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The Pyramids at Giza, Egypt - KVR-1000 imagery |
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The Pyramids at Giza, Egypt - KVR-1000 imagery |
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The Pyramids at Giza, Egypt (29.88N 35.2E), form a substantial complex situated close to the Nile on the edge of the Western Desert. Built between c. 2500 and 2000BC, the three main pyramids and associated complexes of subsidiary pyramids, temples and bench-like 'mastaba' tombs can be readily seen on a Russian KVR-1000 satellite image of the area. The northernmost Great Pyramid of Khufu is 147m high and casts a large shadow to the west. It comprises an estimated 2.3 million blocks of stone. Immediately to the east of the Great Pyramid, three subsidiary pyramids belonging to Khufu's Queens can be identified. To the east and west, the complexes of mastaba tombs belonging to close relatives and officials can be seen. To the south of the Great Pyramid are the pyramid complexes of Khafre (144m high) and Menkaure (66m high). Each has a mortuary temple to the east and walls on the northern, western and southern sides. Leading away to the east from the Pyramid of Menkaure, part of the causeway along which the royal corpse would have travelled from a valley temple to the east can be discerned. A similar causeway leads away from the Pyramid of Khafre but is not particularly apparent on the image. Compare this image with a low resolution SIR-C/X-SAR radar image of this area. Reference
AcknowledgementOriginal image posted on the Internet by SPIN-2 at Aerial Images Inc. Reproduced with permission. |
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Copyright ©
1996-1999 Martin J F Fowler, Winchester, UK |
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