Egyptian king - Pharaoh Cheops. Egyptian king - Pharaoh Cheops The reign of Pharaoh Cheops

(Khufu) - second pharaoh of the IV dynasty Ancient kingdom Egypt ruled the country around 2589-2566. BC e., that is, about 23 years. Khufu's full name was "Khnum-Khufu", which means "The god Khnum protects me." Currently better known as Cheops (according to Herodotus). Also referred to as Hembes (according to Diodorus), Sufis I (according to Manetho), Saophis (according to Eratosthenes). Cheops is the son of Pharaoh Sneferu and Queen Hetepheres I, the brother of Princess Hetepheres imagined himself as the second sun and had two or four wives, from whom he had many children: nine sons, of whom Djedefra, Djedefhor, Kawab, Khafre (Khafre) are known from the Westkar papyrus, Banefra, Khufuhaef, and fifteen daughters, of whom are known Meresankh II, Hamerernebti I, Khentetenka, and Hetepheres II, who would later become queen by marrying her half-brother Djedefre after the death of her husband and half-brother Kawab. Other children are simply known from their graves at El Giza: Cemetery G 7000 contains several mastabas of these royal children.

Cheops - builder of the tallest pyramid on the Giza plateau, one of the Seven Wonders Ancient World. The side of the base of the famous pyramid is about 230 m, the angle of inclination is 52°, and the height is about 147 m. The Pyramid of Cheops was called “Lights”, and the entire pyramidal complex was called “Akhet-Khufu, Horizon of Khufu”.

He also built many other structures. In particular, he reburied his mother in a secret tomb-shaft located northeast of his pyramid. Her original tomb was located near the pyramid of her husband, Pharaoh Snefru, in Meidum, and was looted. What was left was transferred to Giza: the sarcophagus was empty, but the canopic jars were in place.

Cheops fought in Sinai. They sent a military expedition to the Sinai Peninsula with the aim of neutralizing the local nomadic Bedouin tribes who were robbing traders and developing turquoise deposits. An inscription discovered on a stone on Elephantine Island indicates that the pharaoh also paid attention to the southern borders of the country, where Aswan pink granite was mined. Cheops is also depicted as the builder of many cities and settlements along the Nile.

In the testimonies of ancient historians, Cheops gained a reputation as a classic eastern despot and a cruel, ruthless ruler, in contrast to the biographies of his father Sneferu and the heirs of Khafre and Mikerin. The legend claims that Cheops forced the people to hard work in the construction of the pyramid. The very name of Cheops was allegedly not spoken by the people after his death, and the exhaustion of Egypt's resources to build the pharaoh's pyramid led to the weakening of the state and the fall of the Fourth Dynasty.

The only small ivory figurine of Khufu has survived to this day.

Cheops, aka Khufu, is the famous egyptian pharaoh IV Dynasty, who lived during the era of the Old Kingdom (XXVI century BC).

Cheops is considered the creator of the Great Pyramid, the tallest pyramid in Egypt.

Associated with the construction of this pyramid and its “owner” public opinion, which developed in the era of antiquity.

In folklore, the image of Cheops has developed as a cruel tyrant, a classic oriental despot, who, with the help of violence, directed the entire country to build his pyramid and spent most of the funds on this matter, which led to the weakening and impoverishment of the country.

Greek historians also reasoned in this direction. Perhaps this idea was partially true, but the surviving monuments of Khufu’s era paint a completely different picture.

In particular, lifetime documents indicate that Cheops was the founder of a number of cities, and also developed mineral deposits - turquoise in the Sinai Peninsula and pink granite in the south of the country.

Probably, the negative image of Cheops was subsequently created by the founders of the Fifth Dynasty and the priests who supported them in order to take revenge on the pharaoh: they said that Cheops deprived the temples and their servants of the privileges. However, lifetime sources indicate that the pharaoh spent quite a lot of money on the construction of temples.

Information from life

Little information has been preserved about the life of Cheops. It is known that his full name was Khnum-Khufu, which translates as “guarded by Khnum.” Khnum is the ancient Egyptian god of fertility, who was depicted with the head of a ram. He ruled for at least 27 years (2589 - 2566 BC) and had many sons and daughters, whose names are known to scientists.

