Pyramids of Khufu (Cheops), Khafre (Chephren) and Menkaure (Mercerinus) as seen from the plateau point from the plateau point

       在開羅近郊尼羅河的西岸吉薩(Giza)高原建造金字塔，是舉世聞名的金字塔的故鄉。古王國時期 第四王朝史內福魯(Snefru)之後的三個法老分別是Khufu (2551-2528 BC)、Khafre (2520 - 2494 BC) 和 Menkaure (2490 - 2472 BC) 王在此興建的金字塔，是古埃及金字塔最完美之作，興建於西元前2500左右。從南面觀看三座相連的金字塔群， Pyramid of Khafre (Chephren) 居中，Pyramid of Khufu (Cheops)在右，左側的孟考爾(Menkaure)金字塔，前面還有三座一字排開的小型王后金字塔。

在開羅近郊尼羅河的西岸吉薩(Giza)高原建造金字塔，是舉世聞名的金字塔的故鄉。古王國時期 第四王朝史內福魯(Snefru)之後的三個法老分別是Khufu (2551-2528 BC)、Khafre (2520 - 2494 BC) 和 Menkaure (2490 - 2472 BC) 王在此興建的金字塔，是古埃及金字塔最完美之作，興建於西元前2500左右。從南面觀看三座相連的金字塔群， Pyramid of Khafre (Chephren) 居中，Pyramid of Khufu (Cheops)在右，左側的孟考爾(Menkaure)金字塔，前面還有三座一字排開的小型王后金字塔。

因 Khufu 金字塔較遠，Khafre 金字塔成為視覺效果中最大的一座。三座金字塔相互重疊，東側的棱線嚴格平等，那氣派容不得人喘息。正年的陽光直射下來，穿過雲朵，形成金色的線條在金字塔塔身上移動。自然的力量使金字塔獲得生命，三座巨大的紀念碑下，遊人象是黃土地上的小螞蟻。這代表著古代文明燦爛成就的金字塔，一直聳峙在大地之上。因此，阿拉伯人有俗語說：“人們怕時間，時間卻怕金字塔”。 

 

 一、古夫王（Khufu）金字塔

三個金字塔中最大和最著名的是建於 2550 BC被稱為 Cheops 之古夫王（Khufu）金字塔，塔高原146.5公尺，經過千年風化現減損為137.2公尺，此高度曾令它雄踞地球上最高的建築物寶座整整達43個世紀之久，直至19世紀巴黎埃菲爾鐵塔建成，才被打破紀錄！而且經歷三次地震依然岷屹立不倒。因為這個金字塔是埃及規模最大的金字塔，所以人們稱為大金字塔。它建於埃及第四王朝，是史內福魯的兒子 Kufu所建立，象徵國王至高無上的神格化王權。基底邊長230公尺（現減損為227.5公尺），角度為51度51分，塔身共計250層，以平均2.5噸重的230萬塊石材砌成，總計約600萬噸重。佔地約五﹒三公頃，比羅馬的聖彼得教堂大兩倍多。 

因為實在是太熱了，決定遺忘朋友的殷殷交代，不要在金字塔附近騎駱駝（怕駱駝主人亂哄抬價錢。。。），還是騎上了，不知道是不是價錢談不怎麼攏還他們司空慣見，反正，就是主人一逕在前頭走平地拉駱駝，駱駝卻上上下下爬石頭、走稜線，石頭高度加上駱駝高度，實在是刺激好玩到不行，一道窄窄的牆，這駱駝老兄牠硬是搖搖晃晃的給它走完，還得偶都以為牠是不是練過美姿美儀課，就那ㄍ頭頂著書本，腳踩一直線，再加上ㄍ搖曳生姿。。。難怪沿路聽到別人的慘叫慘叫～～～



