Khafre's Pyramid
From Biocrawler, the free encyclopedia.
Khafre's Pyramid (29° 58′ 32″ N 31° 07′ 52″ E (http://kvaleberg.com/extensions/mapsources/index.php?params=29_58_32_N_31_07_52_E_scale:50000)), is the second largest of the ancient Egyptian Pyramids of Giza and the tomb of the fourth-dynasty Pharaoh Khafre.
Age and location
The pyramid is believed to have been completed around 2532 BCE, at the end of Khafre's reign. It lies a few hundred meters southwest of its larger neighbor, the Great Pyramid of Khufu, in the Giza necropolis outside of Cairo.
Size and construction
Khafre's Pyramid had an original height of 143.5 m (471 feet). It now stands at 136 m (446 feet) tall with a base of 214.5 m (704 f), covering a total area of about 11 acres. Its angle of incline measures approximately 53°7′48″, which is steeper than the Great Pyramid. This, and its slightly more elevated location often make Khafre's Pyramid appear larger than the Great Pyramid. It is, in fact, smaller in both height and volume.
The pyramid was constructed from limestone and granite blocks weighing about 2.5 tons each. Unlike the Great Pyramid and Menkaure's Pyramid, Khafre's Pyramid retains some of its smooth limestone casing at its apex. Some of these outer blocks weigh about 7 tons.
External links
- NOVA Online - Pyramids - Khafre's Inside Story (http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/pyramid/explore/khafrestory.html)nl:Piramide van Chefren
