Location: 12 km (8 mi)
Southwest of Cairo Map
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Bus: 355, 357 from
Midan Tahrir
Giza Plateau
Open: 8am- 5pm daily
Giza
Pyramids
Open: winter 8am- 4pm daily
summer 8am- 5pm daily
Solar Boat Museum
Open: winter 9am- 4pm daily
summer 9am-
5pm daily
Sound and Light Show
winter: 6:30pm, 7:30pm, 8:30pm
summer 8:30pm, 9:30pm, 10:30pm
The Pyramids of Giza in Egypt are among the most famous and oldest surviving structures known to mankind. They are located on the western edge of the Nile Valley, about eight kilometers southwest of the city of Giza (Giza). They are around 15 km from Cairo city center and are the only surviving one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. They have been a world cultural heritage site since 1979.
Pyramids of Giza Archaeological Site is the largest and most recognizable symbols of the Ancient Egypt. It is the only surviving Wonder of the Ancient World that survived to our days virtually in original condition. Its magnitude and difficulty of construction to this day is the subject of discussion among historians and archaeologists. Exact dating of the construction, names of leaders at the time of construction and even its purpose is still a subject of debates. Our main sources of information are Greek historians who unfortunately lived centuries after its construction. Their version of history and names of those who were supposedly buried here is the only source of information we have.
Modern word "Pyramid" comes from a Greek word "pyros" or "wheat". In the early medieval period during lives of Byzantine bishop Gregory of Nazianzus and scholar Stephanus of Byzantium it was widely believed that Giza Pyramids were constructed by legendary Joseph. In the Old Testament he was sold by his brothers to slavery in Egypt. There he became famous for his incredible ability to predict future. Egyptian pharaoh came to him with a sleep that predicted seven years of good harvests followed by seven years of bad ones. Thus Joseph ordered construction of several granaries around Egyptian lands to prepare population for the incoming years of low harvest thus saving people from starvation. It was believed that Pyramids served as these huge granaries for the wheat. Only in 820 AD workers of the seventh caliph of the Abbasid al- Ma'mun made an entrance inside the Great Pyramid of Giza. This tunnel is currently known as al- Ma'mun tunnel. It became evident that these huge structures didn't have significant space to keep huge stores of wheat.
Prehistory
The pyramid field of Giza has been an important
cemetery since the 1st Dynasty. Large mastabas of the 1st, 2nd and 3rd
dynasties were excavated here. It is unclear to what extent the later
cemetery and pyramids of the Fourth Dynasty destroyed such ancient
tombs.
Construction of the pyramids
The Pyramids of Giza were
built around 2620 to 2500 BC. BC in the 4th Dynasty. They were built on
a limestone plateau measuring around 1000 by 2000 m, with the
construction of the pyramids creating secondary pyramids, temple
complexes, burial grounds and workers' villages. It is noteworthy that
no wheeled carts were used in the construction of the pyramids, although
the Egyptians were probably already familiar with the wheel at that
time. Differences in height during construction may have been overcome
by pulling loads on inclined planes.
Great Pyramid (Cheops
Pyramid)
The largest and probably most famous pyramid is that of
Pharaoh Cheops. He ruled around 2620 to 2580 (according to another
source around 2604 to 2581) BC. The Cheops pyramid was originally 146.6
m high (today: 138.75 m), the sides are on average 230.3 m long and the
recess of the outer cladding is 22 fingers per cubit; This corresponds
to an angle of inclination of 51°50'40". It was built from around 3
million stone blocks, each weighing an average of 2.5 t, and was
completely covered with limestone blocks. Inside is the Great Gallery,
which is 8, 5 m high and 47 m long. The construction of the pyramid was
led by the master builder Hemiunu. At the end of the gallery is the
royal burial chamber, in which the remains of a granite sarcophagus
stand. There is also the so-called queen's chamber and the underground
first burial chamber. At the On the east side of the pyramid are the
remains of the mortuary temple and the path. The valley temple is buried
under the modern city. Southeast of the mortuary temple are the pyramid
complexes for the queens Hetepheres I, Meritites I and Henutsen. In the
solar barge museum on the south side of the Cheops Pyramid is one of the
solar barges excavated and reassembled in 1954. The pyramid complex
contains three smaller queen pyramids and a cult pyramid.
