Place+Egypt

The **Great Pyramid of Giza** (also called the **Pyramid of Khufu** and the **Pyramid of Cheops**) is the oldest and largest of the three [|pyramids] in the [|Giza Necropolis] bordering what is now El Giza, [|Egypt]. It is the oldest of the [|Seven Wonders of the Ancient World], and the only one to remain largely intact. It is believed the pyramid was built as a tomb for [|fourth dynasty] [|Egyptian] Pharaoh [|Khufu][|[1]] (Cheops in Greek) and constructed over a 20-year period concluding around 2560 BC. The Great Pyramid was the [|tallest man-made structure] in the world for over 3,800 years, the longest period of time ever held for such a record. Originally the Great Pyramid was covered by casing stones that formed a smooth outer surface; what is seen today is the underlying core structure. Some of the casing stones that once covered the structure can still be seen around the base. There have been varying scientific and alternative theories about the Great Pyramid's construction techniques. Most accepted construction hypotheses are based on the idea that it was built by moving huge stones from a quarry and dragging and lifting them into place. There are three known chambers inside the Great Pyramid. The lowest chamber is cut into the bedrock upon which the pyramid was built and was unfinished. The so-called[|[2]] Queen's Chamber and King's Chamber are higher up within the pyramid structure. The Great Pyramid of Giza is the only pyramid in Egypt known to contain both ascending and descending passages. The main part of the Giza complex is a setting of buildings that included two [|mortuary temples] in honor of Khufu (one close to the pyramid and one near the Nile), three smaller pyramids for Khufu's wives, an even smaller "satellite" pyramid, a raised causeway connecting the two temples, and small [|mastaba] tombs surrounding the pyramid for nobles.The **Great Sphinx of Giza** (or, commonly, the **Sphinx**) is a [|statue] of a reclining or [|couchant] [|sphinx] (a [|mythical creature] with a [|lion]'s body and a human head) that stands on the [|Giza Plateau] on the west bank of the [|Nile] in [|Giza], near modern-day [|Cairo], [|Egypt]. It is the largest [|monolith] statue in the world, standing 73.5 metres (241 ft) long, 6 metres (20 ft) wide, and 20.22 m (66.34 ft) high.[|[1]] It is the oldest known [|monumental sculpture], and is commonly believed to have been built by [|ancient Egyptians] of the [|Old Kingdom] in the reign of the [|pharaoh] [|Khafra] (c. 2558–2532 BC).[|[1]][|[2]] The Sphinx has suffered the ravages of time, man and modern pollution. The rearing cobra headpiece (uraeus) that sat on the king's forehead is lost, the nose is damaged, and the beard now consists of only museum fragments. The Great Sphinx has fallen to disrepair and been mostly covered by sand many times. A massive and expensive restoration and preservation project has been underway from 1950 to the present.