Among his children there were famous personalities:

• Khafre (Khafre) is the fourth pharaoh of the Fourth Dynasty, considered the founder of not only his own pyramid, but also the famous Sphinx, whose face is a portrait of the pharaoh.
• Djedefra is a pharaoh whose name for the first time in Egyptian history contained the name of the god Ra (it was also present in the names of other sons of Cheops).
• Hetepheres II is the sister and wife of Djedefre.

The paradoxical fact is that the name of Cheops is not mentioned at all in the inscriptions of the Great Pyramid. There is only his name written in red paint, but it turned out to be a fake. This fact became the basis for all sorts of pseudo-scientific and pseudoscientific theories, as well as other mysteries that the pyramid keeps.

Great Pyramid

The pyramid is practically all that remains from the reign of Cheops. This impressive structure is the oldest of the “seven wonders of the world” and at the same time the only one of them that has survived to this day. The pyramid has amazed the minds of people since ancient times: she was admired by both ancient historians and Arab conquerors.

At the same time, the systematic study of the Cheops pyramid began only in the era of A. For three and a half thousand years it was considered the tallest building in the world. Its original height was 146.6 meters, but as a result of an earthquake its top stone, the pyramidion, collapsed, as a result of which its height today is only 137.5 meters. To the average observer, the loss of the apex is almost invisible.

The main architect of the pyramid is Hemiun. He was a relative (brother or nephew) of Cheops and served as his chati, that is, vizier. Merrer, an official who took part in the construction of the pyramid, is also known; he kept a diary in which he talked about regular trips to the Tursky limestone quarry, where blocks were made for the construction of the tomb.

This diary, as it were, lifted the veil of secrets over the pyramid and deprived it of a supernatural aura: with its discovery, it became finally clear that ordinary people were behind the creation of the greatest “wonder of the world.”

Myths about Cheops and his pyramid

The mysterious figure of Cheops and the aura of mystery that surrounded his pyramid since ancient times led to the emergence of numerous legends and myths. One of them was given above - that the king forced huge crowds of people to grueling construction of his monument.

Another legend says that Cheops sold one of his daughters to a brothel in order to earn money from her to build a pyramid. He allegedly closed all the churches so that the people would not be distracted by prayers and would continue to build.

construction of the Cheops pyramid photo

Ancient authors, especially Herodotus, were actively interested in the history of the Cheops pyramid. However, due to the lack of a scientific apparatus, Herodotus and other historians often recorded unverified and unreliable data and, again, myths.

Thus, Herodotus estimated the cost of food for workers at 1,600 talents of silver, which corresponds to 7.5 million dollars; This means that the total cost of construction costs should have been many times greater. However, the total cost of constructing the Parthenon was only 700 talents, so the figure given by the “father of history” looks far-fetched. Diodorus Siculus wrote that Cheops attracted 360 thousand workers to build his pyramid.

Even in ancient times, the Egyptians themselves called Pharaoh Cheops Khnum-Khufu. The ruler himself called himself “the second sun.” Europeans learned about it thanks to Herodotus. The ancient historian dedicated several stories to life. His entire work is called “History”. It was Herodotus who approved the Greek reading of the name of the pharaoh - Cheops. The scientist believed that the ruler was known as a tyrant and despot. But there are a number of lifetime sources that speak of Cheops as a far-sighted and wise ruler.

The Rise of Ancient Egypt

The reign date of Pharaoh Cheops is supposedly 2589-2566 BC. e. or 2551-2528 BC. e. He was the second representative of the fourth royal dynasty. The reign of Pharaoh Cheops was the heyday of the country. By this time, Lower and Upper Egypt had already united into one strong state. The king was considered a living god. That is why his power seemed absolutely limitless. The power of the Egyptian pharaohs directly influenced the development of the economy. Economic growth contributed to the progress of political and cultural life.

Despite this, there is not much information about the pharaoh. The main sources are the works of the ancient historian Herodotus. However, this work is most likely based on legends rather than on historical facts. And therefore this work, in fact, has nothing to do with reality. However, several sources about the life of Cheops are quite reliable.

Photos of Pharaoh Cheops, unfortunately, could not be preserved. In the article you have the opportunity to see images of his tomb and sculptural creations.

