Memphis and its Necropolis - the Pyramid Fields from Giza to Dahshur*
UNESCO World Heritage Site
State Party	Egypt
Type	Cultural
Criteria	i, iii, vi
Reference	86
Region†	Egypt
Inscription history
Inscription	1979  (3rd Session)
* Name as inscribed on World Heritage List. † Region as classified by UNESCO.

19th-century tourists in front of the Sphinx - view from South-East, Great Pyramid in background

The Giza Necropolis stands on the Giza Plateau, on the outskirts of Cairo, Egypt. This complex of ancient monuments is located some eight kilometres (5 mi) inland into the desert from the old town of Giza on the Nile, some 25 kilometres (12.5 mi) southwest of Cairo city centre. The Great pyramid is the only remaining monument of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. For other uses, see Memphis. ... Please wikify (format) this article or section as suggested in the Guide to layout and the Manual of Style. ... A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a specific site (such as a forest, mountain, lake, desert, monument, building, complex, or city) that has been nominated and confirmed for inclusion on the list maintained by the international World Heritage Programme administered by the UNESCO World Heritage Committee, composed of 21 State... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 532 pixelsFull resolution (4372 × 2906 pixel, file size: 4. ... As of 2006, there are a total of 830 World Heritage Sites located in 138 State Parties. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Egypt. ... A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a specific site (such as a forest, mountain, lake, desert, monument, building, complex, or city) that has been nominated and confirmed for inclusion on the list maintained by the international World Heritage Programme administered by the UNESCO World Heritage Committee, composed of 21 State... A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a specific site (such as a forest, mountain, lake, desert, monument, building, complex, or city) that has been nominated and confirmed for inclusion on the list maintained by the international World Heritage Programme administered by the UNESCO World Heritage Committee, composed of 21 State... Image File history File links 19th Century Tourists at the Sphynx & Pyramids of Giza, from a period stereopticon card photo, from collection of Infrogmation asdasdasdasdasd File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Image File history File links 19th Century Tourists at the Sphynx & Pyramids of Giza, from a period stereopticon card photo, from collection of Infrogmation asdasdasdasdasd File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... For other uses, see Cairo (disambiguation). ... “Miles” redirects here. ... Gizeh is also a popular brand in Germany of cigarette rolling papers; see Mascotte (rolling papers). ... For other uses, see Nile (disambiguation). ... For other meanings, see pyramid (disambiguation). ... This article is about the Seven Ancient Wonders. ...

Description

This Ancient Egyptian necropolis consists of the Pyramid of Khufu (known as the Great Pyramid and the Pyramid of Cheops), the somewhat smaller Pyramid of Khafre (or Chephren) a few hundred metres to the south-west, and the relatively modest-size Pyramid of Menkaure (or Mykerinus) a few hundred meters further south-west, along with a number of smaller satellite edifices, known as "queens" pyramids, causeways and valley pyramids. The Great Sphinx lies on the east side of the complex, facing east. Current consensus among Egyptologists is that the head of the Great Sphinx is that of Khafre. Associated with these royal monuments are the tombs of high officials and much later burials and monuments (from the New Kingdom onwards), signifying the reverence to those buried in the necropolis. The pyramids are the most recognizable symbols of the civilization of ancient Egypt. ... For the record label, see Necropolis Records. ... The Great Pyramid of Giza is the oldest and largest of the three pyramids in the Giza Necropolis bordering what is now Cairo, Egypt in Africa, and is the only remaining member of the Seven Wonders of the World. ... The Pyramid of Khafre and the Great Sphinx of Giza Khafres Pyramid, is the second largest of the ancient Egyptian Pyramids of Giza and the tomb of the fourth-dynasty pharaoh Khafre (Chephren). ... Menkaures Pyramid, located on the Giza Plateau on the southwestern outskirts of Cairo, Egypt, is the smallest of the three Pyramids of Giza. ... The Great Sphinx of Giza, with the Pyramid of Khafre in the background. ... The New Kingdom is the period in ancient Egyptian history between the 16th century BCE and the 11th century BC, covering the Eighteenth, Nineteenth, and Twentieth Dynasties of Egypt. ...