Middle
Pyramid (Chephren Pyramid)
The middle of the three pyramids is that
of Pharaoh Chephren. He ruled from about 2558 to 2532 BC. The Pyramid of
Chephren was originally 143.5 m high (today: 136.4 m), the side length
was 215.25 m and its setback is 21 fingers to a cubit; the angle of
inclination is therefore 53°10'. Like the Great Pyramid, it was
completely covered with limestone slabs. Due to its location about 10 m
higher, it appears even larger than the Great Pyramid due to its only
slightly smaller size and height, and its top protrudes beyond the top,
which is why laypeople often mistake it for the Great Pyramid. A 400 m
long, relief-decorated path leads from the Valley Temple past the Sphinx
Temple and the Great Sphinx of Giza to the mortuary temple and the
pyramid itself. The Valley Temple is 45 m × 45 m in size and 18 m high.
The depressions in the alabaster floor indicate the location of what
were once 23 larger-than-life figures of the pharaoh. South of the
pyramid are the remains of a small cult pyramid.
The 73 m long
sculpture of the Sphinx north of the Valley Temple and the Way of Khafre
was carved out of the rock. The Sphinx's head is covered by a Nemes
headscarf with a uraeus snake on the forehead. The dream stele of
Thutmosis IV stands between the front paws.
Small Pyramid
(Pyramid of Menkaure)
The smallest of the three pyramids is that of
Pharaoh Menkaure. He reigned from about 2532 to 2503 BC. The Pyramid of
Menkaure was originally 65 m high, which makes it less than half as high
as the other two pyramids. The sides are 102.2 m × 104.6 m long (mean
base length 103.4 m), and their setback is 22 fingers to a cubit,
corresponding to an angle of inclination of 51°50', which is comparable
to that of the Great Pyramid is almost identical. The upper part of the
pyramid - like the Great Pyramid and the Great Pyramid of Chephren - was
covered with limestone slabs. However, the lower 16 layers consist of
rose granite surrounds. The associated valley and mortuary temples are
no longer completely preserved. The Cairo Museum now exhibits the statue
groups of Menkaure that were found in the Valley Temple. On the south
side there are three queen pyramids, two of which were designed as step
pyramids.
Tomb of Chentkaus I (so-called “fourth pyramid”)
Southeast of the Pyramid of Khafre, close to the Great Sphinx, is the
tomb of Queen Chentkaus I, who reigned at the end of the 4th Dynasty,
also known as the “Fourth Pyramid of Giza”. This tomb, which was only
researched in 1932, has the character of a two-tiered step pyramid and
was originally designed for a unfinished pyramid kept. The first stage,
measuring 45.8 m × 45.5 m, consists of a rock block that was left
standing in the local quarries, on which the brick, mastaba-like second
stage rises. Like the great pyramids, the structure was clad in
limestone and reached a height of 17 m. This tomb building contained a
settlement for the priesthood and a ship grave, which gave it the
attributes of a full-fledged ruler's grave.
After the 4th Dynasty
Giza was an important cemetery in the Old Kingdom and was probably only
abandoned at the beginning of the First Intermediate Period. Few remains
have survived from the Middle Kingdom, and it is striking that there is
hardly any evidence of a death cult at the pyramids from this period.
However, it was only from the New Kingdom and Late Period that there
were again significant grave complexes in Giza. There is evidence of
restoration work on the temples and pyramids.
