The Great Pyramid of Giza Essay Example

Did you know that the Great Pyramid of Giza is the last remaining of  the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World? The rest of the Wonders were destroyed by either earthquakes or fires, but this practically indestructible pyramid has outlasted them all. There’s no wonder why this pyramid is still standing, it is thought by experts to weigh almost 5.9 million tons. That is more than 13 billion pounds, which sounds absolutely insane, but it’s true. This pyramid is located about 10 miles from Cairo, Egypt which is in Africa. At first glance, this pyramid only looks like a lot of rocks stacked on top of each other, but there is more to learn about this pyramid than what meets the eye.

Some may wonder who had the idea to build this enormous pyramid. The answer to that is Khufu, the second pharaoh of the 4th dynasty. It is suspected that Khufu started this project in around 2550 B.C., and it is often considered to be one of his greatest accomplishments. Although Khufu instructed that the pyramid be built, he was not the one who built it. The people that we can actually credit for the Great Pyramid are the Egyptians. The studies of modern-day historians show that 20,000 to 30,000 workers contributed to the construction. Khufu’s body was placed inside the King’s chamber of the Great Pyramid since the pyramid had already been finished by the time he died. Despite not much else being known about this pharaoh, we do know that he had a great impact on history due to his achievements.

As you can imagine, it must have taken a long time to build the Great Pyramid of Giza. In fact, it took about 20 years. It is estimated that 2.3 million stones, each weighing 2 were used to construct the pyramid. “One block would have to be laid every five minutes of every hour, 24 hours a day, for the entire 20 years,” according to thenewstack.io. The stones that were being placed were a type of sedimentary rock called limestone. The Egyptians quarried the limestone in Giza and transported it by boat on the Nile River. Several theories have attempted to explain how the Great Pyramid was actually constructed, but the mystery has yet to be solved. We do know that the outside layers of stone were glued together by a mortar to make sure the blocks were secure. Mortar is a mixture of fine sand, cement, and lime. This is what has held the pyramid together and out of harm’s way for so many years.

The Great Pyramid of Giza was very historically significant. It was important to the Egyptians because it was a way that they could express their beliefs. The Egyptians were one of the first civilizations to believe in an afterlife. This pyramid gave them the opportunity to share what their culture was about. On the internal walls of the pyramid, many pictures have been found, depicting the lives of the pharaoh and his family. Hieroglyphics can also be found in the pyramid, showing the names of the groups who built the pyramid.The pyramid has allowed many archaeologists to learn about the ancient Egyptian culture and how their lives were structured. The Great Pyramid today stands as a representation of the ancient Egyptian glorification of life after death. 

Why was it built? - There are many theories, but the most popular belief is that it was built as a tomb for king khufu. Religious purposes

There are many theories as to why the Great Pyramid was built, but the most popular remains the same. One of the most widely accepted speculations is that the pyramid was built for a tomb for king Khufu.  The Egyptians wanted a worthy place in which they could let their pharaoh rest in peace. They wanted his ka to enjoy its eternal life as much as possible. A ka refers to a belief of the ancient Egyptians where a second self lives within every human being. To let the pharaoh live his happiest afterlife, many offerings were made. Since the pharaoh was a very respected person in Egyptian society, each Egyptian did their absolute best to honor the pharaoh's wishes, which may include building a pyramid or storing his belongings in his tomb once he dies.