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The Giza Plateau Pyramid Complex and the Sphinx
This view of Pyramids of Giza the Giza Plateau is taken from desert. The small pyramids on right are burial pyramids for the queens of Menkaure (Mycerinus), who was buried in the adjacent large pyramid.
The pyramid of Chephren (Khafre) is shown on the left and the third and largest pyramid, the pyramid of Cheops (Khufu) is only slightly visible behind it.
The pyramid of the Pharaoh Cheops (Khufu) was built first, the pyramid of Chephren (Khafre) was built for his son, and the pyramid of Mycerinus (Menkaure) was built for his grandson. The picture below shows a more frontal view.
What is not shown is the other buildings that were part of each pyramids complex. Scroll down the see a typical pyramid complex.
The pyramids were just one part of a complex of buildings that were used to bury and memorialize the dead pharaoh. There was a mortuary temple, a funerary temple and a causeway the connected them.
This model of the Pyramid Complex is on display in the Egyptian Museum at Cairo. It is believed that the mortuary temple was used for the ritual mummification of the Pharaoh. His body was then placed in a full sized boat (perhaps used originally to bring his body to the mortuary temple). The boat was then pulled up to the mortuary temple through the closed causeway symbolizing the passage through the underworld. Last rites before entombment and yearly memorials were then held in the funerary temple. The mummy was taken from the mortuary temple into the pyramid for entombment. |
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Here is a view from the Pyramid of Chephren down toward the Nile. It shows some of the remains of the Pyramid complex.
This view of the Sphinx (under restroration at the time) show the view up the causeway to the Pyramid of Chephren. Click here for more recent photos of the Sphinx.
The Pyramids of Giza were built by succesive generations in the same royal family, click here to see pictures of Pharaohs. Both Greek and Roman names are used for the pharaohs, we have show both.
The Pyramids, themselves, had names. Click here for a list of the ancient names of the pyramids of the Old Kingdom Pharaohs.
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