The pyramid of Khufu (Cheops), the second pharaoh of
the 4th dynasty, was the earliest and largest of the
pyramids built on the Giza plateau. Before this, the
pyramids were built in Dahshur - there, in
particular, there are two pyramids built by Pharaoh
Snofru, the father of Khufu. But Khufu chose a place
40 kilometers from Dahshur.
The base of the
pyramid was built on rock, which was leveled to
avoid tilting. The original top of the pyramid was
146.7 meters from the base, but later the top was
lost, and currently the height of the pyramid is
137.3 meters. Until 1880, when the two towers of
Cologne Cathedral were added, the Cheops Pyramid was
considered the tallest structure in the world.
Initially, the pyramid had a lining of Tura
limestone, the side of its base was 232.4 meters.
But later the cladding was almost completely lost.
Currently, the sides of its base are 230.4 meters,
and its base area is 5.4 hectares. The angle of
inclination of the walls is 52°52’. About 2.5
million stone blocks were used to build the pyramid,
each with a volume of more than 1 cubic meter.
However, this pyramid was used as a quarry in the
Middle Ages, which is why some of the blocks are now
missing.
The original entrance to the pyramid
was located at an altitude of 15.63 meters on the
north side of the pyramid. But currently another
entrance is used, located almost in the center of
the northern side 10 meters lower than the previous
one. This entrance was cut by ancient robbers.
Inside the pyramid contains three chambers. The
dimensions of the first chamber are 8 by 14 meters,
height - 3.5 meters. It is located at a depth of
about 30 meters below the base. It wasn't finished.
The second chamber is located exactly below the peak
at a height of about 20 meters above the base. It
measures 5.7 by 5.2 meters and has a vaulted ceiling
up to 6.7 meters high. This chamber, which was
previously called the “queen’s tomb,” was also not
finished. The third chamber, called the “tomb of the
king,” is located 42.3 meters above the base, just
south of the axis of the pyramid. Its dimensions are
10.4 by 5.2 meters, height - 5.8 meters. Unlike
other cameras, it was finished. Its walls are lined
with granite slabs, which are carefully polished and
fitted to each other on the sides. The ceiling is
formed from nine heavy monoliths; above it there are
five unloading chambers, their total height is 17
meters. The upper unloading chamber has a gable roof
consisting of large blocks that distribute the
weight to reduce the load on the burial chamber. In
this chamber, on its western side, there is an empty
sarcophagus, hewn from a piece of brown-gray
granite. There are no inscriptions on it, it is
badly damaged. Near all the cells there are smaller
cells (“hallways”), connected by corridors or
shafts. Some of the mines lead to dead ends.
The large gallery leading to the burial chamber is
47 meters long and 8.5 meters high, with an
inclination angle of 26°. Its walls are lined with
polished limestone slabs, laid in 8 layers, which
overlap the adjacent one by 5-6 centimeters.
Next to the Cheops pyramid, the ruins of the upper
(mortuary) temple, found in 1939 by the Egyptian
archaeologist Abu Seif, have been preserved. After
the war, French archaeologist Jean-Philippe Lauer
completed the excavations. According to research,
the temple was 52.5 meters long (100 Egyptian
cubits). It was built from Tura limestone. There
were 38 square granite pillars in his yard. In front
of the sanctuary there was a vestibule in which
there were 12 exactly the same pillars. On two sides
of the vestibule there were chambers in which the
“solar boats” were probably stored. Another similar
chamber was found to the left of the road to the
lower temple. In 1954, 2 more similar chambers were
discovered, one of them contained a perfectly
preserved boat 36 meters long, made of cedar. Later,
a special pavilion with a pyramid was built for her.
According to ancient historians, the Cheops
pyramid was surrounded by a stone wall. Its remains
have been preserved. The wall was 3 meters thick,
the distance to the pyramid was 10.5 meters.
