The Great Pyramids

The Great Pyramid of Giza is the oldest of the Seven Wonders of the ancient world and also the last one still in existence. Until the Lincoln Cathedral was built in England in 1311, the great Pyramid of Giza held the title for the world´s tallest man-made structure, it held the record for an unbelievable 3871 years!

Sphinx & Pyramids of Chefren and Mankaura, Giza, 1870

The pyramids are implausibly precise structures. The three Giza pyramids are perfectly aligned with the Constellation of Orion. In Ancient Egypt the stars of Orion were associated with Osiris, the god of rebirth and afterlife, perhaps hinting at the purpose of these great buildings. Most typically believed to be tombs for the Pharaohs, no mummies or remains were ever found within the pyramids. Additionally, no writing or hieroglyphics have been found within the great Pyramids of Giza, creating more mystery surrounding their original purpose.

Another Pyramid known as Cheops faces true North and is the most accurately aligned to North of any structure in the world. Despite being created millennia ago, the pyramid still faces that direction with just a marginal error. However, this is as a result of the North Pole shifting slowly over time, which suggests that at one time the pyramid was spot on.

Menkaure's Pyramid

There was an attempt to destroy the Giza pyramids in the 12th century. Al-Aziz, a Kurdish ruler and the second Ayyubid sultan of Egypt, tried to demolish them however had to give up because the task was too immense. Ultimately he did succeed in damaging Menkaure's Pyramid where he left a large vertical gash in its north face.

At Grays, we have Egyptian or Egyptian inspired treasures waiting to be discovered. Here's a few of our top picks..

Egyptian high status shabti statue, 664 - 332 BC. Available from Antique Choices.

A pair of scarab earrings by Askew of London. Available from Linda Bee.

Egyptian gold finger ring with 18th Dynasty carnelian frog, 1543 - 1292 BC. Available from Ancient Jewellery

Egyptian lapis lazuli fish 10th - 15th Century AD. Available from Habibi Oriental Antiques.

Egyptian gold and scraboid ring, 1795 - 1550- BC. Available from Ancient Jewellery.