 
大金字塔東邊有三座小金字塔，是古夫的妻子們的墓地。南北兩側，整整齊齊地排列著許多第四、五王朝的貴族平頂石墓，宛如眾星拱月一般，襯托出古夫王金字塔無與倫比的威勢。

Khufu Pyramid with temple entrance in view
http://www.nmazca.com/cairo/
 

http://www.delange.org/Inside_Khufu/EP3-2-2.htm ← 有古夫王金字塔內部照片

入大金字塔後，有一條呈26度角傾斜的下行通道及一條呈26度的上行坡道。下行通道盡頭是金字塔底部，裏面是600英呎的石室，原為準備存放遺體之處，但後來決定將之存放於金字塔真正之內。而上行坡道內的高度很矮，難以讓人直立。上行坡道內有兩條分路，上面那條叫\"大甬道(The Grand Gallery)\"，同樣保持26度角向上爬升，大甬道的盡頭連接的就是傳說中法老王屍體放置的\"王殿\"。大甬道的下方有另外一條水平的通道，直通往所謂的\"皇后殿\"。

The largest and most famous pyramid, it was built for King Khufu beginning around 2550 B.C. It was originally cased in white limestone, and until 1887 when the Eiffel Tower was finished, it was the tallest structure ever built.
The four sides are each slightly more than 755 feet long and are aligned almost exactly with true north, south, east and west.
This monument of stone contains approximately 2,300,000 blocks, weighing a total of 6,500,000 tons. The inside contains a fascinating network of passages, shafts, galleries and hidden chambers. Some of the passages were designed to confuse grave robbers. Others were probably designed to assist the dead pharaoh\'s spirit through to the afterlife.

放置於開羅博物館的古夫王木乃伊，目前僅知古夫王在位二十三年（公元前2543年至公元前2520年），對他的事蹟，則所知甚少。 
  
 

法老雕像一般雙手一握拳，一平放膝上，代表恩威並用。
http://www.crystalinks.com/fourthdynasty.html
Khufu ruled from 2551-2528 B.C. Old Kingdom - 4th Dynasty. His parents were King Sneferu and Queen Hetpeheres. He was the second pharaoh of the Fourth Dynasty.  King Khufu was also known by the Greek name, Cheops, and was the father of the pyramid building at Giza.  The Great Pyramid of Khufu  is the only one of the famous \"Seven Wonders of the Ancient World\" that still stands today!

The Queens pyramids view from top  

Khufu boat pit at bottom

大金字塔東邊有三座小金字塔，是古夫的妻子們的墓地。南北兩側，整整齊齊地排列著許多第四、五王朝的貴族平頂石墓，宛如眾星拱月一般，襯托出古夫王金字塔無與倫比的威勢。

1954年埃及的考古學家運\用現代遙感技術在古夫金字塔的南端，找到一艘表面斑駁的雪松木製太陽船，長43公尺，寬5公尺。考古學家推測，這艘船曾伴隨法老古夫的尸棺來到Giza，是古夫王的繼承人傑德夫勒王為他建造，目的是讓它載送古夫王前往永生世界。。現在古夫金字塔南側發現太空船的地方建起了形如船身的太陽船博物館，在金字塔區的浩瀚景觀中添了一筆現代埃及人的新作。

典型的金字塔建築複合群的模型（A model of a typical pyramid complex）

這模型顯示一個有遮頂的堤道連接著 funerary temple（行祭禮） 和 mortuary temple（將法老做成木乃伊），在法老葬禮時，會使用太陽船載著法老，穿過這堤道。在葬禮後，這船就被拆解下來埋在金字塔旁的坑裡。 http://www.kenseamedia.com/december/solarboa.htm

The boat played a special part in funeral ceremonies in Ancient Egypt. Not only was a boat required to carry the body across the Nile for burial, but it was a symbol of the journey of the soul in the Boat of Ra to be judged before Osiris in the underworld. (See The Journey of Egypt\'s Greatest Magician to the Underworld)

 

 

古夫王的太陽船 (Khufu\'s Solar Boat), 4th Dynasty

 

 

Solar Boat Museum

The Solarboat Museum at the base of the Pyramid of Cheops in Egypt contains the actual, reconstructed boat that was used in the funerary ceremonies of the Pharaoh Cheops over 4000 year ago. This boat was probably used to carry the body across the Nile to the Pyramid on the Giza Plateau. Several boats were used in the ceremonies. Five boat pits have been found around the Pyramid of Cheops in stone lined pits, excavated into the Giza Plateau.

 

 

The boat they found buried beneath the sand. It was the transportation for the Pharaohs in the underworld. Now their private boat is in the museum. I suppose the Pharaohs need to take public transports now.