The pyramid of Pharaoh Khafre (Khefre) is located
southwest of the Cheops pyramid. The original height
of the pyramid was 143.9 meters, it was 3 meters
inferior to the Cheops pyramid. Currently, the
height of the pyramid is 136.4 meters. The Pyramid
of Khafre has a greater slope of the walls (52°20’)
and a shorter base length (originally 215.3 meters,
currently 210.5 meters), which makes it visually
taller than the Pyramid of Cheops. In addition, it
is located at the highest point of the necropolis,
which enhances the optical illusion.
There
are two entrances to the Pyramid of Khafre, located
on the northern wall. One is located at the base
level, the second is at a height of 15 meters. From
the second exit you can directly enter the burial
chamber. From the first entrance, the tunnel goes
down to a depth of 10 meters, then there is a flat
area, and then the corridor goes up and joins the
main corridor. There is also a small branch in the
lower corridor leading to an unfinished chamber.
The burial chamber is located near the axis of
the pyramid. It extends 14.2 meters from east to
west, the width of the chamber is 5 meters, and the
height is 6.8 meters. The ceiling is vaulted. The
chamber contains a sarcophagus made of polished
granite with a broken lid.
The mortuary
temple of Khafre was located at a considerable
distance to the east of the pyramid. Back in the
18th century AD. e. its condition was good, but
later local residents stole the stones that made up
its walls. Judging by the ruins, it was located on
an area of 145 by 45 meters and was placed on a
special granite terrace. Inside there were five
prayer houses, as well as a courtyard containing 12
sculptures depicting Khafre. On the sides of the
temple, 5 chambers for “solar boats” were
discovered.
From the Mortuary Temple there
was a stone road 5 meters wide, which led to the
Lower Temple, which is better known as the “Granite
Temple”. It was located southeast of the Great
Sphinx in front of the modern observation terrace.
Its shape was like a large mastaba. The dimensions
of the temple were 45 by 45 meters, height - 12
meters. Its central hall housed 23 statues of Khafre
made of alabaster and slate, and 16 columns of
granite. The temple had two entrances, near each
there were 2 lying sphinxes.
There was a wall
around the pyramid of Khafre. According to
excavations, its thickness was 3.4 meters, the
distance from the wall to the pyramid was 10.1
meters.
To the south of Khafre's pyramid
there was a small satellite pyramid. Its ground part
has not been preserved, but from the remains of the
base and fragments of facing slabs it has been
established that the side of its base was 20.1
meters, and the slope of the walls was 52°20’. The
underground chamber of the pyramid has been
preserved. The tunnel that the robbers made was also
preserved. It is likely that Khafre's wife was
buried in this pyramid.
To the west of the
pyramid, also in 1881, it was possible to discover
the ruins of the dwellings of the ancient builders
of the pyramid. It contained 91 rooms, each
measuring 26 by 3 meters.
The lowest of the three great pyramids, the pyramid
of Pharaoh Menkaure (Mikerin) is located in the
southwest of the necropolis at a considerable
distance from the pyramids of Khufu and Khafre. The
side of its base is 108.4 meters, the height was
originally 66 meters, now it is 62 meters. One third
of it was covered with slabs of red Aswan granite,
the upper part was of white Tura limestone, and the
top was probably also of red granite. According to
eyewitnesses, it was two-colored back in the 16th
century, but was later plundered by the Mamluks.
Currently, only the lower part of the lining under
sand deposits has been preserved.
Based on
the location of the first entrance to the pyramid,
it can be concluded that the original length of the
base was 60 meters, but later it was significantly
increased. The burial chamber was originally located
6 meters below the base, but was later placed lower.
To build the pyramid, larger stone blocks were
used than for the pyramids of Cheops and Khafre. To
speed up construction, the blocks were carefully
processed. However, the pharaoh did not live to see
the completion of construction - at the time of his
death, the pyramid reached a height of 20 meters
(the level of the granite cladding). The English
Egyptologist I. E. S. Edwards suggested that
initially red granite should have been used to cover
the entire pyramid, but after the death of Menkaure,
his successor, Pharaoh Shepseskaf, changed the
original plan.
