KHUFU

Khufu
The Great Pyramid
How are they related? 
Who, exactly, was Pharaoh Khufu?
And how is he related to that giant pyramid
in Egypt, the biggest one, which is known as the Great
Pyramid of Giza? Read on to find out answers to these questions and more.
Here are the top 18 facts about Pharaoh Khufu and the Great Pyramid of Giza.

 Fact #1: PHARAOH KHUFU, MAN OF MANY NAMES

Pharaoh Khufu is known around the world by many names. His full name was Khnum Khufu (you'll find out why shortly). The Greeks called him Cheops. The ancient historian, Manetho, called him Suphis. He's also referred to as Sofe and Chnoubis. 

I suppose building famous monuments gave him a multi-name-worthy reputation. Which brings us to fact #2. 

Fact #2: BUILT ONE OF THE '7 WONDERS OF THE WORLD'

Khufu made his mark on history. Every year countless tourists visit the site where he was buried.

Pictured above (#5) is the Great Pyramid of Giza. It's one of the 7 wonders of the world. The Great Pyramid has stood the test of time--it's been around for 4,500 years. Now that's an impressive legacy that few humans can ever hope to beat.

Fact #3: SON OF PHARAOH SNEFERU AND QUEEN HETEPHERES I

Young Khufu was raised by Pharaoh Sneferu, who founded Egypt's 4th Dynasty. (A carving of Sneferu is pictured on the left) I say 'raised by' because it's possible Sneferu was not Khufu's biological father.

Some say Sneferu adopted Khufu when he married Queen Hetepheres I. That's her chair on the right. Khufu's mother was buried with many exotic grave goods that still remain today. That chair still looks almost new!

Fact #4: BIRTHDAY IS UNKNOWN 

For a man who left behind a staggeringly impressive monument, it's strange that personal facts about Pharaoh Khufu are so scarce. For example, we don't know when he was born. Khufu's birthday remains a mystery.

We do know when he died: 2566 BC. Historians believe he died of natural causes, so no great drama there.

Fact #5: NO ONE KNOWS HOW LONG KHUFU REIGNED

Pharaoh Khufu aka King Cheops was the 2nd pharaoh to reign over Egypt's 4th Dynasty. (His father was the 1st) But we don't know how long he ruled. Current historians lean toward 23 years. The ancient historian Herodotus claimed he ruled for 50 years. Another ancient historian, Manetho, said he ruled for 63 years, but that's probably unlikely.

Fact #6: KHUFU FATHERED 9 BOYS & 5 GIRLS 

Pharaoh Khufu had a big family. He fathered at least 9 boys and 5 girls. Some say he had many more. Many of his children went on to become famous in their own right.

Khufu's sons were: Kawab, Djedefra (1st inherited the throne), Khafre (probably his 2nd successor to the throne), Djedefhor, Baufra, Babaef I, Khufukhaf I, Minkhaf I, Horbaef. Khufu's daughters were: Nefertiabet, Hetepheres II (named after his mother), Meresankh II, Meritites II, Khamerernebty I. A side note: he hired one of his nephews, Hemiunu, to direct the construction of his famous pyramid.

Fact #7: NAMED AFTER THE EARTH GOD KHNUM

Khufu is called by many names nowadays. But his real name was Knuhm-khufu, which means "Khnum protect me".

Who was Khnum? An ancient Egyptian earth god. (Pictured above) Khnum was the god of the source of the great river Nile. Not a bad god to have on your side when the Nile river played such an essential part of ancient Egyptian life. The god was also a creator of children, whom he fashioned out of clay (earth) and delivered to mothers. Also handy to have on your side when you were a king looking to produce many heirs.

Fact #8: KHUFU LOVED EXPEDITIONS & EXPLORATIONS

Khufu sent explorers into Sinai and Byblos to search for valuable resources: turquoise, copper mines, and Lebanese cedar. 