Of the three, only Menkaure's Pyramid is seen today without any of its original polished limestone casing, with Khafre's Pyramid retaining a prominent display of casing stones at its apex, while Khufu's Pyramid maintains a more limited collection at its base. It is interesting to note that Khafre's Pyramid appears larger than the adjacent Khufu Pyramid by virtue of its more elevated location, and the steeper angle of inclination of its construction – it is, in fact, smaller in both height and volume. The most active phase of construction here was in the 25th century BC. The ancient remains of the Giza necropolis have attracted visitors and tourists since classical antiquity, when these Old Kingdom monuments were already over 2,000 years old. It was popularised in Hellenistic times when the Great Pyramid was listed by Antipater of Sidon as one of the Seven Wonders of the World. Today it is the only one of the ancient Wonders still in existence. For other uses, see Limestone (disambiguation). ... // The ruined pyramid of Userkaf at Saqqara. ... Classical antiquity is a broad term for a long period of cultural history centered on the Mediterranean Sea, which begins roughly with the earliest-recorded Greek poetry of Homer (7th century BC), and continues through the rise of Christianity and the fall of the Western Roman Empire (5th century AD... The Old Kingdom is the name commonly given to that period in the 3rd millennium BC when Egypt attained its first continuous peak of civilization in complexity and achievement – this was the first of three so-called Kingdom periods, which mark the high points of civilization in the lower Nile... The term Hellenistic (derived from HéllÄ“n, the Greeks traditional self-described ethnic name) was established by the German historian Johann Gustav Droysen to refer to the spreading of Greek culture over the non-Greek people that were conquered by Alexander the Great. ... Antipater of Sidon (2nd century BC) is an ancient Greek writer and poet best known for his list of Seven Wonders of the World. ... For other uses, see Wonders of the World (disambiguation). ...

Due largely to 19th-century images, the pyramids of Giza are generally thought of by foreigners as lying in a remote, desert location, even though they are located in what is now part of the most populous city in Africa [1]. Consequently, urban development reaches right up to the perimeter of the antiquities site, to the extent that in the 1990s, Pizza Hut and KFC restaurants opened across the road [2]. The ancient sites in the Memphis area, including those at Giza, together with those at Saqqara, Dahshur, Abu Ruwaysh, and Abusir, were collectively declared a World Heritage Site in 1979 [3]. Pizza Hut Inc. ... KFC, also known as Kentucky Fried Chicken, is a food chain based in Louisville, Kentucky, known mainly for its fried chicken. ... For other uses, see Memphis. ... Saqqara Saqqara or Sakkara, Saqqarah (Arabic: سقارة) is a vast, ancient burial ground in Egypt, featuring the worlds oldest standing step pyramid (). It is located some 30 km south of modern-day Cairo and covers an area of around 7 km by 1. ... Please wikify (format) this article or section as suggested in the Guide to layout and the Manual of Style. ... The pyramids of Egypt, some of which are among the largest man-made constructions ever conceived , constitute one of the most potent and enduring symbols of Ancient Egyptian civilization. ... The Pyramids of Nyuserre Ini and Neferirkare Kakai at Abusir, viewed from the south-east Abusir or Abu Sir is the name given to an Egyptian archaeological locality - specifically, an extensive necropolis of the Old Kingdom period, together with later additions - in the vicinity of the modern capital Cairo. ... A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a specific site (such as a forest, mountain, lake, desert, monument, building, complex, or city) that has been nominated and confirmed for inclusion on the list maintained by the international World Heritage Programme administered by the UNESCO World Heritage Committee, composed of 21 State...

Construction of the Great Pyramid

Further information: Egyptian pyramid construction techniques

The techniques by which the Egyptian pyramids were built is a matter of much speculation. ...

Astronomy

The sides of all three of the Giza pyramids were astronomically oriented to be north-south and east-west within a small fraction of a degree. Among recent attempts ^[1] to explain such a clearly deliberate pattern are those of S. Haack, O. Neugebauer, K. Spence, D. Rawlins, K. Pickering, and J. Belmonte. Dennis Rawlins (1937 Baltimore, Maryland, U.S. –) is an American astronomer, historian, and publisher, known [1] for his intellect and acerbic wit. ...

Alternative theories

Group photo of Australian soldiers on the Great Pyramid of Giza (1915)