Unlike the pyramids of its
predecessors, the Mykerin pyramid was not built on a
rocky foundation, but on an artificial terrace
created from limestone blocks. The dimensions of the
burial chamber are 6.5 by 2.3 meters, height - 3.5
meters. The ceiling of the chamber consists of two
semi-blocks, which were hewn from the lower side in
the form of a semi-arch. The burial chamber and the
corridor leading into it are lined with polished
granite. The interior layout is complex as there
were three changes to the original plan during
construction. The original burial chamber and the
corridor leading into it were connected to the
entrance corridor by a staircase.
There was a
sarcophagus in the burial chamber, but it sank into
the ocean during transportation. Its description and
drawing have been preserved. It was made of basalt,
its surface was covered with reliefs. Scientists
suggest that this sarcophagus dates back to a later
era: perhaps the mummy, which was preserved after
being robbed during the Old Kingdom, was placed in a
new sarcophagus.
The buildings around the
pyramid are poorly preserved; their ruins are
covered with sand. There is a description of the
Mortuary Church dating back to 1755, when the temple
was still in good condition. According to him, the
area of the temple was 45 by 45 meters. Half of the
temple was occupied by a courtyard, the other
contained buildings for worship and storage rooms.
Half a kilometer to the east was the Lower Temple,
its dimensions were approximately the same.
According to excavations, this temple was restored
and expanded during the reign of the 6th dynasty. A
road made of polished limestone slabs led from the
Funeral to the Lower Church, part of it has been
preserved to this day.
Near the southern part
of the Mikerin pyramid, behind the fence, there are
well-preserved satellite pyramids. The largest of
them is the eastern one. The side of its base is
44.3 meters, height - 28.3 meters. Initially it was
faced with granite, but in some places the lining
has been preserved. The second and third are
stepped. It is assumed that they were not finished
and were planned to be given the appearance of
“true” pyramids. Their side is 31.5 meters, height -
21.2 meters.
In 1837, a granite sarcophagus
was found in the eastern pyramid, and fragments of a
wooden coffin and human bones were found in the
middle pyramid. In the western pyramid, the burial
chamber was not completed. Near each of the pyramids
there was a mortuary temple, all of them together
were surrounded by a stone wall. According to
Reisner, the main wife of Menkaure, Khamerernebti
II, was buried in the eastern pyramid.
The Great Pyramids of Giza is only part of the vast necropolis of Giza. Next to them is a complex of several small pyramids, where the pharaohs burried their wives so they can join them in the afterlife. Also tombs of high priests and high officials were situated here. It was probably a high honor that would be granted by the pharaoh himself. At the foot of the vast plateau of Giza are numerous funerary temples. These are interesting structures and unlike the Pyramids their interior is more colorful. Additionally it is the only place on the Giza plateau where you will be allowed inside so there is little choice anyway. The interior of Pyramids are closed and climbing of the Pyramids is also prohibited after several fatal falls. Another mysterious figure on the plateau is the famous Great Sphinx, carved out, like most colossal statues of Giza, from solid rock. Its length is 73 m, height at 20 m. It is believed that the Sphinx was carved out during the construction of the pyramid of Khafre, and his face (almost destroyed by the Mamelukes and the cannon fire of the Napoleonic artillery) has the features of Chephren- Khafre, brother and successor of Cheops. Every evening, at the foot of the pyramids you can watch "The Sound and Light" show devoted to the pyramids.
The Great Sphinx is located east of the Pyramid of Khafre. The statue,
which was carved from a single block of the same material as the
pyramids of Cheops and Khafre, represents a reclining lion with the head
of a man. Its length from the front paw to the tail is 57.3 meters,
height - 20 meters. Based on a note found at the feet of the statue, it
is assumed that the Sphinx was built on the orders of Pharaoh Khafre,
and its facial features mirror those of the pharaoh himself. Currently,
the statue is badly damaged, especially his face, which is riddled with
potholes.
