Khafre, who was the son of Khufu, was also known as Rakhaef or Chephren. He ruled from 2520 - 2494 B.C. and is responsible for the second largest pyramid complex at Giza, which includes the Sphinx, a Mortuary Temple, and a Valley Temple. The most distinctive feature of Khafre's Pyramid is the topmost layer of smooth stones that are the only remaining casing stones on a Giza Pyramid.
Dates Built: c. 2558-2532 B.C.
Total Blocks of Stone:
Base: 704 feet (214.5 m) on each side covering a total area of 11 acres
Total Weight: undetermined
Average Weight of Individual Blocks of Stone: 2.5 tons, some of the outer casing blocks of stone weigh in at 7 tons
Height: Originally 471 feet (143.5 m) tall, now 446 feet (136 m) tall
Angle of Incline: 53 degrees 7' 48"
Construction Material: Limestone and red granite
Khafre may be best known for his statues, and most famous among them is, of course, the Sphinx. Mark Lehner and Zahi Hawass write of Khafre: "He was, after all, perhaps the greatest maker of statues of the Pyramid Age. There are emplacements in his pyramid temples for 58 statues, including four colossal sphinxes, each more than 26 feet long, two flanking each door of his Valley Temple; two colossal statues, possibly of baboons, in tall niches inside the entrances of the Valley Temple; 23 life-size statues of the pharaoh in the Valley Temple (fragments of several have been found with his name inscribed on them); at least seven large statues of him in the inner chambers of his Mortuary Temple; 12 colossal Khafre statues around the courtyard of his Mortuary Temple; and ten more huge statues in the Sphinx Temple."
Great history and great shot. Having the people at the bottom show how big the pyramid really is. Also the sky came out nice and has a nice contrast to the scene. Well done.
Excellent picture Kamran... Love the composition...
Beautiful colors!!!!
Cheers,
MaLuisa
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Cheryl Ogle{K:24494} 11/16/2004
After your last photo (you touching the tip) and seeing the people in this - wow that is a HUGE structure - I have never felt it was that tall before because I never see people that well in the photos. Nice shot. The sky is so beautiful - it almost looks fake (I know it's not though). I want to go see them too!
Wonderful capture Kamran, Great angle, I like the way one side of the pyramid lighted and the other side shaded. Great texture of the pyramid bricks and beautiful clear sky in the background. Great work dear friend and informative "about", Well done, regards, Khaled.
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{K:150877} 11/15/2004
