This is immense. This is immense. There’s no clear start or finish. I’m not quite sure where to begin. People are left speechless when they witness the beauty of the pyramids even now, shining brightly in the sunlight. I can only imagine that when the sun rises each day, it first greets these incredible structures built by humans 4,500 years ago. So mighty and powerful that when folks say nature surpasses human creations, this challenges that idea, showing that nature cannot or will not erase them.
If we think like regular folks, maybe Khufu and Khafre were just human beings too—I’m not sure who honored whom—did humans honor nature by building such monuments, or did nature honor them?
Anyway, the Necropolis is enormous, and there are people who have dedicated their entire lives to understanding it, yet they still can’t figure it out. Were they really human beings who made this?
Today, by God’s grace and inspired by my son, I find myself standing in front of the Great Pyramids, and I can hardly believe it. I pinch my hand to check, and yes, I’m really here on Earth today. I feel like a lucky guy to witness this vast landscape of mountains spread out before me.
The bus carrying a group of history enthusiasts stopped at the entrance of the Giza Necropolis. The entry fee isn’t much—just 700 Egyptian pounds, which allows you to enter one of the pyramids and then wander through the necropolis until your heart is content.
A huge sign greets us—”Man fears time, but time fears pyramids. “So true.
The first thing that holds me back is the Exhibition Hall, where I’m connected to a few artifacts that most visitors overlook in their rush, and these few were actually the technology of building pyramid.
Wooden sledge—Middle Kingdom, 12th dynasty, 1961 BC-1917 BC—H-78.1 cm, W-175.3 cm, D-22.2 cm, medium wood. Currently housed in the Metropolitan Museum of arts , New York
Papyrus rope—New Kingdom, 18th dynasty 1353 BC-1336 BC, medium—papyrus fiber. Currently housed in the San Diego Museum of arts, SD
Roller—11th dynasty, 2005 BC-1985 BC, medium—sycamore fig, acacia, tamarisk wood
In pyramid construction, wooden sledges and papyrus ropes were simple but essential technologies. Their role shows how Egyptians used physics, organization, and local materials rather than machines. Wooden sledges were used to transport massive stone blocks from quarries to the pyramid site. Stone blocks were placed on wooden sledges (flat runners), teams of workers pulled the sledge across the ground, and the sand in front of the sledge was wetted with water, reducing friction and making heavy loads easier to move. It allowed transport of stones weighing 2–15 tons without wheels.
Papyrus rope was used to pull, lift, secure, and control stone blocks. Papyrus was abundant along the Nile. But wooden rollers were a problem in Egypt due to scarce availability. High-quality wood (cedar, pine) was imported from Lebanon.
They used all these technologies in ramps, and maybe a zig-zag ramp was used to lift stone to a higher altitude.
Lets have a look at the family chart of old kingdom kings whose pyramids, temple and mastabas are in this necropolis.
Looking at the history of pyramids, the very first one was constructed by Pharaoh Djoser during the 3rd dynasty around 2670 BCE. It marked a shift from the mastaba tomb (a rectangular structure with sloping sides and a flat top) and was further developed by Snefru, Khufu’s father, into a smooth-sided pyramid located in Dashr, about 40 km from Cairo. The key difference between Snefru’s pyramid and Khufu’s pyramid is that Snefru’s pyramid has varying angles, while Khufu’s pyramid maintains a consistent angle and is smooth.
Below is verbatim from the display board in the exhibition hall at Giza Necropolis and is worth reading.
King Khufu—third pharaoh of the Fourth Dynasty of Egypt
As a child, he witnessed the grand building projects of his father, Snefru, who built the first true pyramid of Ancient Egypt through remarkable innovation. Inspired by Snefru’s legacy, Khufu embarked on a journey to build a colossal funerary complex. His determination resulted in one of history’s most iconic structures: the Great Pyramid of Giza.
Not much is known about this great king; however, we can paint a clear picture of Khufu’s reign through the existence of his massive building project. The materials used during construction were gathered from the entire country, and some, such as cedar wood, were imported from neighboring states. This points to a time of unity in Egypt and strong diplomatic and trading relations within the region.
Egypt must have been socially and politically secure enough to withstand such large spending of resources. This level of stability, resource management, and centralized power of Egypt during early Ancient Egypt set the foundations for what would become one of history’s greatest civilizations.
Despite a lack of evidence, the power Khufu held is indisputable. The legacy of his Great Pyramid inspired his descendants to follow in his footsteps and continues to inspire millions of people worldwide every day.
King Khafre—fourth pharaoh of the Fourth Dynasty of Egypt
King Khafre, son of Khufu, ascended the throne of Egypt following the death of his two older brothers, Kawab and Djedefre.
With the confidence of a young ruler, Khafre began his reign by initiating the construction of a massive 215 m² pyramid. During his 23 years on the Egyptian throne, he started one of the grandest development projects of the Old Kingdom—his monumental pyramid complex and the Great Sphinx.
Khafre’s funerary complex contained numerous statues of the king, testifying to his desire to be remembered and worshipped after his death. The most famous of these shows Khafre seated on a throne, wearing the nemes headdress, a symbol of royal power, with the falcon god Horus embracing the back of his neck. This statue asserts Khafre’s position as the absolute ruler of Egypt, divinely guided and protected by the gods.
King Menkaure—fifth pharaoh of the Fourth Dynasty and the last king to build a pyramid at Giza.
He succeeded his father Khafre and was the last king to build his pyramid in Giza.
