The Pyramids of Giza

GUISEPPE Verdi's opera, Aida, is a story about a love triangle between an Egyptian princess Amneris, soldier Radames and Nubian princess-turned-slave Aida. The epic is set in ancient Egypt and what better place than to hold it at the Giza pyramids in Cairo.
In 1999, the biggest production of Aida was staged in front of the flood-lit pyramids. The opera ran for six nights in the open air on a vast stage at the 4,500 year-old pyramids, with seating for 5,000 people. The production featured a 120-member orchestra, 120 choristers from Verona, 150 dancers and 700 Egyptian soldiers, who also constructed the set.
Contrary to popular belief, only one of the three pyramids at Giza – a necropolis of ancient Memphis and today, part of Cairo - is on top of the list of the Seven Wonders of the World.
The Great Pyramid of Cheops was built by the Egyptian pharaoh Cheops of the Fourth Dynasty around 2560 BC to serve as a tomb after his death.
The Great Pyramid is believed to have been built over a 20-year period as a "mastaba" or platform covering the royal tomb.
When it was built, the Great Pyramid was 145.75m high. But over the years, it lost 10m off its top.
The sloping angle of its sides is 54 degrees 54 minutes. Each side is carefully oriented with one of the cardinal points of the compass, that is, north, south, east and west.
The structure - ranked as the tallest on Earth for more than 43 centuries, only to be surpassed in height in the 19th century AD – was covered with a casing of stones to smooth its surface.
A part of the casing can still be seen near the top of Chephren's pyramid, built for the pharaoh Chephren.
The third pyramid at Giza was built for pharaoh Mycerinus.
The Great Pyramid structure consists of about two million blocks of stone, each weighing more than two tonnes. To this day, it is not known how the blocks were put in place.
A guide at the Pharaonic Village said one theory involves the construction of a straight or spiral ramp that was raised as the construction proceeded. This ramp, coated with mud and water or oil, eased the displacement of the blocks, which were pushed (or pulled) into place.
It has also been suggested that the area covered by the Great Pyramid can accommodate St Peter's in Rome, the cathedrals of Florence and Milan, and Westminster and St Paul's in London combined.
Another attraction at Giza is the Sphinx, or more commonly known as Abu Hoel among the Egyptians, located 500ft south-east of the pyramid.
A symbol of kingship in Egypt, the human head of the Sphinx symbolizes intelligence while the body represents strength. The recumbent statue - carved from natural rock - faces east, from which it was meant to watch the rising sun.
Over the centuries, however, parts of the pyramids and the Sphinx have eroded and broken off. The Egyptian Culture Ministry has undertaken a 10-year restoration project of the Giza pyramids, believed to be the first 100 per cent Egyptian restoration scheme to be carried out by the Egyptian Government.
Some 12,244 pieces of stone similar to those originally used in building the pyramids were used for the restoration. The stones were brought from a quarry in the May 15 City in Cairo. Also in the area is the museum housing the mysterious Sun Boat, discovered in 1954 near the south side of the pyramid. The boat is believed to have been used to carry the body of Cheops on his last journey on earth before being buried inside the pyramid. It might also have been intended as a means of transportation in his after-life journey, according to ancient Egyptian beliefs.