Activities of the ruler

The reign of Pharaoh Cheops lasted more than two decades. He was considered the second sun and had a rather stern character. He had several wives and, accordingly, many children.

He was also known for the fact that during his reign new cities and settlements were constantly built on the banks of the Nile. Thus, the pharaoh founded a famous fortress in Buhen.

In addition, many religious objects appeared, including, of course, the Pyramid of Cheops. But we will return to this issue a little later.

By the way, according to Herodotus, the ruler closed the temples. He saved, and all resources went to the construction of his pyramid. However, judging by Egyptian sources, the pharaoh donated to religious objects with enviable generosity and was still an active temple builder. In many ancient drawings, the pharaoh was depicted precisely as the creator of villages and cities.

How statesman, Pharaoh Cheops was periodically forced to send his army to the Sinai Peninsula. His goal is the destruction of nomadic tribes who were robbing local traders.

Also in this territory, the ruler tried to control deposits of copper and turquoise. It was he who first began to develop the deposits of alabaster, which are located in Hatnub.

In the south of the country, the pharaoh carefully monitored the extraction of Aswan pink granite, which was used for construction.

Architect of the tomb

In history, the name of this ruler is primarily associated with his pyramid. It is recognized as one of the seven wonders of the world. The tomb is located in Giza. It is near modern Cairo.

It is worth noting that Cheops was not the first pharaoh for whom a pyramid was built. The founder of such constructions was, after all, the ruler Djoser. Khnum-Khufu built the largest tomb.

The pyramid of Pharaoh Cheops was built around the year 2540 BC. e. The head of the construction work and the architect was one of the ruler’s relatives. His name was Hemiun. He served as vizier. Another Egyptian official who participated in the construction of the pyramid is also known - Merrer. He kept diary entries, with the help of which modern scientists learned that this figure often came to one of the limestone quarries. It was there that the blocks for the construction of the tomb were produced.

Construction progress

Preparatory work took several years, as the workers first had to build the road. Material for the construction was dragged along it. The construction of the pyramid lasted almost two decades. According to some sources, about one hundred thousand workers were involved in the construction process. But only 8,000 people could build the facility at the same time. Every 3 months the workers replaced each other.

Peasants also took part in the construction of the monumental structure. True, they could only do this when the Nile was flooding. During this period, all agricultural work was curtailed.

The Egyptians who built the pyramid were given not only food and clothing, but also a salary.

Exterior of the tomb

Initially, the height of the tomb was almost 147 meters. However, due to a series of earthquakes and the advance of sand, several blocks collapsed. Thus, today the height of the pyramid is 137.5 m. The length of one side of the tomb is 230 m.

The tomb is made of 2.3 million stone blocks. In this case, no binding solution was provided at all. The weight of each block varies from 2.5 to 15 tons.

There are burial chambers inside the tomb. One of them is called the “queen’s chamber.” At the same time, representatives of the weaker sex were traditionally buried in separate small tombs. In any case, at the foot of the pyramid there are tombs of Cheops women and nobles.

Solar boats

Near the tomb, archaeologists discovered the so-called “solar boats” - these are ceremonial boats. According to legend, on them the ruler makes his voyage to the afterlife.

In 1954, scientists found the first ship. The material used was construction without nails at all. The length of the structure is almost 40 m, and the width is 6 m.

Surprisingly, the researchers were able to identify that there were traces of silt on the boat. Perhaps during his lifetime the ruler moved along it along the Nile and the coastal waters of the Mediterranean. Steering and rowing oars were found on the boat, and superstructures with cabins were placed on the deck.

The second Cheops vessel was discovered relatively recently. It was located in the hiding place of the pyramid.

Empty sarcophagus

However, the body of the legendary pharaoh was not found. In the ninth century, one of the caliphs was able to enter the tomb. He was surprised that there were no signs of looting or break-in. But there was no mummy of Cheops; instead, only an empty sarcophagus remained.

At the same time, the structure was interpreted precisely as a tomb. Perhaps the ancient Egyptians deliberately built a false tomb to deceive potential robbers. The fact is that at one time the burial place of Cheops’ mother was robbed, and her mummy was stolen. The thieves took the body so that they could then remove the jewelry in a calm atmosphere.

