The Great Pyramids of Giza and its solitary guardian, the Great Sphinx are the architectural marvels of ancient Egypt. All the three pyramids of the valley of Giza were built during third and fourth dynasty and the Great Sphinx was carved over 4500 years ago.

Pyramids of Giza-

The Pyramids of Giza were built as tombs for the pharaohs of Ancient Egypt-Khufu,
Khafre & Menkaure and smaller pyramids were designed for the wives of the pharaohs.

The Great Pyramid of Khufu was built for the pharaoh Khufu, second king of the Fourth
Dynasty. It was constructed by nearly 20,000 workers.
At 481 feet high, this pyramid had remained the tallest structure in the world for nearly 4300 years. Now it has lost around 30 feet height due to erosion.

The second pyramid was built for Khafre, Khufu’s son and fourth king of the Fourth Dynasty. Near Khafre’s pyramid, is the Great Sphinx which is believed to be a portrait of Khafre.

The smallest pyramid is that of Menkaure, fifth king of the Fourth Dynasty.

The Great Sphinx-

Located on the Giza plateau, this enigmatic creature of stone was carved for pharaoh Khafre and faces the rising sun. It has lion’s body and human face and is the largest structure carved out of a huge stone. The body is 200 feet in length and 65 feet tall. The face is 13 feet wide.

The body of the Sphinx had remained buried in the sands for thousands of year and that is the reason it has survived for so long.

The statue has suffered great damage over the years due to air pollution, groundwater and eroding wind and attempts for its repair are going on.

Tourist attraction-

Pyramids of Giza and The Great Sphinx offer fantastic sightseeing to tourists in Egypt. The best time to see these pyramids is just after sunrise. The pyramids offer great scope to understand the ancient Egyptian culture and are popular destination for researchers.

Besides The Great Pyramids, you can also see the Solar Barque Museum, Sphinx light show, Dahshur pyramids. These monuments are a must see for every tourist in Egypt.