The city of Giza is located on the western bank of the River Nile, approximately 20 kilometres south-west of Cairo. It is in practical terms a suburb of the sprawling Cairo metropolis as it is a continuation of the urban area which comprises Egypt’s largest city. Giza is a popular option for travelers wishing to see the Pyramids of Giza and provides a good selection of accommodation, food and local entertainment. The majority of these services can be found close to the site of the pyramids or along the Pyramids Road, which is the main local transport link.
Giza, which is the third largest city in Egypt in its own right, is home to an estimated 2.7 million residents and stretches from the banks of the River Nile to the eastern edge of the Western Desert. Here, located on the dry and dusty Giza Plateau stands one of the world’s most famous landmarks, the Pyramids of Giza and the Sphinx, of which the giant Pyramid of Khufu is considered to be the only surviving monument of the Seven Ancient Wonders of the World. Today, this ancient necropolis that was built approximately 4,500 years ago for the Pharaohs of the Old Kingdom of Egypt, is comprised of the three pyramids of Khufu, Khafre and Menkaure, the sphinx, and their associated temples and causeways, which together form part of a U.N.E.S.C.O. World Heritage Site. In addition the Giza Plateau is also home to the Solar Barque Museum which stands adjacent to the Great Pyramid of Khufu. The museum contains a fully re-constructed boat known as a ‘solar barge’ which is a ritual vessel that was found in a sealed pit in the Giza pyramid complex. The boat was built in approximately 2,500 B.C. for the Pharaoh Khufu.
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