Khafre’s Pyramid
“Great is Khafre”
Giza - The Places
The Mortuary Complex for Pharaoh Khafre, Giza Necropolis
The Facts and Figures
Pharaoh Khafre’s Pyramid appears to be the tallest Monument on the Giza Necropolis, but this is only due to its lofty location. Its base is 10m higher than the base used for Pharaoh Khufu’s Pyramid
Only Pyramid which has its casing layer virtually intact at its pinnacle
Pharaoh intended his Pyramid and Mortuary Complex to be larger than that of his father’s complex, Pharaoh Khufu’s, but the limit of suitable bedrock on the Plateau reduced its size to its present dimensions
Built: 4th Dynasty, Old Kingdom period and completed in 2570BC
Type: True Pyramid with a slope of 53 degrees
Height: 143.5m originally; Base: 215.25m;
Volume: 2,211,000 Cubic Meters
Materials used: Limestone Blocks for the majority of it; Bottom Casing Stones are Pink Granite, but the rest of the Pyramid was cased with Tura Limestone as Pharaoh Khufu’s Pyramid was. The Tura Limestone was probably quarried from the same Quarry as the Tura Limestone used on Pharaoh Khufu’s Pyramid; this was quarried on the opposite side of the Nile and transported over by Boat
Built over: Approx. 15-20 years
Part of: The Memphis Necropolis, click here for further information
Where: Located in Giza, now part of South West Cairo
Who: Constructed for Pharaoh Khufu’s son, Pharaoh Khafre
The Main Pyramid
There are 2 official entrances to the Pyramid and 1 that was caused by Robbers breaking in
The Burial Chamber was carved out of the Necropolis’ Bedrock floor with a roof of Limestone Beams; it measures 14.15m by 5m; the Sarcophagus is carved from solid Granite and was sunken into the floor
Cult Pyramid
Found on the South face of the Main Pyramid; this smaller Cult Pyramid had 2 descending corridors although little to nothing left today
Solar Boats
Pharaoh Khafre had 5 Solar Boats buried within his Mortuary Complex, but all that remains is the Pits that the Boats were once housed in. Three are located next to the East Face of the main Pyramid and the other two are on its South Side
Mortuary Temple
This was located to the East of the main Pyramid although little is left today. It was the forerunner for every Mortuary Temple that followed it, as it formulated the Planned Layout of an Entrance Hall, a Columned Court, 5 Statue Niche’s, 5 Storage Chambers and the Inner Sanctum, Pharaoh Khafre’s Mortuary Temple was made from an estimated 400 tons of Megalithic Blocks
The Causeway & Valley Temple
Running from Pharaoh Khafre’s Mortuary Temple down to his Valley Temple at a distance of 494.6m long. This may have originally been covered and decorated with reliefs when it was first made.
Valley Temple: Erected from Limestone, Granite, Alabaster and Megalithic Blocks which were “coated” with Red Granite, some of which weighed over 100 tons each, the Valley Temple had a 16 pillared Hall in which statues of Pharaoh were housed. Some of these statues were found in 1860 in a Well in the floor. The Valley Temple connected the Complex with the water at a harbour on the Nile, one of its tributaries or a Canal dug specifically for this purpose
Aerial view of Blocks used for Valley Temple
Blocks used for Valley Temple
Harbour for Valley Temple
Looting
Seemingly, as with most other looting, this was carried out in ancient times and the Main Pyramid seems to have been broken into during the political and royal chaos that ensued during the First Intermediate Period. An Arab Historian, writing in 1372AD catalogued that the pyramid had again been opened, and Arabic writing has been graffitied in the Burial Chamber during the same time period.
