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| Khafra |
The Great Pyramid was only the first of the three
impressive structures erected on the plateau of Giza, which gave the Old
Kingdom the title “Pyramid Age”. The Fourth Dynasty’s passion for pyramid-building
continued to be passed on to Khufu’s descendants. Khufu’s son, Khafra (or
Chepren in Greek) attempted to outdo his father and took up a challenge at Giza
beside Khufu’s Great Pyramid. The pyramid of Khafra, being built on higher
ground, managed to rise even higher than its neighbour, although it was
actually second in size. Covering the top is the gleaming casing of white limestone
transported by boats from quarries across the Nile. This casing was laid over interior
limestone blocks which were cut from the surrounding Giza site.
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| Pyramid of Khafra |
It was conjectured that in the course of
freeing these interior blocks, quarrymen struck a steam of harder rock they
avoided, leaving behind a hill. Khafra subsequently had this hill carved out in
the shape of a recumbent lion bearing his own face – our famous Sphinx. The
Greeks misunderstood this earliest colossal royal statue of Egypt for a woman
(perhaps taking its headdress for long hair). During the New Kingdom, the Sphinx
was regarded as a manifestation of the sun god. Between its paws is the famous
Dream Stela, an inscribed tablet that records the promise to Tuthmosis IV that
the sun god would ensure his accession to the throne should he clear away the
sand that had drifted around the Sphinx and carry any necessary repairs.
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| The Sphinx possibly bearing Khafra's face |
Khafra’s son, Menkaura (or Mycerinus in
Greek) erected the last pyramid of Giza. Despite being half in size of its
neighbours at 218 feet in height, it is distinguished by a notable casing of
hard red granite transported from Aswan 500 miles to the south. The casing only
covers the bottom quarter of the pyramid as Menkaura died unexpectedly after a
reign of 28 years, leaving his pyramid incomplete. The reason for the pyramid’s
smaller size is unclear. Perhaps the building spree by his father, grandfather and
great-grandfather had put too great a pressure on Egypt’s resources, or lack of
suitable location on the plateau.
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| Pyramid of Menkaure |
With this myriad of pyramids, the Giza
plateau became virtually a city of the dead, laid out in orderly streets lined
with several other smaller pyramids of princesses and queens, as well as
hundreds of tombs for favoured nonroyal courtiers or royal sons.
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| Menkaura and his Queen |
How did ancient Egyptians construct these massive monuments that would have required intensive act of labour? Were it not for the two months every year when the Nile's water covered Egypt's farmland, leaving the entire workforce idle, none of these monuments would have been possible. During such times, a Pharaoh would have offered food for work and the promise of a good afterlife where he would later go to rule. In these two months, workmen gathered by ten of thousands from all over the Kingdom to help their Pharaoh complete his eternal resting place that would survive for 4,600 years.
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