Memphis and its Necropolis – the Pyramid Fields from Giza to Dahshu

Memphis and its Necropolis – the Pyramid Fields from Giza to Dahshu

Immovable Culture Heritage

The Egyptian pyramids need little introduction - they are the only surviving members of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World and Africa's best-known monuments. The antiquity of these huge structures - the tombs of the Pharaohs - is simply astonishing: the first great pyramids - the world's earliest stone monuments - were built in 2650 BC - over 4650 years ago - in Saqqara! The four groups of World Heritage pyramids stretch along the west bank of the Nile in the desert, for a total length of about 30 km. Each group is different, associated with a particular period, and contains a unique set of temples, tombs, mastabas and other monuments. The pyramids of Giza, with the distinctive Sphinx at the northern end of the field, are disturbingly close to Cairo and in danger of being swallowed up by the large modern metropolis. Further south, at Abu Sir, Saqqara and Dahshur, there are other complexes, with some 35 pyramids in all.

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The Egyptian pyramids need little introduction - they are the only surviving members of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World and Africa's best-known monuments. The antiquity of these huge structures - the tombs of the Pharaohs - is simply astonishing: the first great pyramids - the world's earliest stone monuments - were built in 2650 BC - over 4650 years ago - in Saqqara! The four groups of World Heritage pyramids stretch along the west bank of the Nile in the desert, for a total length of about 30 km. Each group is different, associated with a particular period, and contains a unique set of temples, tombs, mastabas and other monuments. The pyramids of Giza, with the distinctive Sphinx at the northern end of the field, are disturbingly close to Cairo and in danger of being swallowed up by the large modern metropolis. Further south, at Abu Sir, Saqqara and Dahshur, there are other complexes, with some 35 pyramids in all.