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- Destinations
- Africa
- Egypt
- Cairo
- Pyramids of Giza
Pyramids of Giza
The pyramids are the earth's oldest tourist attraction and the
Great Pyramid of Khufu (also referred to as the Great Pyramid of
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 Great 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.
Tours of the pyramids are conducted by many tour operators in
Giza. Access to the interior of the pyramids is restricted, and at
least one is closed for renovations at any given period. While
climbing the pyramids was once a popular activity, the practise has
now been banned. The best time to visit the Pyramids of Giza is
early in the morning, before the tour buses descend on them. While
unofficial 'tour guides' lurk around the site to demand tips,
better-informed guides can be booked in advance from Giza.
Information & Facts
Address
Pyramid Road, 11 miles (18km) southwest of the
centre
Admission
Site: LE 60. Great Pyramid: LE 100. Other pyramids: LE
30-100. Concessions available
Language
Arabic is the official language although English and
French are widely spoken, especially in the tourist
areas.
Money
The unit of currency is the Egyptian Pound (EGP), which is
divided into 100 piastres. Most credit cards are accepted in major
hotels and restaurants. Visitors are advised to take travellers
cheques in US Dollars or Pounds to avoid additional exchange rate
charges. Banks are usually closed on Friday and Saturday, but
private exchange bureaux, called 'Forex', are open daily and banks
in major hotels are open 24 hours. Cairo branches of the Egyptian
British Bank and Banque Misr now have ATMs available that accept
Visa, MasterCard and Cirrus and are quite common in the main
tourist areas.
Opening Times
Daily 7am to 7:30pm; pyramid chambers 8am to
4pm.