King Khufu

Khufu, who was also known as Cheops, was the son of King Snefru and Queen Hetep-heres I. He had four wives, two of them were unknown queens, the other two were Meritates and Henutsen. Khufu had six sons and three daughters. He eventually became the second king of the fourth Dynasty, in the Old kingdom.(Clayton,42)

One of Khufu's great accomplishments was the building of the Great Pyramid of Giza. Out of the four pyramids at Giza, Khufu's is the largest. This pyramid contains more than two million stones, that weigh about 2.5 tons each. It also is one of the seven wonders of the world. Not only was Khufu's pyramid the largest of the ones at Giza, it is the largest stone structure in the world.(Lassieur,37)

The location of the Great Pyramid was important because the plateau on which it was built was made of limestone, which the pyramid was constructed of. The Great Pyramid was finally completed in 2566 B.C. Each side of the pyramid was originally 754 feet in length, but now each side is 745 feet in length. The pyramid was originally 481 feet tall. Currently the pyramid is 449 feet tall.

In order to build the Great Pyramid, a great deal of manpower was necessary. Khufu had the advantage of witnessing the construction of pyramids of his father, Sneferu. This knowledge of basic pyramid structure, could have helped him while building the Great Pyramid.

Besides being the largest and most detailed pyramid in the world, the Great Pyramid served as the tomb of Khufu. There has been a discovery of boats in this tomb. It is believed that the boats were needed in order for the King to complete his journey to the after-life.

Today the Great Pyramid is the most visited site in Egypt, though it lacks its original luster "The Pyramid of Khufu, though not the oldest in Egypt, nevertheless has become a symbol of long lasting durability.(source)

Lassieur,Allison. The Ancient Egyptians. San Diego, California. Lucent Books, Inc. 2001

Clayton,Peter. Chronicle of the Pharaohs. New York:Thames and Hudson Inc. 1994