Even in ancient times, the Egyptians themselves called Pharaoh Cheops Khnum-Khufu. The ruler himself called himself "the second sun." Europeans learned about him thanks to Herodotus. The ancient historian devoted several stories to the life of the Egyptian king. All his work is called "History". It was Herodotus who approved the Greek reading of the name of the pharaoh - Cheops. The scientist believed that the ruler was known as a tyrant and despot. But there are a number of lifetime sources that speak of Cheops as a far-sighted and wise ruler.
Rise of Ancient Egypt
Date of the reign of Pharaoh Cheops - presumably 2589-2566 BC. e. or 2551-2528 BC e. He was the second representative of the fourth royal dynasty. The reign of Pharaoh Cheops is the heyday of the country. By this time, Lower and Upper Egypt had already united into one strong state. The king was considered a living god. That is why his power seemed absolutely limitless. The power of the Egyptian pharaohs directly influenced the development of the economy. The economic recovery has contributedprogress of political and cultural life.
Despite this, there is not much information about the pharaoh. The main sources are the works of the ancient historian Herodotus. However, this work is based, most likely, on legends, and not on historical facts. And so this work, in fact, has nothing to do with reality. However, several sources about the life of Cheops are quite reliable.
Photo of Pharaoh Cheops, unfortunately, could not survive. In the article you have the opportunity to see images of his tomb and sculptural creations.
Ruler activities
The reign of Pharaoh Cheops lasted more than two decades. He was considered the second sun and had a rather severe character. He had several wives and, accordingly, many children.
He was also known for the fact that during his reign new cities and settlements were constantly built on the banks of the Nile. So, the pharaoh founded the famous fortress in Buhen.
In addition, many religious objects appeared, among which, of course, the pyramid of Cheops. But we will return to this issue a little later.
By the way, according to Herodotus, the ruler closed the temples. He saved, and all the resources went to the construction of his pyramid. However, judging by Egyptian sources, the pharaoh donated with enviable generosity to religious objects and was still an active temple builder. In many ancient drawings, the pharaoh was depicted precisely as the creator of villages and cities.
As a statesman, Pharaoh Cheops was periodicallyforced to send his army to the Sinai Peninsula. His goal is the destruction of nomadic tribes who robbed local merchants.
Also in this territory, the ruler tried to control deposits of copper and turquoise. It was he who first began to develop the deposits of alabaster, which are located in Khatnub.
In the south of the country, the pharaoh carefully monitored the extraction of Aswan pink granite, which was used for construction.
Tomb Architect
In history, the name of this ruler is primarily associated with his pyramid. It is recognized as one of the seven wonders of the world. The tomb is in Giza. It's next to modern Cairo.
It is worth noting that Cheops was not the first pharaoh for whom the pyramid was erected. The ancestor of such constructions was still the ruler Djoser. Khnum-Khufu erected the largest tomb.
The Pyramid of Pharaoh Cheops was built around the year 2540 BC. e. One of the relatives of the ruler was the head of construction work and the architect. His name was Hemiun. He served as a vizier. Another Egyptian official who participated in the process of erecting the pyramid is also known - Merrer. He kept diary entries, with the help of which modern scientists have learned that this figure often came to one of the limestone quarries. It was there that the blocks for the construction of the tomb were produced.
Construction progress
Preparatory work went on for several years, as the workers first had tobuild a road. Material for the construction was dragged along it. The construction of the pyramid lasted almost two decades. According to some sources, about one hundred thousand workers were involved in the construction process. But only 8,000 people could build the facility at the same time. The workers rotated every 3 months.
Peasants also took part in the construction of a monumental structure. True, they could only do this when the Nile flooded. During this period, all agricultural work was curtailed.
The Egyptians who built the pyramid were given not only food and clothing, but also a salary.
The appearance of the tomb
Initially, the height of the tomb was almost 147 meters. However, due to a series of earthquakes and the onset of sands, several blocks collapsed. Thus, today the height of the pyramid is 137.5 m. The length of one side of the tomb is 230 m.
The tomb is made up of 2.3 million stone blocks. In this case, no binder solution was provided at all. The weight of each block varies from 2.5 to 15 tons.
The burial chambers are located inside the tomb. One of them is called the "Queen's Chamber". At the same time, representatives of the weaker sex were traditionally buried in separate small tombs. In any case, at the foot of the pyramid are the tombs of the women of Cheops and the nobility.
Sun boats
Near the tomb, archaeologists discovered the so-called "solar boats" - these are ceremonial boats. According to legend, on them the ruler makes his voyage inafterlife.
In 1954, scientists found the first ship. The material used was Lebanese cedar. Construction did without nails at all. The structure is almost 40 meters long and 6 meters wide.
Surprisingly, the researchers were able to identify that the boat has traces of silt. Perhaps, during his lifetime, the ruler moved along it along the Nile and the coastal waters of the Mediterranean. Steering and rowing oars were found on the boat, and superstructures with cabins were placed on the deck.
The second ship of Cheops was discovered relatively recently. It was in the hiding place of the pyramid.
Empty sarcophagus
However, the body of the legendary pharaoh was not found. In the ninth century, one of the caliphs was able to enter the tomb. He was surprised that there were no signs of looting and breaking in. But there was no Cheops mummy, instead of it there was only an empty sarcophagus.
At the same time, the construction was conceived precisely as a tomb. Perhaps the ancient Egyptians deliberately erected a false tomb to deceive would-be robbers. The fact is that at one time the burial place of the mother of Cheops was robbed, and her mummy was stolen. The thieves took the body so that they could later remove the jewelry in a calm environment.
At first Cheops was not informed about the loss of the mummy. They told him only about the fact of looting. After that, the pharaoh was forced to order the reburial of her mother's body, but in fact they had to perform the ceremony with an empty sarcophagus.
There is a version that the ruler's mummy was buried in another, modest tomb. BUTthe pyramid itself was the posthumous abode of the spirit of a powerful king.
Descendants of the Pharaoh
When Pharaoh Cheops (reigned 2589-2566 BC or 2551-2528 BC) died, the son of the great ruler became the ruler of the state. His name was Jedefra. Very little is known about his reign. It is known that he reigned for only eight years. During this time, he managed to build the second highest tomb in this area. Unfortunately, even in those ancient times, the pyramid of Djedefre was also not only plundered, but also partially destroyed.
In addition, a number of historians believe that it was this offspring of Cheops who at one time was able to build the Great Sphinx. This statue was erected in memory of his father. Egyptologists believe that the body of a mythical creature was made of solid limestone. However, his head was made later. Note that many scientists claim that the face of the Sphinx looks very much like the appearance of Cheops.
Subsequent rulers of the dynasty also continued to build pyramids. But the last king of the fourth dynasty, named Shepeskaf, no longer built monumental tombs, since the heyday of Ancient Egypt came to naught. The state was in a state of decline. The descendants of Cheops no longer allowed themselves to spend resources on colossal structures. Thus, the time of the great pyramids remained in the distant past. But the great tomb of Cheops, which is considered one of the Seven Wonders of the World, has survived to this day.
