Explore the Pyramid of Khafre | A Glimpse into Ancient Egyptian Burial Rituals

Khafre (c. 2558–2532 BC) was an ancient Egyptian king, or pharaoh, who belonged to the Fourth Dynasty of Egypt's Old Kingdom. He was one of the sons of Khufu and succeeded his older brother Djedefre to the throne. Khafre is perhaps most famous for constructing the second-largest pyramid at Giza as well as the Great Sphinx.

The pharaoh was known to the ancient Greeks as Chephren, but unfortunately not much is known about Khafre apart from reports by Greek historians who were writing 2,000 years after his life.

The Pyramid of Khafre was built as a tomb and resting place for the pharaoh. While it seems larger than the pyramid of Khafre's father, Khufu, this is actually not the case. In fact, this pyramid is 10 feet shorter, but as it stands on higher ground and its peak is still capped with the polished limestone casing, it seems taller.

Like the other pyramids, it was built using millions of blocks of limestone and granite. A workforce of around 20,000. These pyramid builders included both permanent and seasonal workers and their families. They were all housed at a well-equipped worker’s village near the Giza plateau.

The Pyramid of Khafre was built around 2570 BC on an outcrop of rock into which the subterranean chambers were cut. Khafre’s Pyramid sits at 136m tall and is the only one to retain a bit of its polished limestone casing at the top.

The general layout and funeral complex is similar to that of Khufu, with two temples, and five boat pits. Khafre’s temples are much better preserved than the others at Giza, especially the valley temple. Made of granite and alabaster, its pillared halls once held 23 statues of Khafre. This temple is located near the Great Sphinx and once sat on the banks of the Nile.

Like so many other ancient Egyptian tombs, the Pyramid of Khafre was looted by grave robbers within a few hundred years of being built. The first proper explorations in the modern era were spearheaded in 1818 by Giovanni Belzoni who discovered the king’s burial chamber. While the chamber was empty, it’s said that he found Arabic graffiti from the 14th century!

The first complete exploration was in 1837 conducted by John Perring, and in 1853 Auguste Mariette excavated Khafre's valley temple and discovered a number of statues of Khafre.

Khafre’s pyramid has two entrances leading to a single burial chamber. While these chambers and passageways are less elaborate than those in the Great Pyramid, they are still made out of enormous blocks of granite.

The burial chamber itself is carved out of bedrock, with a gabled roof of white limestone. Here you can see Khafre’s sarcophagus which was sunk into the floor.

The Great Sphinx of Giza was also constructed during the reign of Khafre. Carved out of the same bedrock as the pyramid itself, and was once connected to the pyramid by a long causeway.

It is thought to have been a part of Khafre’s funeral complex, and in fact, the face of the Sphinx likely represents the pharaoh himself. Today it has become one of the most recognizable statues in the world.