Although hypotheses put forward by Robert Bauval are by nature universally regarded by mainstream archaeologists ^[2] and Egyptologists as a form of pseudoscience, Robert Bauval and Adrian Gilbert (1994) proposed that the three main pyramids at Giza form a pattern on the ground identical to a conjunction of the three belt stars of the Orion constellation. This conjunction, they claimed, was exact, and it occurred precisely at the date 10,450 BC. Download high resolution version (800x783, 235 KB)Group portrait of the Australian 11th (Western Australia) Battalion, 3rd Infantry Brigade, Australian Imperial Force posing on the Great Pyramid of Giza in early 1915, prior to the landing at Gallipoli. ... Download high resolution version (800x783, 235 KB)Group portrait of the Australian 11th (Western Australia) Battalion, 3rd Infantry Brigade, Australian Imperial Force posing on the Great Pyramid of Giza in early 1915, prior to the landing at Gallipoli. ... Robert Bauval was born on 5 March 1948 in Alexandria, Egypt to parents of Belgian origin. ... For referencing in Wikipedia, see Wikipedia:Citing sources. ... The Great Sphinx of Giza against Khafres Pyramid at the Giza pyramid complex. ... A typical 18th century phrenology chart. ... Adrian Gilbert (Born July 1949) is an bestselling British author and independent publisher who lives in Dorset, England. ... Orion (IPA: ), a constellation often referred to as The Hunter, is a prominent constellation, one of the largest and perhaps the best-known and most conspicuous in the sky[1]. Its brilliant stars are found on the celestial equator and are visible throughout the world, making this constellation globally recognized. ... Conjunction is a term used in positional astronomy and astrology. ... The Upper Paleolithic (or Upper Palaeolithic) is the third and last subdivision of the Paleolithic or Old Stone Age as it is understood in Europe, Africa and Asia. ...

Further reading

• Lehner, Dr. Mark, "The Complete Pyramids", Thames & Hudson, 1997. ISBN 0-500-05084-8.
• Manley, Bill (Ed.), "The Seventy Great Mysteries of Ancient Egypt", Thames & Hudson. ISBN 0-500-05123-2.
• "Mysteries of Egypt" National Geographic Society, 1999. ISBN 0-7922-9752-0.
• Rhys-Davies, John, "Riddles of the monument builders: Who built the Sphinx", Time-Life Video, 1995.
• Wirsching, Armin, "Die Pyramiden von Giza - Mathematik in Stein gebaut: Stationen der Sonne auf ihrem Lauf durch das Jahr", Books on Demand, 2006. ISBN 978-8334-5492-9.
• Stadelmann, Rainer, "Die aegyptischen Pyramiden. Vom Ziegelbau zum Weltwunder", Von Zabern, Mainz, 1997. ISBN 3-8053-1142-7.

Thames & Hudson (also Thames and Hudson and sometimes T&H for brevity) are a publisher, especially of art and illustrated books, founded in 1949 by Walter and Eva Neurath. ...

References

1. ^ E. g., Nature, November 16, 2000, and August 16, 2001; DIO, volume 13, number 1, pages 2-11 (2003)
2. ^ Lehner 1997

External links

• 3D model of the pyramids for use in Google Earth
• Pyramid Photographs on GlobalAmity.net
• digital.egypt - QTVR fullscreen panoramas on Giza Plateau
• Pyramids in Giza Pictures of Giza Pyramids published under Creative Commons License
• [4] 3D virtual tour explaining Houdin's theory (plug in needed)

v • d • e World Heritage Sites in Egypt

Abu Mena · Islamic Cairo · Memphis and its Necropolis – the Pyramid Fields from Giza to Dahshur · Nubian Monuments from Abu Simbel to Philae · Saint Catherine Area · Ancient Thebes with its Necropolis · Wadi Al-Hitan (Whale Valley) A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a specific site (such as a forest, mountain, lake, desert, monument, building, complex, or city) that has been nominated and confirmed for inclusion on the list maintained by the international World Heritage Programme administered by the UNESCO World Heritage Committee, composed of 21 State... Abu Mena (also Abu Mina) was a town, monastery complex and Christian pilgrimage center in Late Antique Egypt, about 45 km southwest of Alexandria. ... Islamic Cairo is a part of central Cairo often visited by tourists because of its high proportion of historically important mosques and other Islamic monuments. ... For other uses, see Memphis. ... Please wikify (format) this article or section as suggested in the Guide to layout and the Manual of Style. ... Model showing the relative positions of the Abu Simbel temples before and after relocation Categories: Ancient Egypt stubs | Wonders of the World ... Philae (or Pilak or Paaleq [Egyptian: remote place or the end or the angle island]; [Arabic: Anas el Wagud]) is an island in the Nile River and the previous site of an Ancient Egyptian temple complex in southern Egypt. ... St. ... Thebes Thebes (, ThÄ“bai) is the Greek designation of the ancient Egyptian niwt (The) City and niwt-rst (The) Southern City. It is located about 800 km south of the Mediterranean, on the east bank of the river Nile (). Thebes was the capital of Waset, the fourth Upper Egyptian nome... Wadi Al-Hitan (Arabic: , Whale Valley) is a palaeontological site in the Al Fayyum Governorate of Egypt. ...

Coordinates: 29°58′34″N, 31°07′58″E Image File history File links Flag_of_Egypt. ... Map of Earth showing lines of latitude (horizontally) and longitude (vertically), Eckert VI projection; large version (pdf, 1. ...