At first, Cheops was not informed about the disappearance of the mummy. They only told him about the fact of the looting. After this, the pharaoh was forced to order the reburying of her mother’s body, but in fact they had to perform the ritual with an empty sarcophagus.

There is a version that the ruler’s mummy was buried in another, modest tomb. And the pyramid itself was the posthumous abode of the spirit of a powerful king.

Descendants of the Pharaoh

When Pharaoh Cheops (ruled 2589-2566 BC or 2551-2528 BC) passed away, the son of the great ruler became the ruler of the state. His name was Djedefra. There are very few facts about his reign. It is known that he reigned for only eight years. During this time, he managed to build the second tallest tomb in this area. Unfortunately, back in those ancient times, the Djedefre pyramid was also not only plundered, but also partially destroyed.

In addition, a number of historians believe that it was this offspring of Cheops who was able to build the Great Sphinx in his time. This statue was erected in memory of his father. Egyptologists believe that the body of the mythical creature was made of solid limestone. However, his head was made later. Note that many scientists claim that the face of the Sphinx is very similar in appearance to the appearance of Cheops.

Subsequent rulers of the dynasty also continued to build pyramids. And here the last king the fourth dynasty named Shepeskaf no longer built monumental tombs, since the heyday of Ancient Egypt came to naught. The state found itself in a state of decline. The descendants of Cheops no longer allowed themselves to waste resources on colossal structures. Thus, the time of the great pyramids remains in the distant past. But the great tomb of Cheops, which is considered one of the surviving to this day.

Even in ancient times, the Egyptians themselves called Pharaoh Cheops Khnum-Khufu. The ruler himself called himself “the second sun.” Europeans learned about it thanks to Herodotus. The ancient historian devoted several stories to the life of the Egyptian king. All his work is called “History”. It was Herodotus who approved the Greek reading of the name of the pharaoh - Cheops. The scientist believed that the ruler was known as a tyrant and despot. But there are a number of lifetime sources that speak of Cheops as a far-sighted and wise ruler.

The Rise of Ancient Egypt

The reign date of Pharaoh Cheops is supposedly 2589-2566 BC. e. or 2551-2528 BC. e. He was the second representative of the fourth royal dynasty. The reign of Pharaoh Cheops was the heyday of the country. By this time, Lower and Upper Egypt had already united into one strong state. The king was considered a living god. That is why his power seemed absolutely limitless. The power of the Egyptian pharaohs directly influenced the development of the economy. Economic growth contributed to the progress of political and cultural life.

Despite this, there is not much information about the pharaoh. The main sources are the works of the ancient historian Herodotus. However, this work is most likely based on legends rather than historical facts. And therefore this work, in fact, has nothing to do with reality. However, several sources about the life of Cheops are quite reliable.

Photos of Pharaoh Cheops, unfortunately, could not be preserved. In the article you have the opportunity to see images of his tomb and sculptural creations.

Khufu (in Greek - Cheops, full name– Khnum-Khufu) was the greatest pharaoh The Fourth Dynasty of Egypt, ruled during the Old Kingdom. He is the creator of the greatest monument in the world - the Great Pyramid of Giza, the largest of.

In Egyptian, the name Khufu means “protected by Khnum” - he was also known as Cheops (according to Herodotus), Hembes (according to Diodorus), Sufis the First (according to Manetho), Saophis (according to Eratosthenes). His parents were Queen Hetepheres and Pharaoh Snefru (builder and...

Cheops as a person

In oral folklore and historical records of the ancient era, Cheops is presented as a tyrant and despot, as evidenced by the brutality of his rule, which largely contradicts the actions of his father Sneferu.

But, despite this, the cultural monuments of Egypt, which have survived to our time, paint us a contradictory image of Cheops - it does not at all correlate with the peculiarities of the rule of the Greeks and Persians, but, on the contrary, is even opposed to them. Such inconsistencies are often observed.

Ancient legends convey to us the information that Cheops mercilessly, literally, forced the Egyptians to work on the construction of the Great Pyramid, exhausting the people with backbreaking work.

