03Cities and regions

The pyramid plateau

Giza

On the edge of the Western Desert, about 13 km south-west of central Cairo, stand the three pyramids of Giza and the Great Sphinx, all built in the Fourth Dynasty between roughly 2600 and 2500 BC. The Great Pyramid is the oldest of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World and the only one still standing. At 146.6 m it was the tallest structure built by human hands for more than 3,700 years; with its white casing stripped away it now measures 138.5 m, on a base about 230 m long on each side, built from some 2.3 million blocks. Beside it rise the pyramids of Khafre and Menkaure, and in front of them lies the Sphinx, carved out of the plateau's own bedrock, 73 m long and 20 m high. About 2 km away is the Grand Egyptian Museum, officially opened on 1 November 2025 and the largest museum in the world devoted to a single civilisation. It holds more than 100,000 objects, including Tutankhamun's complete collection of 5,398 pieces. Visit the plateau early in the morning and keep at least half a day for the museum.

0.5 m

Height of the Great Pyramid today

0.3 m

Side of the Great Pyramid's base

0 m

Length of the Sphinx

over 100,000

Objects in the Grand Egyptian Museum