Pyramid of Khafre

Khafre, a Fourth Dynasty king and probable son of Khufu, built the second great pyramid complex at Giza. Although his pyramid is slightly smaller than Khufu’s, it appears taller from many viewpoints because it stands on higher ground. It originally rose to about 143.5 metres and still preserves a striking band of smooth white limestone casing near the summit, making it the easiest of the three major Giza pyramids for visitors to visualize in its original form. Khafre’s complex is especially important because its architectural components survive unusually well. A mortuary temple stood beside the pyramid, linked by a long causeway to the valley temple near the Sphinx. The Great Sphinx is strongly associated with this same royal complex. Together, these elements preserve one of the clearest examples of how an Old Kingdom pyramid functioned as part of an integrated funerary and ritual landscape rather than as an isolated structure.