The Pyramids of Giza - The Seventh Wonder of the World

The Pyramids of Giza, one the of Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, were three pyramids constructed on the West Bank of the Nile River. The idea of making a pyramid was first suggested by Imhotep, vizier to king Djoser. Prior to Djoser’s reign, tombs for kings were elaborate mounds.[1] Imhotep had the idea to make a tomb by stacking stones to make a tall, majestic structure. Imhotep’s first design, known as the Step Pyramid, is the oldest pyramid in the world. However, it was not a true pyramid, and kings after Djoser continued to improve on the design, eventually leading to the Pyramids of Giza. The names of the pyramids were Khufu, Khafre, and Menkaure, which were the names of the kings for which they were built.[2] The largest and oldest of the three pyramids was called the Great Pyramid and was built for Khufu, while the middle pyramid was built for Khafre, and the smallest pyramid was built for Menkaure.[3] All three pyramids have been plundered by grave robbers, and no longer stand at their original heights.

According to the Greek historian Herodotus the pyramids took twenty years to build.[4] The most plausible answer to how the pyramid was built is that Egyptians used a sloping ramp of dirt around the outside of the pyramid that rose in height to the top of the pyramid, and remained the tallest man-made structure until the middle ages.

[1] Mark, Joshua J. “Great Pyramid of Giza.” Ancient History Encyclopedia. (Accessed August 11, 2019) https://www.ancient.eu/Great_Pyramid_of_Giza/.

[2] Mark. “Great Pyramid of Giza.”

[3] Handwerk, Brian. “Pyramids at Giza.” National Geographic. (Accessed August 11, 2019) https://www.nationalgeographic.com/archaeology-and-history/archaeology/giza-pyramids/.

[4] Herodotus. The Histories. 2.