Overview
- Features:
- Opening Times: 7:30 am to 4:00 pm, daily
- Best Time to Visit: Early morning
- Duration: 1 to 2 hours
- Travelled By: On the Go Tours
- Cost:
- Address: Giza Necropolis, Egypt
- Type: Monument
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Summary
Southwest of the Great Pyramid of Giza, the Pyramid of Khafre (also called Khephren) appears larger than the pyramid of his father, Khufu. At just 136 m high, it’s not, but it is built on higher ground and its peak is still capped with a limestone casing.
Pyramid of Khafre
Southwest of the Great Pyramid of Giza, the Pyramid of Khafre (also called Khephren) appears larger than the pyramid of his father, Khufu. At just 136 m high, it’s not, but it is built on higher ground and its peak is still capped with a limestone casing.
A unique feature of the Pyramid of Khafre is that the summit of the pyramid is the only area that retains the limestone casing that originally covered all three pyramids. Originally all three pyramids were totally encased with polished white stone, which would have made them gleam in the sun. The rest was taken and used in palaces and mosques of the medieval rulers of Cairo over the centuries, exposing the softer inner-core stones to the elements.
This pyramid is a lot easier to visit than its bigger neighbour, both because it’s smaller and because there are generally fewer people, which is something to consider when you’re fighting for tickets or simply trying to have a relaxed day on the plateau.
Tickets are sold at the kiosk in front of the pyramid.
Inside the Pyramid of Khafre
The chambers and passageways of the Pyramid of Khafre are less elaborate than those in the Great Pyramid, but are just as claustrophobic.
On entering the pyramid there are two descending passageways converging and leading to the single tomb chamber. Whereas Khufu’s tomb chamber sits high up inside the structure, Khafre’s is dug deep into the bedrock beneath his pyramid. There is little to see except the king’s large granite sarcophagus.
Khafre’s Funerary Temple
Back outside, to the east of the pyramid, are the substantial remains of Khafre’s funerary temple and the flagged paving of the causeway that provided access from the Nile to the tomb. Khafre’s mortuary temple still has parts of a small sanctuary and a courtyard, and sections of the 500-m (550-yard) granite-lined causeway are still visible.
