The only remaining structure of the 7 Wonders of the Ancient World.
The Great Pyramid of Khufu in Giza, Cairo is the oldest structure in existence and it is so advanced, even using modern technology, it can’t be duplicated today.
The Great Pyramid is the sole remaining structure of the 7 Wonders of the World.
It is built in the exact centre of the Earth’s land mass and faces true North. Although it can’t be detected by looking at the Pyramid from the ground, all four sides are slightly bowed. All of these intentionally cut bowed stone blocks duplicate the exact curvature of the earth, in other words – the radius of this bow is equal to the radius of the Earth.
Each of the Pyramids four walls, when measured as a straight line make a total of 36,524 inches – if you move the decimal point over you get, 365.24. This is the exact length of the solar year as measured by modern science.
You just can’t appreciate its sheer size until you’ve seen it, up close and personal. The features of the Great Pyramid are so large that they can be seen from the moon and its base covers over 13.5 acres which is equivalent to more than 7 football pitches.
A protective layer of casing stones surrounded the outer layer of the Pyramid. These were made from a beautifully bright, polished stone. It would have had a similar appearance to marble and were so shiny they could have been seen from the mountains of Israel, hundreds of miles away. Unfortunately, these casing stones were all stolen about 600 years ago which is why the Great Pyramid has a worn appearance.
So more than 4,600 years ago, the massive surface stones were cut and laid (within 0.02cm) perfectly straight and at nearly perfect right angles for all six sides. That’s an incredible accuracy of less than one mm for a stone that weighed on average, 15 tons. Some stones are estimated to weigh as much as 70 tons.
Yet the Great Pyramid didn’t contain a pharaoh’s body, a treasure chamber, or any treasures. There is still much mystery surrounding the Great Pyramid, for example the secret chambers that haven’t been possible to explore yet. Some people believe that Khufu is still in a secret burial chamber within the Great Pyramid.
The Great Pyramid will always continue to fascinate and confuse people for we still have so much to learn and there is so much we will never know.
If you are looking for a tour and not finding what you are looking for, have a look at our best other related tours to check out for your travel plans. At Encounters Travel, we offer a variety of tours to suit your needs. So sit back, relax, and let us help you plan the perfect getaway.
Need some travel inspiration or looking for some handy travel tips? Our blog provides excellent insight into our travel destinations - from tour updates to country guides, packing lists to little known things to do, you'll find it all in our travel blog.