The Sphinx was constantly covered in sand, so it had to
be dug up periodically. Most recently this was done in the 1920s. In
addition, at the same time the statue was partially restored and
surrounded by a fence that protected it from sand drifts.
Not far
from the statue is the Temple of the Sphinx, which was discovered only
in the 20th century.
Scientific research into the pyramids began with Napoleon's Egyptian
campaign from 1798 to 1799. It influenced the European style of the
Empire.
Excavations took place in 1860 under the direction of
Auguste Mariette.
In 1979, the pyramids and the Sphinx of Giza
were added to the World Heritage List by UNESCO as a cultural monument.
In 1984, Egypt minted 5 piastres coins depicting these buildings.
In 2007, the wall around the pyramid area, which had been built in
2002, was temporarily closed. The proceeds from the tour admission go to
the Egyptian government. Locals who have been able to make a living
there for generations are severely restricted in their work.
At the beginning of June 2012, the Giza supervisory authority installed
a state-of-the-art pumping system to pump out groundwater under the
Sphinx. For some time now, the Sphinx and the valley temples in
particular have been at risk from rising groundwater levels. The reason
for this is a newly installed sewage system in the neighboring town of
Nazlet Al-Seman and a new irrigation system in the Hadae Al-Ahram area.
Ecologists and hydrologists warn that the large amount of water pumped
out lowers the surface and increases the risk of erosion. This could
cause the Sphinx and the pyramids of Giza to collapse. Ali El-Asfar, the
director of the Giza Plateau, contradicts this. The pumps would be
switched off when the groundwater level is 4.5 meters below the surface.
At this height, the monuments would be absolutely safe, as this
condition was already present in ancient times.
Discovery of a
branch of the Nile
A research team led by georesearcher Hader Sheisha
(Aix-Marseille University) reconstructed the climatic conditions at the
time the pyramids were built. At that time there was a now dry branch of
the Nile, the Khufu branch. This led almost to the pyramids; Building
materials for the pyramids could be obtained from it. The team obtained
cores by drilling along the presumed course of the tributary, analyzed
them in the laboratory and found traces of pollen from cattails, papyrus
and other plants that grow in or near the water. Remains of harbor
facilities and fortified banks in the ground east of the pyramids are
also evidence that the blocks from quarries were transported by ship
down the Nile to the pyramids. These transports were probably possible
at least during the annual Nile floods.
Any traveller that visits that pyramids on Giza plateau might ask herself or himself: "How do we know Cheops constructed the Great Pyramid?" or "When do we know these magnificent structures were built by the Egyptians?". And the answer might surprise you. We really have no credible source of information about these magnificent alleged mausoleums. We don't know for certain who ordered their creation, when and most importantly how it was accomplished.
Many assumptions of the history of Giza Pyramids were formed by works of Ancient historians from Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome. Constant looting, rebellions and wars stripped clean the interior of the pyramids and surrounding buildings. Prominent appearance of the pyramids at the Giza plateau attracted numerous generals, kings, soldiers and simple local peasant who took everything that could be carried away. Thus our knowledge about timing of construction and its purpose is based largely on works on works of ancient historians rather than archaeological finds. However most of them lived centuries after the alleged construction of pyramids. Thus many of the assumptions and dogmas of Giza Pyramid origin and history is somewhat questionable.
Herodotus of Halicarnassus is one of the most respected historians in the Ancient Greek history that earned him a nickname of "father of history". He completed nine books dedicated to the History of Antiquity in a huge epos known simply as Histories. Herodotus travelled to Egypt around 450 BC at the time when this region of the Mediterranean was under control of the mighty Persian Empire. Information that he got from his travels around the land he stated in the second book of his works.
