Why the
Pyramids of Egypt
are special

The Pyramids of Egypt are far bigger than most people would imagine. They are even more amazing when we consider that they were built nearly 4600 years ago.

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What my animated
picture illustrates

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Then and now

You can see the marked difference in appearance between the way the Pyramids of Egypt looked originally and look today.

Smooth facade
When built, they were covered with a smooth limestone surfacing that gave them a sleek finished look

Stripped away
Today they have a rugged exterior because subsequent ancient rulers filched the surface stones from the monuments for use on their own buildings. 

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Optical illusion

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Bigger than it seems

Khufu's edifice is the farthest of the three great Pyramids of Egypt in the animated picture. It seems shorter than the middle pyramid (Chephren's) for two reasons.

Elevation
The middle pyramid sits higher on the plateau than Khufu's.

Vantage point
I shot the photo at a spot that is popular with professional photographers. It's ideal for capturing all three pyramids. But that location makes Khufu's structure appear smaller relative to the others because it is the farthest from the camera lens.

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PAGE TWO

PAGE THREE

for  more Pyramid of Egypt pointers

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Site map

World's Top 100 Wonders

World's Top 1000 Wonders

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Egyptian Tourism Authority

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