Touching down in Cairo is always a jolt to the senses. The city buzzes with energy. Cars weave through invisible lanes, horns become part of the symphony of life and in the distance, beyond the skyline of minarets and modern high-rises, the ancient silhouettes of the Great Pyramids of Giza pierce the horizon. Even though I’ve seen them in countless photos, on documentaries and even a few times from a distance, nothing prepares me for the moment I stand at the edge of the plateau and gaze upon these legendary structures.
The Giza Plateau, situated on the western edge of Cairo, Egypt, is home to one of the most iconic sights on Earth: the three main pyramids, the Great Pyramids of Giza, built by the Fourth Dynasty pharaohs – Khufu, Khafre and Menkaure. These are not just historical monuments, they are symbols of human ambition, engineering prowess and eternal legacy. Today, I set out to walk among these giants, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.
The Pyramid of Khafre
After navigating tickets, entrance security and buses, my travel companion Yasmine and I, first make our way along the southern side of the Pyramid of Khafre. Slightly smaller than the nearby Great Pyramid of Khufu, Khafre originally stood at 136.4 meters (now 136.0m). Khafre’s pyramid often appears taller due to its elevated base and steeper angle but it’s a classic visual trick. This perfect illusion combines ancient design with a flair for theatricality.
Khafre, son of Khufu, ruled Egypt during a prosperous time and he wanted to ensure that his final resting place would not be overshadowed (literally or figuratively) by his father’s.
This is the only pyramid that retains a section of its original casing stones at the top, offering a rare glimpse into how the pyramids once gleamed in the sun. I stare upward, imagining the entire structure shimmering in gold-white light. It is mesmerizing.
We wander along the causeway that once connected the pyramid to the Valley Temple, part of a larger mortuary complex designed to serve the pharaoh in the afterlife. The rocky path winds between ruins, some of which are cordoned off, but the grandeur is unmistakable.
An interesting architectural note, Khafre’s pyramid includes subsidiary structures for his queens and possibly nobles. The design is more complex, suggesting advancements in both engineering and funerary practices since Khufu’s time. It feels like I’m walking through a planned afterlife neighborhood – eerie, creepy and yet endlessly fascinating.
The Pyramid of Menkaure
The smallest, yet no less majestic of the three is the Pyramid of Menkaure which feels almost intimate in comparison to the other two. Originally standing at 65.5 meters (now 61m), it is dwarfed by its predecessors, yet the craftsmanship here is exquisite. The lower portion of the pyramid is encased in red granite from Aswan, giving it a distinctive look and a sense of refinement.
Pharaoh Menkaure, believed to be the grandson of Khufu, ruled with a reputation for kindness and wisdom, an anomaly in an age of divine absolutism. His pyramid reflects this sensibility: elegant, balanced and perhaps slightly more human-scaled.
Inside The Pyramid
Menkaure’s complex not as well-preserved, but there is a certain peace here. Certainly with fewer tourists and lighter crowds there is more space to reflect. I observe the structure slowly, the desert wind whispering stories through millennia-old cracks in the stone.
Inside the passage is confining, a long steep decline leads to a short, flat corridor. Along both we duck our heads – legend has it they were built like this so that anyone entering had to bow to the pharaoh, even in death. At the end of the corridor, a small room with two passages leading off it – one up (closed off) and one down which we follow. It leads to another small room (tomb), empty, long since pillaged with the treasures removed to various museums and collections. It’s once again eerie but also sad. It would be incredible to see it in its former glory, the lure of the thrill of archaeology is better understood.
It’s easy, to forget in the face of these colossal works, especially here in the bare darkness inside the pyramid, that they were built not just to impress, but to guide their owners through the underworld. These pyramids are essentially spiritual launchpads for the pharaohs – massive, sacred rockets pointed at the stars.
The Great Pyramid of Khufu
The Great Pyramid of Khufu, also known as the Great Pyramid of Giza, is a monument to immortality. Towering at an original height of 146.6 meters (now 138.8m due to the loss of the outer casing stones), this is the oldest and largest of the three pyramids and the only one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World still in existence.