The metals and stones were used for making jewelry, amulets, wood inlay, and more. The cedar was particularly valuable because few trees grew in ancient Egypt. They needed it to make furniture, doors, and boats. In particular, funerary ships, one of which was found at Pharaoh Khufu's Great Pyramid. (I'll talk more about the boat, and show you a picture, shortly.)

Fact #9: EMPLOYED THOUSANDS TO BUILD THE GIZA PYRAMID

Let's talk about the amazing Great Giza Pyramid, which is also called Akhet Khufu (a rather poetic name meaning horizon of Khufu). Over the years, people believed the pyramids were built by slaves. This has turned out to be untrue. In fact, the men were hired and paid wages. Writings have been found to back this up. 

Khufu started his construction project early in his reign, realizing it would take many years to build. Indeed, it took decades given that thousands of men had to cut and drag those massive, 2-ton limestone blocks across several miles of sand. Not to mention hauling them up into place.

Fact #10: GREAT PYRAMID DIMENSIONS 

What are the dimensions of Khufu's Great Pyramid? It is 450 feet tall--around the height of a 45-floor apartment or office building. By comparison, the Statue of Liberty is 300 feet tall, and the tallest dinosaur (the Sauroposeidon), stood at 58 feet. As for the four sides, they are equal in length and are each over a quarter mile long.

Fact #11: THE GREAT PYRAMID'S WEIGHT

How much does the Great Pyramid weigh? 5,750,000 tons (5,216,308,000 kilograms). It sure looks like it, too.

Let's break it down mathematically. The pyramid is constructed of approximately 2.3 million blocks of limestone. Each block weighs around 2.5 tons (2267.96 kilograms). So 2,300,000 x 2267.96 = 5,216,308,000 kilograms (5,750,000 tons). In other words, it weighs around 12 billion pounds.

The Great Pyramid is the 3rd heaviest man-made object in the world. The heaviest is the Great Wall of China, and the 2nd heaviest is the Three Gorges Dam in China. One more reason Khufu's monument is so impressive.

Fact #12: KHUFU'S TINY STATUE

On the flipside . . . Only one complete statue of Pharaoh Khufu remains. It's called the Khufu Statuette, it's made of ivory, and was found by famed archaeologist Flinders Petrie in 1903. The statue was found headless. Realizing the importance of what he'd found, Petrie and his team spent three weeks searching for it. 

Can you guess how big the statuette is? Three inches tall. You got that right. It's rather funny, in some sense, isn't it? Khufu made a huge pyramid, yet the only remaining image of him is this tiny, seated figure wearing the red crown of lower Egypt. 

Fact #13:  NO MUMMY

Here's another fascinating Khufu fact. We have no idea where his mummy is, or if it's even still in one piece. Unfortunately, no mummy was found inside the pyramid. Khufu's heavy stone sarcophagus (coffin) remains, empty and a little worse for wear. The burial chamber was looted, probably thousands of years ago.

Pyramids are easy to spot from a distance. You might as well have put a sign on them saying 'rob me'. That's one reason why pharaohs in later years (such as King Tut or Tutankhamen), gave up on the pyramid concept and chose to be buried in secret tombs in a valley far, far away from the Giza plain.

Fact #14:  NO TREASURE

Another unfortunate fact--not only was Khufu's mummy gone, but archaeologists also found no treasure inside his pyramid. Contrast that with the picture above of the grave goods found in King Tut's secret tomb in the Valley of the Kings.

We can only wonder at the incredible precious items a man like Pharaoh Khufu must have taken with him to the grave. It's sad to think they've disappeared with the sands of time.

Fact #15: A COOL FUNERARY SHIP 

On the bright side, explorers found one incredible treasure at the Great Pyramid. Maybe it was too big for grave-robbers steal. Maybe they weren't interested. Whatever the case, it was sealed inside a pit at the base of the pyramid complex. It's the solar ship seen above.