Even the fall of the Fourth Dynasty is associated with the fact that a huge amount of Egypt's resources were put into construction, which contributed to the deterioration of the situation of the entire state. Maybe this was a real picture of what was happening, or maybe this opinion about Cheops was deliberately instilled by the founders of the Fifth Dynasty, who came to power with the help of the priesthood of Ra after.

In Dakhla on Mount Djedefra there are inscriptions that make it possible to believe that Cheops ruled for at least 27 years. Also preserved are fragments of papyri from that time, found off the coast of the Red Sea, on which was written the date of the 27th year of the reign of the pharaoh.

It is known that Cheops built many different settlements along the banks of the river during the years of his reign. Often, in order to expand his possessions and obtain rich lands, he sent expeditions to destroy the Bedouin tribes wandering and living on the lands he liked. So he acquired the Sinai Peninsula (where there were deposits of turquoise) and had eyes on the southern side of the country, the place of mining (pink granite).

History of the creation of monuments

The largest and most memorable achievement of Cheops is the construction of the greatest monument of antiquity - his tomb pyramid. The Great is recognized as the first wonder of the world out of seven known.

It is she who is the most ancient creation of the ancient era - the only wonder of the world that has survived to our time exactly in the form in which it was originally. This is the most famous, where hundreds of thousands of travelers come every year. They even let tourists inside for only 100.

The height of the structure in those days reached 146.6 meters, but today it is somewhat less. Due to the earthquake and winds, the monument lost 9.1 meters and the pyramidion (granite stone crowning the pyramid).

The Tomb of Cheops was the record tallest structure for about 3,500 years, but the record was still broken in 1889, with the Eiffel Tower becoming the new leader. As it turned out, the height of the pyramid built by Cheops was exceeded several times in the 19th century - by the Church of St. Nicholas in Hamburg, the Washington Memorial and the Cathedral in Cologne. All these structures existed long before the construction of the Eiffel Tower.

The Giza plateau, not far from present-day Cairo, the capital of modern Egypt, was chosen as the location for the tomb. The Pyramid of Cheops was the first pyramid in Giza, and it also served as the impetus for the creation of two other pyramids, which were intended for representatives of his dynasty: and. Subsequently, the architectural group of three pyramids was supplemented.

The architect of the pyramid was a relative of Khufu - Hemiun (Hemenui). In total, 2.3 million limestone blocks were used to build this great structure. By appearance you can imagine how precisely the blocks were adjusted to each other in size.

Papyri from the Red Sea coast

April 2013 was significant for the world, as it was then that the most important evidence of the construction of the Great Pyramid was discovered - about 40 papyri with dates indicating that King Khufu reigned for 27 years. Tourists are now taken on excursions to the site of this discovery near a resort about 150 kilometers away. Considering the poverty of the Red Sea people in sights, this archaeological discovery was a pleasant surprise not only for historians, but also for tourist guides.

Particularly noteworthy was the papyrus diary of one of the construction participants, the official Merrer (he kept his diary for more than 3 months!). In this papyrus, Merrer describes many trips to the Tours quarry to obtain limestone blocks for construction. The found papyri are a great find; this is the first documentary evidence of the process of building the Cheops pyramid.

Particularly noteworthy was the papyrus diary of one of the construction participants, the official Merrer (he kept his diary for more than 3 months!). In this papyrus, Merrer describes many trips to the Tours quarry to obtain limestone blocks for construction. The found papyri are a great find; this is the first documentary evidence of the process of building the Cheops pyramid.

Cultural heritage

The Great Pyramid remains under close observation by researchers to this day. Napoleon studied it in 1798. But many still believe that it holds many mystical secrets and mysteries.

Scientists provide many unconventional theories for its creation. For example, they do not in any way connect its appearance with the name of Cheops, but are inclined to such guesses, for example, as the creation of the pyramid by aliens from Orion (this theory was adhered to by G. Hancock, R. Buwell and A. Gilbert) or by the Atlanteans.

There is also a cosmic theory of the creation of the pyramid complex; it served as the plot for the film " Star Gates"And this is not the only filmed picture telling about those times. The reign of Cheops is shown in the film “Land of the Pharaohs” (filmed in 1955 by Warner Bros). Naguib Mahfouz’s novel “The Wisdom of Cheops” is also dedicated to the era of the reign of Khufu.