Pyramid of Khafre

King Khafre

• Who is Khafre?
  Khafre, also called Chephren, was an ancient Egyptian ruler of the Fourth Dynasty in the Old Kingdom. He was the son of Khufu and took over after Djedefre. Khafre is credited with constructing the second largest pyramid in Giza. According to modern Egyptology, it is widely believed that the Great the Great Sphinx is one of the world's largest monuments. It is also one of the most recognizable relics of the ancient Egyptians. Sphinx of Giza was built around 2500 BC during Khafre's reign. 

Khafre on the throne with the wings of the falcon god Horus wrapped around his head - Egyptian Museum

Pyramid of Khafre

The pyramid of Khafre, also known as Chephren, is one of the three Ancient Egyptian Pyramids of Giza. It is the second tallest and second largest pyramid in the group. This pyramid serves as the tomb for the Fourth-Dynasty pharaoh Khafre (Chefren), who reigned from approximately 2558 to 2532 BC. Constructed using limestone blocks, each weighing over 2 tons

Khafre's pyramid is situated on bedrock that is 10 meters higher than Khufu's pyramid. This height difference gives the illusion that Khafre's pyramid is taller.

Chephren pyramid

The pyramid may have been opened and looted in the First Intermediate Period. and In the Nineteenth Dynasty, the person in charge of building temples used some of the casing stones to construct a temple in Heliopolis as per Ramesses II's instructions. The exact time when the remaining casing stones were stolen is unknown.

Khafre's pyramid

Giovanni Belzoni discovered the pyramid on March 2,1818. He found the original entrance on the north side but only found an open sarcophagus and its broken lid inside. John Perring conducted the first complete exploration in 1837. Auguste Mariette partially excavated Khafre's valley temple in 1853 and also discovered a diorite statue of Khafre in 1858 while clearing the temple.

inside Khafre pyramid

-Burial Chamber:
The burial chamber was dug from a hole in the rock. The roof is made of limestone beams with a triangular shape. The chamber is rectangular and faces the east and west. Khafre's sarcophagus was carved from a single piece of granite and partially placed in the floor. Inside, Belzoni discovered animal bones, perhaps from a bull.

King Khafre's sarcophagus with its own burial chamber.

Khafre

Khafre's Pyramid gets less attention than the Pyramid of Cheops but it is quite interesting. It belongs to Cheops' son Chefren. The pyramid looks bigger than it is because of higher elevation. Look towards the top to see a lot of outer limestone casing still there.