23 Mind-blowing Facts About the Pyramids of Giza (24 Photos)

The Pyramids of Giza are a man-made miracle and the epitome of an engineering feat. For many centuries, disputes over the construction of the ancient complex have not subsided. Did you know that the Cheops Pyramid faces almost exactly north? And there are many such amazing details.





1. There is practically no data on the construction of the pyramids



It was only in 2013 that papyrus fragments were discovered that speak of the delivery of limestone blocks along the Nile River.

2. The Pyramid of Cheops, also known as the Great Pyramid, faces almost exactly north, with a deviation of only 3/60 of a degree.





3. The Great Pyramid was the tallest building in the world for almost 3,900 years



It was surpassed by Lincoln Cathedral in the 14th century.

4. The buildings were once clad in sparkling white limestone



5. The Great Pyramid consists of 2.3 million stone blocks weighing 2.5 tons each



6. The facing stones and blocks of internal chambers are fitted to each other with such precision that a blade cannot pass between them



7. There is not a single hieroglyph on the pyramids. Unlike other tombs, no paintings or treasures were found in them



8. Nubia (Sudan) was once part of Ancient Egypt



There are twice as many pyramids here as in Egypt, although they are much smaller.

9. When Napoleon visited the Great Pyramid at the end of the 18th century, he calculated that there were enough blocks to build a three-meter wall around the entire French mainland



10. The Great Wall of China and the Three Gorges Dam are the only structures that exceed the weight of the Cheops pyramid



This is about 6 million tons.

11. The years of Cleopatra’s life are closer to our time than to the construction of the Cheops pyramid



12. When the pyramids were being built in Egypt, woolly mammoths were still roaming the Earth



13. Inside the Great Pyramid



14. The perimeter of the pyramid, divided by double the height, gives the number "Pi", with an accuracy of one hundred thousandth



15. The designs are probably based on the sacred Benben stone



16. The pyramids were part of a larger complex



17. The coordinates of the Cheops pyramid and the speed of light have the same order of numbers



The speed of light in a vacuum is 299,792,458 m/s, and the Cheops pyramid lies at 29.9792458 degrees north latitude.

18. The pyramids were not built by slaves, as was previously believed, but by free labor for decent pay.



19. The Great Sphinx guards the pyramids



20. The missing branch of the Nile helped the Egyptians transport materials during the construction of the pyramids



21. It is considered hthen the curse of the pharaoh protects the pyramids and everything that is in them



22. The Pyramid of Cheops is the only one of the 7 wonders of the world that has survived to this day.



23. The Great Pyramid actually has eight sides.