 The Pyramid of Khafre and the Sphinx, Giza. |
Khafre's Pyramid, Giza
The Pyramid of Khafre is the second largest pyramid at Giza, with an area of 702 sq ft and a height of 470 ft. It is recognizable as the only one with a smooth limestone cap. The pyramid was constructed from limestone and granite blocks weighing about 2.5 tons each.
The Pyramid of Khafre was built for Khufu's son Pharaoh Khafre in 2532 BCE, at the end of Khafre's reign.
Khafre's pyramid looks taller than the Great Pyramid of Khufu because it stands on a slightly higher part of the plateau, it has a steeper angle, and because its summit retains part of its fine limestone casing, brought from the quarries at Tura in the cliffs on the eastern bank of the Nile.
Like the Great Pyramid, the Pyramid of Khafre includes five boat pits (with no boats), together with mortuary and valley temples and a connecting causeway some 430 yards long carved out of the living rock.
The burial chamber, which is underground, contains a red granite sarcophagus with its lid. Next to this is a square cavity that presumably once held the chest containing the pharaoh's insides.
Visitor Information for Khafre's Pyramid
| Location: | Giza, Egypt |
| Hours: | Daily 8-4 |
| Cost: | £e20; additional £e10 to use your camera (no video recorders). |
More Information on Khafre's Pyramid
- Khafre's Pyramid – NOVA Online
- Satellite image of the Pyramids of Giza – Google Maps
