Necropoli di Giza

Historical Building Cairo, Egypt

The Giza Necropolis is a complex of ancient monuments of Egyptian civilization located on the Giza plateau on the outskirts of Cairo, Egypt. It was one of the necropolises of Memphis, the capital of the Ancient Egyptian Kingdom, and is about 8 km from the ancient city of Giza, on the Nile, and about 25 km from the center of Cairo in a southwesterly direction. Inside there are mainly the Pyramid of Cheops or Great Pyramid - the only one among the seven wonders of the ancient world according to the list drawn up by Antipater of Sidon that has come down to the present day, the Pyramid of Chephren, the Pyramid of Menkaure and the Sphinx, surrounded by other small buildings, known as the Pyramids of the Queens, funerary temples, processional ramps, valley temples and cemeteries from various periods.

The perfect pyramidal shape was adopted by the Egyptian builders because in addition to the cult of the pharaohs, that of the Sun was also practiced: the corners of the Pyramid would represent the sun's rays that descend to the earth and the Pyramid itself the ladder to ascend to heaven. The Egyptians were very precise in orienting each of the four faces in the direction of one of the cardinal points, as the three great Pyramids of Giza testify.