Despite vast information and interesting insides about the Giza Necropolis the work of Herodotus has its own shortcomings. First of all he travelled to the region 2000 years after their alleged construction. Much was lost and destroyed by the subsequent generations of various generations of different peoples and conquerors. Many parts of the history was replaced by stories, legends, theories with little or no factual evidence or historic documents. Unlike other graves and temples in Egypt pyramids of Giza Plateau has no original inscriptions or dedications that could be attributed to any ancient pharaoh. Secondly Herodotus relied on translators to talk to the locals. Much of information and knowledge was misinterpreted or misunderstood by the Greek traveller. It is possible that the ownership of the pyramid didn't even belong to Cheops, Chephren and Menkaure. Archaeologists never discovered any hieroglyphs or symbols that represented these famous Egyptian rulers. In fact the only connection that we have between Cheops and his alleged pyramid is a small inscription that was made above so- called King's chamber that was made by the slave of Cheops. The same stones has inscriptions made by Arabs, French soldiers of Napoleon's army, soldiers of the British Commonwealth and many other. So it is logical to assume that Herodotus read the inscription, misunderstood it as a sign of ownership and called the Giza Necropolis after men who in fact had nothing to do with the pyramids. After all it is highly unusual that the pyramids were constructed and yet no one tried to put a huge sign that states the name of the builder.
And thirdly Herodotus obviously belonged to freedom loving Greek culture. Much of what he saw and heard he viewed through the eyes of his subjective culture. For example he described Cheops as a tyrannical king that forced his people to work for decades. Those who disobeyed his orders were put to death. In his unstoppable lust to internalize his name he forced his family to work to gather the resources. "When he needed money, his [ordered] own daughter to sit in a brothel and forced them to earn certain sum of money (Histories II, 126)". It is possible that Herodotus simply assumed that Cheops was a ruthless ruler since he couldn't explain the reason why would free man spend months working on construction a huge structure.
Diodorus of Sicily visited Egypt in 60 BC. He based his historical work partially on earlier works of Herodotus and partially on his own experience and knowledge that he got from the Egyptian priests that he encountered. Here again we met certain degree of uncertainty. We don't have the names of source of his information and we don't know if they told the truth. So whatever we learned from Diodorus of Sicily must be taken with a certain grain of salt. However his works carries a certain degree of authenticity of that the Egyptians believed about the origins of Giza pyramids.
Unlike Herodotus Diodorus of Sicily did not believe that the pyramids were used to store the bodies of famous kings. In his historic works he believed that pyramids were abandoned shortly after their construction. The bodies of kings were buried elsewhere in an undisclosed location since Egyptian priesthood was too scared to put coffins in a pyramids that was visible to everyone. They were afraid that workers that were forced to work on construction of the site would rebel and destroy bodies. Egyptians believed that without preservation of bodies their spirits would never find peace in the after life.
Additionally Diodorus of Sicily states that the actual builders of the Giza pyramids were different altogether. Thus the Great Giza Pyramid was constructed by king Harmais. Pyramid of Chephren was constructed upon orders of Amasis (570- 526 BC), a king in the 26th dynasty, and finally the smaller Pyramid of Menkaure was constructed by Inaros I (middle of the 7th century BC). The last pharaoh became famous as a man that red a revolt against the rule of the Persian Empire. It is possible that this different ownership came from the local legends that surrounded the pyramids and the whole necropolis for centuries.
Additionally Diodorus states lining of the pyramids was still present at the time of his visit. However the top of the pyramid already lost significant part of its original height. A platform that measured sis cubits wide (approximately 3 meters or 10 feet). Furthermore famous historian claims that the construction of this significant structures took about 20 years to complete and required participation of over 360,000 slaves, overseers and engineers of the project.
Strabo visited Egypt around 25 BC, shortly after Roman Emperor Octavian Augustus conquered Egypt and Cleopatra along with her lover Antonius committed suicide. He stated that pyramids were used as a huge mausoleum for the Egyptian pharaohs, but he didn't mention their names. He probably entered the Great Pyramid via an entrance made by the grave robbers.
Pliny the Elder is a Roman historian who visited and described the pyramids.