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The Giza Necropolis lies on the outskirts of Cairo, 8 km into the desert from the Nile, and 25 km SW of Cairo. The pyramids are the only remaining monuments of the 7 Wonders of the World.
The pyramids of Giza are generally thought of as lying in a remote, desert location, in reality they are located in what is now Greater Cairo. Consequently, urban development reaches right up to the perimeter of the pyramids site, including restaurants and gift shops surrounding the area.
This Ancient Egyptian necropolis consists of the:
Pyramid of Khufu known as the Great Pyramid and the Pyramid of Cheops;
The somewhat smaller Pyramid of Khafre or Chephren;
and the relatively modest-size Pyramid of Menkaure or Mykerinus,
along with a number of smaller satellite edifices, known as "queens" pyramids, causeways and valley pyramids
and most noticeably the Great Sphinx.
Current consensus among Egyptologists is that the head of the Great Sphinx is that of Khafre. And he is believed to have been the guard of the Pyramids, with the head of a man and the body of a lion.
Associated with these royal monuments are the tombs of high officials and burials and monuments, signifying the reverence to those buried in the necropolis.
Of the three, only Khafre's pyramid retains part of its original polished limestone casing, towards its apex. Interestingly this pyramid appears larger than the adjacent Khufu pyramid by virtue of its more elevated location, and the steeper angle of inclination of its construction — it is, in fact, smaller in both height and volume.
The Giza Pyramids are one of the Seven Wonders of the World. Today it is the only one of the ancient Wonders still in existence.
