Gizeh - Cheops Pyramid the Cheops Pyramid has existed for 4,500 years, the largest of three pyramids close to Cairo, beyond the suburbs of Gizeh. Completed in around 2,590 B.C, it took over twenty years to construct this huge monument on the edge of the desert. Although lacking the technology of today, amazingly, the pyramids were constructed with great architectural and astronomical precision. At a height of 128 metres, the Cheops Pyramid consists of more than two and a half million limestone blocks, each one of which weighs an average two and a half tons. As though standing guard, the Sphinx – a prone lion with a human head - has always been a symbol of mystique. It was carved from a single rock and measures 21 metres high and 74 metres long. The Cheops Pyramid is the most extraordinary tomb of all time, the tomb of a living god, and the most wonderful of the world's seven wonders of Antiquity! Global Treasures - History's Most Protected Monuments - Heritage is our legacy from the past, what we live today, and what we pass on to future generations. Our cultural and natural heritage are both irreplaceable sources of life and inspiration. Places as unique and diverse as the wilds of East Africa's Serengeti, the Pyramids of Egypt, the Great Barrier Reef in Australia and the Baroque cathedrals of Latin America make up our world's heritage. Join us as we explore one of these protected monuments.