It is believed that during Menkaure’s reign, he strongly aligned with his role as the son of the sun god Ra. This led to the construction of large temples to worship the son of the sun god after his death. This is evident in Menkaure’s funerary complex, where the pyramid is smaller than that of Khufu and Khafre, yet the temples are bigger and more complex.
Despite his clear intention to build massive and luxurious temples, all elements of Menkaure’s funerary complex were unfinished upon his death. His son and successor, Shepseskaf, completed the construction of his father’s monuments. We see a big hole in Menkaure pyramid. Actually Mamluk ruler Sultan Al-Aziz Uthman ordered the demolition of the pyramids of Giza in 1196 to prove political and religious authority by destroying monuments of the past. But inspite of months efforts, they failed. Surprisingly guide told us that Greeks did this.
Entering the tomb of King Menkaure felt like stepping into a dream, almost like traveling back in time. The interior is entirely sealed off and spotless, but there’s a distinct smell lingering in the air. A lot of tourists choose not to venture inside here.
Three kings later renovated the temples of Menkaure, each leaving behind inscriptions venerating the deceased king. These, along with Menkaure’s extensive cult, attest to this king living in Egyptian memory as one of the great rulers of ancient Egypt.
Behind the Menkaure we can see the small pyramids of queens of Menkaure.
The Great Sphinx
Carved directly out of the bedrock during the 4th Dynasty (c. 2613–2494 BC), the Great Sphinx is the oldest Egyptian colossal statue and stands at a length of around 73 m and a height of approximately 20 m. It is the largest ancient Egyptian sphinx representing a king with the body of a lion, in a clear demonstration of his power.
The evidence points to the Great Sphinx having been carved during the reign of Khafre (c. 2558–2532 BC). Careful archaeological research and chronological study have demonstrated the clear link between the Sphinx and the temple in front of it—the Sphinx Temple—with Khafre’s pyramid complex. This is further supported by analysis of the Great Sphinx’s facial features, which has revealed similarities with those of Khafre.
The Great Sphinx has captured the imagination of travellers and explorers for millennia. Even in ancient Egyptian times, the Sphinx had an important cult. It came to be seen as a manifestation of the sun god and was called Horemakhet (Horus in the Horizon).
Between its paws lies the Dream Stela of Thutmose IV, telling a legend: the young prince once slept in the shadow of the Sphinx, then was buried deep in sand. In a dream, the Sphinx promised him the throne if he cleared the sand choking its body. Thutmose did so—and became king.
Afterall, all this game of Pyramids and biggest exercise on earth was done for what?
The primary reason was eternal life of the king, to ensure in public that pharaoh was son of sun (Ra), his ba (soul, individual personality, character, emotions) can return. Pharaohs wanted to convey to their world that if king fails in afterlife, the ideal Ma’at (truth, justice, harmony) will fail and chaos will return. Of course thinking about the time those days- it may be an honest and firm belief of pharaohs, not the ego.
In this context, as I know in ancient Egypt, there are three main types of temples: the mortuary temple (also known as the funerary temple), the valley temple, and the cult temple.
I specifically asked my guide about the different temples which we can see in the necropolis and fortunately I could find out the mortuary temple and valley temple of Khafre . The mortuary temple was near pyramid of Khafre while the valley temple was near the Sphinx. These temples were connected by a causeway those days.
Entrance hall, Central pillard Hall (statue and procession), Side chambers for purification and storage\rituals and Causeway exit to Mortuary temple are still identifiable yet we see no signage board there.
I had a deep desire to see this temple. Though in ruins now, still we can identify. Apart from identifying the Khafre’s temples I could also locate the Khufu’s mortuary temple on side of his pyramid.
A cult temple is a place where people regularly worship a god or a deified king. Activities in these temples include washing and dressing the divine statue, offering food and drink, burning incense, and reciting hymns and spells, similar to what we see in temples in India or elsewhere today. The key difference is that a cult temple can also feature a statue of the Pharaoh as a deified god.
A mortuary temple (also called funerary temple) is dedicated to the worship of a deceased king and is connected to a tomb or pyramid. In these temples, the ancient Egyptians performed daily rituals to ensure the dead king continued to exist as a god in the afterlife. This included offering food and drink, burning incense, and reciting hymns and spells on a daily basis.
While every mortuary temple is a type of cult temple, not every cult temple serves as a mortuary temple.
The valley temple is where the ancient Egyptians conducted rituals for the arrival, purification, and preparation of the dead king before he was taken to the pyramid. It’s important to note that this temple does not involve daily offerings, long-term worship, or burials inside the temple.
After completing the rituals in the valley temple, the body is then transported to the mortuary temple in a procession. The body moves from the valley temple to the mortuary temple so that the king can be purified, transformed, and eternally worshipped as a god. This journey symbolizes the transition from the living world to the afterlife. The king was revered as Osiris (the lord of the dead) and Ra (the reborn sun). It is in this temple that the king’s ka (spirit, during life and after death) can be sustained forever.
After the rituals in the mortuary temple, the king’s body was taken into the pyramid for burial.
Epilogue
Most of the content in this article comes from my past knowledge, experiences, guidance, and thoughts that I developed after witnessing the vast and timeless epic of structures built by the ancient Egyptian kings around 5000 years ago. I’m sharing this to inspire readers to delve deeper into these creations that seem almost otherworldly.
I traveled to Egypt, and in just two days, I explored Alexandria, which showcases the Ptolemaic and Roman cultural influences. Today, I’m checking out the Great Pyramid from the Old Kingdom period. In the coming days, I’ll be visiting the wonders of the New Kingdom and the temples from the Ptolemaic and Roman times.
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