Giza Plateau

Pyramids' limestone foundation

The Giza Plateau is a rocky tableland on the outskirts of Cairo, Egypt, site of the Great Pyramids and the Sphinx.

These monuments, built around 2500 BCE as royal tombs and guardians, make Giza one of the most visited archaeological sites in the world: We spent the morning exploring the Giza Plateau.

Great PyramidAncient Egyptian royal tomb
royal tombBurial site for sovereigns
burial chamberRoom for interring remains
sphinxMysterious, unreadable person
causewayRaised road over water

limestone · stone blocks · pyramid · Khufu · tomb · necropolis · hieroglyphs · Pharaoh · mummification · desert · desert sun · Herodotus · ramp · ancient Egypt · Nile · camels · wonder · monuments

Opposites

ancient vs. modern monuments

Giza PlateauBurj Khalifa

Dubai's 828-meter tower

Las Vegas Strip · Times Square · concrete jungle · modern skyscraper · Space Needle

preserved vs. destroyed ancient wonders

Giza PlateauColossus of Rhodes

Ancient wonder, bronze statue

Lighthouse of Alexandria · Temple of Artemis

desert vs. water/fertile landscapes

Giza PlateauNile Delta

Egyptian river's alluvial plain

Nile River · river valley · floodplain · wetlands · Mediterranean coast

Family

plateau, Giza

Familiarity: Top 500,000
Profile: Used worldwide · Timeless · Concrete · Everyday, not technical · Rated G