Pyramids

The Pyramids in Egypt are a number of pyramid-shaped tombs of pharaos built with cut stones. 118 pyramids have been found so far in Egypt, with the most famous being the ones in Giza near Cairo. The pyramids were built during the Old and Middle Kingdom periods, 4 1/2 thousand years ago. The pyramids in Giza consist of the Cheops (Keops or Great Pyramid of Giza) pyramid, the Chephren (Khafre) pyramid and the Mykerinos (Menkaure) pyramid. The Cheops pyramid is the largest one and was initially 146.5m high and had a basis of 230m. Next to the Pyramids in Giza lies the Sphynx, a huge statue of a mythical creature, the largest monolith statue in the world. South of Cairo is the Saqqara (Sakkara, Saqqarah or Sakhara) site where the step pyramid of Djoser is located.