The funerary ship is the oldest ship in existence, and was so well built that it's been called "a masterpiece of woodcraft". If placed in the water today, you could actually ride in it. No one knows the real purpose of this boat, also called a solar barge, but it's believed to be a ritual vessel used to carry the deceased pharaoh across the heavens, with the help of the Egyptian sun god, Ra. The boat is 143 feet (44m) long and 19.5 feet (6m) wide.

Fact #16: THE GREAT PYRAMID HAS 3 CHAMBERS

How many rooms does the Great Pyramid have? Three (3) as follows:

1. The King's Chamber (where the pharaoh was buried). It contains his large sarcophagus and is pictured in Fact #3. You can reach the King's Chamber via the Grand Gallery, which is an impressive feat of architecture that also serves as a structural purpose. It spreads out the pyramid's weight so that the building doesn't collapse onto the King's Burial Chamber.
2. The Statue Chamber (most often referred to as the Queen's Chamber, but that's a mistake. No queen was buried here).
3. The Subterranean or Underworld Chamber. The purpose of this subterranean room remains a mystery.

Fact #17: KHUFU MAY HAVE BEEN CRUEL

Pharaoh Khufu has a reputation for being a bit of a villain. Whether or not this is true, we can't say for sure. Where did he earn this unflattering status? From an ancient "novel" called the Westcar Papyrus. British adventurer Henry Westcar found this odd book in 1924. It is a very ancient story written on papyrus that is incredibly well-preserved. 

The fantastical tale is laid out in five parts. In it, spells are cast, miracles occur, strange figures come to life, they punish wrong-doers, a crocodile hunts down a townsman, and lake waters are parted at a pharaoh’s command to help a woman retrieve a magic fish amulet. One part features Khufu, and it's not exactly flattering. Khufu decapitates a prisoner because he wants to test the magic powers of a sorcerer named Dedi. But not everyone agrees that it was an evil act. Some argue that the beheading was an act of mercy. If you're feeling adventurous, look up the Westcar Papyrus online, have a read through, and decide for yourself.

And finally we come to our last Khufu & Giza Pyramid fact. . .

Fact #18: KHUFU IS IN A VIDEO GAME

You know you're famous when you're featured in a video game. Pharaoh Khufu may have lived thousands of years ago, but he's still got it. Just check out Assassin's Creed Origins! 

Are you a gamer? Did you arrive here looking for clues to find the ancient tablet? I'll give you a hand:

First, follow the corridor (don't go through the crack). When you reach the room, locate the hatch and go through it. You end up in the first treasure chamber. Smash the wall into 2 pieces and a passage will open. Pass into the next chamber. There, you will find the Ancient Tablet.

To exit, go through the hole on the opposite side, behind the tablet. You'll see a passage. Climb out and follow the path onward.

• • •

So there you have it! 18 amazing, fascinating facts about Pharaoh Khufu, also known as King Cheops among other names, and the Great Pyramid of Giza. I had fun putting this together, and I hope you had as much fun reading it.

Top 18 Pharaoh Khufu & Giza Pyramid Facts

1. Khufu/Cheops/Suphis - a man of many names

2. Built one of the 7 Wonders of the World

3. Son of Pharaoh Sneferu & Queen Hetepheres I

4. Birthdate unknown, died in 2566 BC

5. 2nd Ruler of Egypt's 4th Dynasty

6. Fathered 9 boys and 5 girls

7. Named after the earth god Khnum

8. Loved expeditions and explorations

9. Employed thousands to build the Great Pyramid

10. Great Pyramid is 450' tall, with a 750'x750' base

11. Great Pyramid weighs 5,750,000 tons

12. Khufu has only one very tiny statue

13. His mummy was never found

14. No treasure was found in the Great Pyramid

15. Left behind an amazing funerary 'solar' ship

16. Great Pyramid has only 3 chambers

17. Some say Khufu was cruel

18. Khufu is featured in an Assassin's Creed game

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