La grande pyramide de Khéops est un monument construit par les égyptiens de l'antiquité, formant une pyramide carrée de 137 m de hauteur. Tombeau du pharaon Khéops, elle fut édifiée il y a plus de 4500 ans, sous la IVe dynastie, au centre d'un vaste complexe funéraire se situant à Gizeh en Égypte.Elle est la seule des sept merveilles du monde de l'antiquité à avoir survécu jusqu'à nos jours. Durant des millénaires, elle fut la construction humaine de tous les records, la plus haute, la plus volumineuse et la plus massive. Véritable symbole de tout un pays, elle est depuis plus de 4500 ans le monument le plus scruté et le plus étudié au monde. Le tombeau, véritable chef-d'œuvre de l'Ancien Empire égyptien, représente la concentration et l'aboutissement de toutes les techniques architecturales mises au point depuis la création de l'architecture de pierre par Imhotep pour la pyramide de son souverain Djéser. Toutefois, les nombreuses particularités architectoniques et les exploits atteints en font une pyramide à part qui ne cesse de captiver l'imagination des hommes.

Avec Fiona , nous nous sentons subitement petits devant l'infiniment grand...

The Great Pyramid of Giza , also called Khufu's Pyramid or the Pyramid of Khufu, and Pyramid of Cheops, is the oldest and largest of the three pyramids in the Giza Necropolis bordering what is now Cairo, Egypt, and is the only remaining member of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. It is believed the pyramid was built as a tomb for Fourth dynasty Egyptian pharaoh Khufu (Cheops in Greek) and constructed over a 20 year period concluding around 2560 BC. The Great Pyramid was the tallest man-made structure in the world for over 4.500 years. Visibly all that remains is the underlying step-pyramid core structure seen today. Many of the casing stones that once covered the structure can still be seen around the base of the Great Pyramid. There have been varying scientific and alternative theories regarding the Great Pyramid's construction techniques. Most accepted construction theories are based on the idea that it was built by moving huge stones from a quarry and dragging and lifting them into place.There are three known chambers inside the Great Pyramid. The lowest chamber is cut into the bedrock upon which the pyramid was built and was unfinished. The Queen's Chamber and King's Chamber are higher up within the pyramid structure. Despite precautions such as covering the entrance hole with casing and the portcullises, thieves had bypassed all the barriers even before the Old Kingdom had ended, digging through the soft limestone and breaking a corner of Khufu's sarcophagus while removing the lid.Other sources suggest that the sarcophagus never had a lid. The Great Pyramid is the only pyramid known to contain both ascending and descending passages. The Great Pyramid of Giza is the main part of a complex setting of buildings that included two mortuary temples in honor of Khufu (one close to the pyramid and one near the Nile), three smaller pyramids for Khufu's wives, an even smaller "satellite" pyramid, a raised causeway connecting the two temples, and small mastaba tombs surrounding the pyramid for nobles.

Panoramic view ;-)