來源： http://www.hat.net/album/middle_east/004_egypt/day_46_pyramid/

 

 

來源： http://historylink101.net/egypt_1/pic_pyramids_khufu_1.htm

Near the pyramid were five boat pits. One found in 1954, by archaeologist had the remains of the flat bottom boat which had been disassemble and placed in thirteen layers in the pit. The boat was made mostly of cedar wood. The boat was reassembled and is now displayed in a museum near Giza. The boat measure around 143 feet fully assembled. Boat pits were also found around the pyramid of Khufu\'s son, Khephre.

 

 

博物館內原太陽船的掩埋區

 

 

來源： http://www.bu.edu/remotesensing/Research/boat/boat.html

This project involved the nondestructive investigation of a boat pit of Pharaoh Khufu. The pit in question (image) was located in 1954, aligned with another one, 18 meters south of the Great Pyramid of Giza. During the same year the eastern pit was excavated from under a cap of 41 limestone blocks and found to contain a disassembled boat.

 

 

這是另一個洞，裡面埋了另一艘結構類似但較小的解體船。

來源： http://www.ussmaverick.net/gallery/Egypt.html

 

The disassembled boat was made of cedar wood 4,600 years ago. The wood was excavated, and the assembled vessel was placed on exhibit at the Boat Museum, which was built on the site of the discovery. By 1986, however, the boat had shrunk about 0.5 meters since it was assembled in 1966. It was feared that such deterioration may have been caused by the changing environmental conditions inside the museum.

 

不過這艘船還真是驚人的大，長44米，寬 9米，船上有一個用席子圍成的船艙，帆船上刻有胡夫的兒子傑德佛雷的名字。船體爲年前ㄉ香柏木純木結構，用繩索捆綁而成。整艘船的造型十分簡單，但製作的技術卻十分精細，一旁的小模型說明著整艘船沒有用到一根釘子，完全是以繩索銜接，船下水後木頭發脹，裂縫便密合便滴水不露，科學家曾經仿照這艘船作了實驗，證明它可以在水上行走。

 

 

太陽船並不是一艘航行在現實生活中的船，古埃及人相信法老是太陽神拉的兒子，他的靈魂將搭乘一艘太陽船在白晝旅行，搭乘另一艘在夜間旅行。法老將用太陽船上的木槳殺死兇猛的野獸，剷除人間的惡魔，並以此贏得人民的愛戴。考古學家推測，胡夫的兒子當年用太陽船把胡夫的石棺從東岸運\到西岸的金字塔安葬，然後將船拆開埋於地下，希望陪伴死去的法老能航向永恆。

 

Funerary ceremonies would have included rituals carrying the body along the Nile to the Funerary Temple to be mummified, rituals during the mummification period, the ritual journey up the darkened causeway, entombment ceremonies and the actual placement of the body in the sarcophagus in the pyramid.

Boats are shown in the tombs of the nobles as being used to draw the sarcophagus to the tomb. This example is from the Tomb of Roy. Other tombs show the boats as they are crossing the Nile with all the funeral goods and the mourners.

 

 

The Solar Boat of Ancient Egypt

This beautiful piece represents the solar boat of Re (Phre) whose divine symbol is the sun. It was told that Re determines to remove himself from the affairs of men and so raises himself to the vault of heaven. There he travels across the vault of the sky in a great barque - for twelve hours of the day (from horizon to horizon) and twelve hours of the night. It was told that he rises in the morning as a young child, (symbolized in the sculpture as the four-legged ram at the bow ) reaches the fullness of manhood at noon (symbolized by Horus atop the house) and grows old in the evening (perhaps symbolized by the helmsman in the stern of the vessel). At night he is known as Efu Re. Portrayals of Efu Re show him with a ram\'s head, standing erect inside the cabin and holding the ankh, symbol of life, in his right hand and a staff (of rulership) in his left hand. There, he is protected by the serpent Mehen against attack by another serpent, Apep, who seeks to destroy him. 

來源：http://users.erols.com/bcccsbs/solrbt.htm

 

來源：

http://historylink101.net/egypt_1/pic_pyramids_giza.htm

http://montgomery.cas.muohio.edu/nimissa/cairo.html