Pyramid of Khafre (Chephren), Giza, Egypt
Posted by: 
g300td
N 29° 58.536 E 031° 07.968
36R E 319852 N 3317548
This is the second-tallest and second-largest of the Ancient Egyptian Pyramids of Giza
Waymark Code: WMMQGK
Location: Egypt
Date Posted: 10/26/2014
Views: 15
"The Pyramid of Khafre, also known as the Pyramid of Chephren, is the second-tallest and second-largest of the Ancient Egyptian Pyramids of Giza and the tomb of the Fourth-Dynasty pharaoh Khafre (Chefren), who ruled from c. 2558 to 2532 BC.
The pyramid has a base length of 215.5 m (706 ft) and rises to a height of 136.4 metres (448 ft). The pyramid is made of limestone blocks weighing more than 2 tons each. The slope of the pyramid rises at a 53° 10' angle, steeper than its neighbor, the Pyramid of Khufu, which has an angle of 51°50'40". The pyramid sits on bedrock 10 m (33 ft) higher than Khufu’s pyramid, which makes it appear to be taller.
Like the Great Pyramid, a rock outcropping was used in the core. Due to the slope of the plateau, the northwest corner was cut 10 m (33 ft) out of the rock subsoil and the southeast corner is built up.
The pyramid is built of horizontal courses. The stones used at the bottom are very large, but as the pyramid rises, the stones become smaller, becoming only 50 cm (20 in) thick at the apex. The courses are rough and irregular for the first half of its height but a narrow band of regular masonry is clear in the midsection of the pyramid. At the northwest corner of the pyramid, the bedrock was fashioned into steps. Casing stones cover the top third of the pyramid, but the pyramidion and part of the apex are missing.
The bottom course of casing stones was made out of pink granite but the remainder of the pyramid was cased in Tura Limestone. Close examination reveals that the corner edges of remaining casing stones are not completely straight, but are staggered by a few millimeters. One theory is that this is due to settling from seismic activity. An alternative theory postulates that the slope on the blocks was cut to shape before being placed due to the limited working space towards the top of the pyramid."
Source: Wikipedia
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