Cairo Attractions
Great Pyramid
Pyramids of Giza
The pyramids are the earth’s oldest tourist attraction and
the Great Pyramid of Khufu (Cheops) is the only remainder of the
seven ancient wonders of the world. Throughout their history, they
have fired human imagination, with much speculation as to their
origin and purpose, but most evidence supports the theory that they
were built by the ancient civilisation as tombs or great monuments
in which to bury their kings and nobles, a place to start their
mystic journey to the afterlife. The oldest and largest pyramid,
the Great Pyramid, is thought to have taken 20 years to build and
is made of about two million blocks of limestone. No one knows how
the two-ton blocks were moved into place, but it was known to be
the tallest man-made structure in the world for over 40 centuries.
The Sphinx, known as the Abu al-Hol (Father of Terror), stands in
front of the Great Pyramid and is thought to be older than the
pyramids themselves.
Address: Pyramid Road, 11 miles (18km) southwest of the centre;
Transport: Bus 8 from Midan Tahrir;
Opening time: Daily 7am to 7.30pm; pyramid chambers 8am to 4pm;
Admission: Site: LE 50. Great Pyramid: LE 100. Other pyramids: LE 30-100. Concessions available
