Pyramids of Giza, Cairo, Egypt, Pyramid Complex and Sphinx

Pyramids at Dawn with Camel Riders

Queen Tetsheri

Collectors Choice
Egyptian Wallpaper for your PC
$2.95

View of Great Pyramids of Giza from desert. The small pyramids on right are unfinished burial pyramids for the queens of 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 was built first, the pyramid of Chephren was built for his son, and the pyramid of Mycerinus (Menkaure) was built for his grandson. All were Pharaohs in their time, click here to see pictures of Pharaohs. As you can see the pyramids have several names. I have used Greek names and have shown other names in parentheses, and guide books differ in what they call them.

F16 Over Pyramids

Egyptian Wallpaper for your PC

From Pixel Paradox $4

more Egyptian wallpapers

Other Related Pages :

The Pharaohs Who Built Them |
Where are the Pyramids | Composition of Blocks | How Blocks were Lifted

Here is a side view with all the pyramids named.

The pyramids were just one part of a complex of buildings that were used to bury and memorialize the dead pharaoh. The Sphinx sits close to the Chephren pyramid complex.

Everyone knows of the Sphinx. Unfortunately it was under restoration when we were there. However this picture illustrates an important feature of the pyramid complex often missed by tourists.

Sphinx surrounded by scaffolding with Pyramid of Chephren in back.

Each pyramid had a funerary and mortuary building with a covered causeway connecting the two. The dark building on the left is the Sphinx temple. Just beside it on the far left, out of view, is the mortuary temple of Chephren. You can see the white walls of the partially restored causeway behind the dark building. The Funerary Temple of Chephren is not visible as there are only a few remaining stones of the structure at the base of the pyramid.

Here is a view from the Chephren Pyramid showing the remains of the causeway.

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.

Here is a scale model of a complete pyramid complex from the Egyptian Museum.

The Sphinx (not shown in this model) was carved out of a natural outcrop of rock much earlier than the construction of Chephren's pyramid complex, so the funerary temple had to be squeezed in beside the Sphinx temple.