Giza Pyramids 5

Someone once said that man fears time, but times fears the pyramids (or something to that effect). There certainly is some truth to this statement as not only is the Great Pyramid the oldest of the seven ancient wonders, it is also the only one still standing today. Originally built for the Egyptian Pharaoh Khufu (aka Cheops) of the Fourth Dynasty (Old Kingdom) in approximately 2500 B.C.E., the tomb was the tallest man made structure until the 19th Century. The original entrance was sealed and the entire pyramid was covered with smooth, reflective limestone; however, when the Arabs conquered Egypt, they not only stripped most of the limestone for their own use, but they also created their own entrance until it happened to merge with the original. Within the pyramid itself is the so-called King's Chamber in the middle of the structure (which held the sarcophagus) and the more mysterious Queen's Chamber which is located in the lower reaches of the tomb. Among the more intriguing and persistent mysteries of the Great Pyramid and the three great pyramids in general are the air shafts which seem to point towards specific stars and the arrangement and size of the three pyramids which suggest some connection with the constellation Orion. All and all, one pretty cool ancient wonder, even more so since we can actually see it today.