The Great Pyramids of Giza: Seven Wonders of the Ancient World

The pyramids are, in many ways, the most famous ancient wonder of the world. Whether that’s attributed to their mystery, incredible feat of construction, or their sole survival (out of all of the ancient wonders) into the modern era, all marvel at their magnificence. 

The Great Pyramid of Giza was constructed around 2589-2566 B.C. during the reign of Pharaoh Khufu. It stood about 147 meters tall and its base was approximately 230 meters in length. 

The second pyramid was created for Khufu’s son, Pharaoh Khafre, in 2558-2532 B.C. Within the pyramid’s complex at Giza was the largest statue in the world at that time, known as the Great Sphinx (a man’s head on a lion’s body), standing 240 feet long and 66 feet tall. 

Some historians believe that the Great Sphinx is actually significantly older than the pyramids, due to mysterious water damage that implies it existed through a time when Egypt had a much wetter, greener climate, possibly as far back as the 5th or 6th millennia BC. 

The last pyramid was built around 2532-2503 B.C. for Khafre’s son, Pharaoh Menkaure. It was the shortest of the three pyramids in this ancient wonder, standing at only 216 feet tall.

It took over 2.3 million blocks of limestone, 100,000 men, and 20 years to construct the greatest architectural achievement in the ancient world. 

The pyramids are also impressively aligned with astronomical points, which is a mathematical feat in itself.