The Great Pyramids of Giza are perhaps one of, if not the, most famous monuments in human history. They are the only surviving one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. The Giza pyramids are true wonders of the ancient Egyptian civilization, not only for their gigantic size, but also for their sheer amount of details and mysteries that are still unknown to us till this day. The Giza Pyramids complex consists of the three pyramids of Cheops (Khufu), Chephren (Khafre) and Menkaure (Mykerinos), along with their associated pyramid complexes and the also very well-known Sphinx of Giza.

Each one of the three great pyramids can be considered to be located amid its own complex, which in turn includes several other associated structures. Khufu’s complex includes, along with the king’s pyramid, a valley temple, Khufu’s mortuary temple, three small queens pyramids and three boat pits. The valley temple is now buried beneath the village of Nazlet el-Semman, where basalt paving and limestone walls were found but the site has not been excavated. The mortuary temple of Khufu has only its basalt pavement remaining, while the boat pits contained a solar ship, Khufu’s ship, which was restored and is on display at the Giza Solar Boat Museum.

Khafre’s complex consists of Khafre’s pyramid, a valley temple, a mortuary temple and the Sphinx temple. The valley temple had lots of statues of Khafre. There were also five boat pits in the complex. Khafre’s Pyramid has a distinction of being the pyramid with the visible casing stones at its top.

Menkaure’s complex, similar to the other pyramids’ complexes, includes a valley temple and a mortuary temple. Menkaure’s pyramid complex also has three queen’s pyramids, and his mortuary temple had several statues of him (Menkaure).

Included also in Khafre’s complex is the Sphinx, which is no less intriguing and well-known than the pyramids. The Sphinx is made of limestone and dates to the reign of king Khafre. It’s generally thought among experts that the sphinx’s face is of Khafre. An interesting fact about the sphinx is that it used to have a chapel between its forepaws. Also, one of the more controversial features of the sphinx is its missing nose and the story of how it was destroyed.