Constructed around 2560 BC for Pharaoh Khufu, the pyramid originally gleamed white with polished Tura limestone casing. This reflected the sun in such a way that it could be seen from miles away. Today, most of the casing has eroded or been removed, but the core structure still dominates the desert landscape.
Standing at the base, I feel miniature. Each block is as tall as my chest and weighs several tons. I can’t help but wonder how ancient laborers managed to move these monoliths without modern machinery. Theories abound- ramps, levers, waters of the flooding Nile River, even alien help if you believe the fringe ideas – but the exact method remains a mystery.
The King’s Chamber
Inside, the air is hot, dry and thin. The passageways narrow, the ceilings low. I hunch and climb in near silence, each step taking me deeper into history. At the heart lies the King’s Chamber, a stark granite room holding nothing but an empty sarcophagus. It’s a humbling space – devoid of riches, yet so full of meaning. It’s moving and surprisingly emotional.
Exiting into the sunlight, sweat-soaked and awestruck, I take a moment to gaze back at the sunlit stones and breathe in the scale of it all. It’s not just the size of the pyramid, it’s what it represents, a desire to be remembered for eternity.
Hot but happy, Yasmine & I pause for a gelato at a newly built outlet adjacent to the site and take in the view once again from some air conditioned comfort. We sit for a while in silence, lost in contemplative thought about what we have witnessed. It’s still baffling in the year 2025, I can’t really comprehend what it must have been like in the year 2025 BC when Khufu was already a few centuries old.
The Panoramic Point
From the Pyramid of Menkaure, we walk back to the bus station and head across to the Panoramic Point. This is a slightly elevated area farther into the desert which offers the best view of all three pyramids aligned in harmonious majesty. Posing for photos here is a must and the local guides will take as many as you like for a tip of a few (to a few hundred!) pounds. We get chatting to a guide who takes some snaps for us and we end up with a cart ride back across the desert plateau to the Sphinx.
The Giza Plateau
The horse ride back down is bumpy but the views along the way are exhilarating. This might be my favourite part of the day. Sand kicks up in small clouds from our horse, other carts and the many camels (another option). Our guide steers the cart gently through the soft sand (peppered with rocks) as the late afternoon sun begins its descent. As we crest the rise, the full trio comes into view. The sight is breathtaking.
I dismount the cart and walk to the edge. In front of me, the pyramids rise like eternal sentinels, perfectly aligned on the Giza Plateau. The city of Cairo sprawls in the background, a reminder that time never truly stops, it only flows around monuments like these.
From this angle, the Great Pyramids of Giza shrink slightly, but their aura only grows. They become part of the landscape, ancient outposts in an ever-changing world.
This is the photo op of a lifetime. I take a few wide-angle shots and pose for some snaps, but mostly I just stand and absorb. The desert light shifts subtly, casting long shadows across the sand. The sheer improbability of this place feels like something out of time. A view across eternity.
Reflections at the Feet of the Sphinx
Further along the way, we pass more camel caravans, other tourists and nomadic vendors offering trinkets and cold drinks. It’s a lively scene, yet the moment remains serene. There’s something about the soft clop of hooves in sand, the warm desert wind and the golden glow of the Egyptian sun that makes it feel like I’m traveling through a dream.
The ride ends near the Sphinx, the enigmatic guardian of the plateau. With the body of a lion and the head of a pharaoh (likely Khafre), the Sphinx has stood watch over this sacred site for more than 4,500 years.
It is smaller than I remember, but no less compelling. The erosion on its face, the missing nose, the gaze that seems to pierce eternity all contributes to an aura of mystery that no other monument quite captures.
As the sun burns lower, casting its rays on the Sphinx’s weathered flank, I stand quietly in the crowds. The heat from the stone reflects on me. While the day has been full of movement, discovery and awe, here at the final stop it all seems to settle. The dust, the noise, the crowds. They disappear into the past and as I watch, even time itself seems to pause.
Good To Know
The Great Pyramids of Giza monuments are more than relics. They are proof of humanity’s desire to transcend mortality, to carve permanence into the sands of time. And afterwards, riding back through Cairo to our hotel, through the chaos of the city, I realise that in some small way, I’ve been part of that story too.
Would I Return?
Yes.
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