The world contains hundreds, and possibly thousands of pyramids. They were built by peoples in many countries. You will find them in America as well as Africa and Asia.

There are over 118 pyramids in Egypt. They vary in height from a few tens of metres to 146m (Khufu's Pyramid). Most of these pyramids were built as tombs for the Egyptian kings and their wives during the Ancient Egyptian times called the Old and Middle Kingdoms.

The best known Egyptian pyramids are the Great Pyramids, which were built on a high plateau overlooking the River Nile at Giza, next to Cairo. The Great Pyramids are the Pyramid of Khufu (146m), the Pyramid of Khafre (144m), and the Pyramid of Menkaure ( 65m).

Although it is not easy to see today, each pyramid was built inside a large walled courtyard. Next to each pyramid, and inside the courtyard wall, was a place to pray for the dead, called a mortuary temple. Each temple was connected to the Nile by a long road (called a causeway), and at the bottom of each road was another temple.

Below Khafre's Pyramid, and close to the riverside temple, is the Great Sphinx. Next to Khafre's Pyramid are the buried remains of a 'Solar Barge", a huge boat that was buried so that the pharaoh could use it to sail on his journey to join the gods in the stars.