The second pyramid between three pyramids in Giza plateau, the pyramid of king khafre, one of the well-known kings who ruled Egypt during the reign of the old kingdom in the fourth dynasty. Between 2558b.c to 2532b.c .
Location
The pyramid lies in the heart of Giza plateau next to the pyramid of Cheops and the pyramid of mykinours, to the southwestern side of the great pyramid of Cheops, and eastern, northern side of the mysterious pyramid.
The size
The measurements of this pyramid are smaller than the measurements of the great pyramid, the base of the pyramid has a length on each side around 215.5 meters, the height rises to 136 meters. The pyramid is built of limestone blocks weighing more than 2 tons for each block.
The site of Khafre’s pyramid is 10 meters higher than the site of the great pyramid; that is why it looks higher than the great one.
History
For the first time, this pyramid was robbed during the first intermediate period. Later on, during the nineteenth century, blocks of this pyramid were taken to build a temple for king Ramses the second.
Inside the pyramid, there is Arabic graffiti that dates back to the year 1327 a.d, and most probably, it was the first entry to the burial chamber in the pyramid from ancient times.
It is not known precisely when the casing stones of the pyramid were robbed. A critical opinion said by a professor of astronomy called john greaves to assume that until the year 1646, the casing part of the pyramid still existed like Cheops’s pyramid, without any branches or inequalities except on the southern side the pyramid.
The official pyramid discovery was in 1818 by Italian archaeologist Belzoni, who hoped to discover the inside chamber intact. Still, regardless it was an empty and empty sarcophagus.
After that, the discovery of Belzoni was completed by john Perrin in 1837 and Auguste Mariette in 1858. He also discovered the dolerite statue of king khafre.
Construction
Like the Great Pyramid, a rock outcropping was used in the core. Due to the plateau slope, the northwest corner was cut 10 m out of the rock subsoil, and the southeast corner is built up.
The pyramid is built of horizontal courses. The stones used at the bottom are huge, but as the pyramid rises, the stones become smaller, becoming only 50 cm thick at the pyramid’s peak. The courses are rough and irregular for the first half of its height, but a narrow band of regular masonry is evident in the midsection of the pyramid. At the northwest corner of the pyramid, the bedrock was fashioned into steps. Casing stones cover the top third of the pyramid, but the pyramidion and part of the apex are missing.
The bottom course of casing stones was made out of pink granite, but the remainder of the pyramid was cased in Tura Limestone. Examination reveals that the corner edges of the remaining casing stones are not entirely straight but are staggered by a few millimeters. One theory is that this is due to settling from seismic activity. An alternative theory supposes that: the slope on the blocks cut to shape before being placed due to limited working space towards the pyramid’s top.
Inside the pyramid
There are two entrances to the burial chamber of the pyramid:
- First 11 meters up the face of the pyramid.
- Second on the base of the pyramid.
Both don’t align with the centerline of the pyramid. The lower descending pathway is carved entirely out of the bedrock, sloped, running horizontal, then ascending to join the horizontal pathway leading to the burial chamber.
The most speculative theory reveals the reason behind containing two entrances in this pyramid because king khafre planned to make a more enormous pyramid than his father’s pyramid. Would place the entrance to the lower descending passage within the building of the pyramids. At the same time, the bedrock is cut away farther from the pyramid on the north side than on the west side.
Another theory assumes that, like in earlier pyramids, building the pyramids was changed through construction.
Inside the pyramid, there is a subsidiary chamber similar in length to the Cheops’s chamber. It opens from the west of the lower corridor for unclear purposes. Maybe it was used as a store for burial equipment or offering or even as a false burial chamber.
The upper descending corridor is clad in granite and joins the horizontal corridor to the burial chamber.
The burial chamber
The burial chamber is rectangular 14.5 * 5 meters. It is carved out in a hole in the bedrock of the pyramid. The roof is perfectly built from gabled limestone beams. The sarcophagus of khafre is made of solid granite stone and sunk partially on the floor; Belzoni found in this sarcophagus animal bone, most probably bull, in another hole was a canopic chest which contained the internal organs of the mummy.
There are two small rectangular holes in the burial chamber walls, remarkably like the openings of the ‘air shafts’ found in the Great pyramid burial chambers.
Khafre's temples
The temples inside the pyramid complex of king khafre are in much better condition than the temple in the pyramid complex of King Cheops.
Especially the valley temple, which is substantially preserved. To the east of the pyramid lies the mortuary temple. However, it is in ruins. It somehow survives to understand its plan.
It is bigger than the valley temple containing the five elements of the mortuary temple: sanctuary, five storerooms, five niches for the king, columned hall, entrance hall. There were approximately 50 statues for the king, might be destroyed or recycled by the new kingdom during the reign of King Ramses the second.
Causeway and valley temple
The causeway runs about 494 to the mortuary temple, which is similar to the valley temple. The square shape pillars in this temple were built from solid granite. The floor was paved by white alabaster. The outer wall was built of huge blocks weights around 100 tonnes, but clear from any decorations.
Inside this temple, the entrance through vestibule leads to a hall with sockets containing 23 statues for king khafre
sphinx
There are many theories and explanations about the sphinx; some archeologists assume that the sphinx attested to the pyramid complex of khafre. Still, I think it should be a separate article for sphinx itself.