The Great Pyramids of Giza by Sarah

Sarah holding the smooth sided pyramid.  No, this is not Photo Shopped!

              My family and I went to the Great Pyramids of Giza last week when we were in Cairo, Egypt.  The Great Pyramids of Giza are amazing structures!  After seeing them up close, I think it is still standing because it is a good stable shape and hard to knock down.  It is made of sandstone and granite which are strong rocks.  They are well preserved because they were hidden under sand for thousands of years.

Sarah in front of the Great Pyramid next to a step pyramid.

              The Ancient Egyptians built pyramids for tombs for the rulers and the stuff that they would need for the afterlife.  The pyramid is a stable shape.  The pyramid structure is stable because the base is square and all the forces lean inward equally.  The designers of the pyramids were smart because it is almost impossible to destroy a pyramid built of stone.  Some have tried and they were only able to make a scar out of one side of the pyramid.

             It is also good that the pyramids are made of granite and hard sandstone not mud brick like other structures.  Lots of temples were made of mud brick interiors and capped with carved stone and plaster.  If it had been made of mud brick or sand it would have crumbled long ago like the walls surrounding some of the temples.

              The Pyramids at Giza use to be covered in sand for thousands of years!  The sand protected it from people, wind, weather, and erosion.  I am glad that they were protected, so I could see them in good shape.

             It is amazing that the Pyramids of Giza are still standing, even though the treasures were stolen out of them and people destroyed parts of it to get to the treasures in the tombs.  They held the record for the tallest building in the world for thousands of years and are still impressive.