ruin the entire impression of the excursion.
• Entrance to the territory is paid (80 and 40 EGP for adults and children, respectively). Entrance inside is paid separately - (200 EGP for adults and half the price for a child's ticket). You will also have to pay extra for photography inside.
• Be sure to check the weather forecast. If there is strong wind in the future, it is better to postpone the trip, as everything will be covered in sand. And don’t forget to take a hat - this will protect you from the heat and from pestering sellers.

The number of internal visits is limited (300 people per day), so the chances of getting inside the pyramidal complex on your own, not as part of an excursion group, are not very high. But you can take great photos in front of the most famous Egyptian monument in any case, and they will remind you of this exciting journey for a long time.

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Many articles and books have been written about the Egyptian pyramid of Cheops, considering it from the standpoint of a modern materialistic view, without taking into account that it was built during the period of a previous highly developed civilization, the knowledge of which has not reached us. The Pyramid of Cheops, with its enormous size, involuntarily raises the question of the methods of its construction. The hypotheses put forward in this regard are far from the truth.

The Pyramid of Cheops, built about 4600 years ago, is located on stone plateau Libyan desert. The stones for its construction were brought mainly from the quarries of the Makkatim Highlands, which is located east of the Nile River. The construction of the pyramid was carried out under the leadership of the famous architect Khafre over a period of 20 years. According to ancient sources, peasants took part in its construction only three months a year, in their free time from field work, during the Nile flood. But this does not exclude the work of a small number of specialists who prepared the work front for thousands of seasonal peasant builders.

The purpose of building a tomb pyramid.

The word “pyramid” literally translated from Greek means “fire that is inside.” By “fire” here we must understand the presence of an ordered energy flow both inside and outside the pyramid. Similar energy flows can be observed in crystals (quartz, diamond...), in trees, etc. A vertical energy flow is formed above the top of the pyramid (tree...), which is sometimes called a cosmic channel (pillar). In the morning, at dawn, this energy flow can be seen above the top of the pyramid with the naked eye. The energy flows at the top of the Cheops pyramid connect with the energy flows of neighboring pyramids, forming a channel-energy connection with each other. In nature, a similar energy connection is observed in trees of crystals (druze), etc. At the same time, the formation of an additional dome energy shell, a collective aura, is observed above them. Until now, the pyramid was considered as a material body without taking into account its energy properties, just as in medicine the physical body of a person is studied without taking into account his other six subtle bodies.

The pyramid, like the human physical body, is only a material frame for subtle energy systems. Legends say that the pyramid contains the Great Stone, which flew from Space to Earth. He has great energy and magical powers. Similar stones are found in the Kaaba mosque (Mecca, Saudi Arabia) in the Himalayas, and was previously with Emperor Tatzlau in Atlantis, who is buried in Taimyr. These are stones of spiritual centers and centers of civilization.

To create energy vertical columns of cosmic communication (streams) on Earth, humanity has used a variety of technical solutions throughout the millennia. For example, in mountainous areas The tops of the mountains were built in the form of pyramids, tents, sphinxes and other structures, and underneath them were tombs. In flat areas, artificial architectural above-ground or underground structures were created (mounds, pyramids, labyrinthine drawings...)

The pyramid has design characteristics to obtain the necessary types of energy flows. The larger the pyramid, the more powerful its energy flow. Above the top of Mount Everest (Himalayas) there is one of the most powerful energy flows on Earth.
The tombs of Ancient Egypt are found both in mountainous areas (near Lake Victoria) and in lowland areas (near the Nile Delta). Their construction was carried out mainly during the heyday of ancient civilization, which had a high technical level of development (air transport (vimanas, chariots), eternal lamps, energy, laser, nuclear, sound weapons, etc.).

Start of construction.

The Pyramid of Cheops has a height of about 150 meters with a base length of one side of 250 meters. It was built on the western bank of the Nile, near the city of Cairo.
The famous architect Khafre did not build this pyramid from scratch. Here were very ancient squat pyramids made of monolithic stone, which were called “remnants” by modern experts. One of the ancient pyramids with its energy flows and underground passages(built about 14,000 years ago) Khafre used it for its intended purpose, increasing its height and redesigning the internal passages and rooms. This ancient pyramid had a powerful foundation and special entrances to the dungeons for underground work.

The Cheops pyramid, like the ancient one, is oriented towards spiritual centers (Shambhala in the east, and Thule in the north), since the north pole 12,000 years ago was located in northwestern Canada near the border with America. The geographic North Pole is constantly migrating around the globe.

By using the ancient pyramid as the basis for a new one, the builders achieved a significant reduction in labor and material costs and a reduction in construction time. Now no one remembers the more ancient builders, although more than half the volume of the Cheops pyramid is made up of stones ancient pyramid. The original monolithic pyramid (remnant) had its own burial chamber with other dungeons. During the construction of the pyramid, Khafre made a new redevelopment of the dungeons. Therefore, some voids from the ancient pyramid that do not fit into the new layout do not find a logical explanation among researchers.