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Discover the Secrets: Top 7 Fun Facts About the Ancient Pharaoh Khufu

illustration of khufu
Get ready to be amazed as we unravel the enigmatic and captivating world of Khufu, the ancient Egyptian pharaoh who still keeps historians on their toes.

1. Project Manager Pharaoh

Move over, Project Managers, ancient Egypt's got you beat: Khufu's pyramid workforce was highly structured, consisting of highly skilled staff supported by a range of specialized workers including craftspeople, tool-makers, and mortar mixers. The highly efficient organization ensured an effective allocation of tasks and contributed massively to the region's development.
Source => factsanddetails.com

2. Pyramid Upgrade

Before Cheops, there was Snefru: the Original Pyramid Daddy. But like any great sequel, Khufu, aka Cheops, had to go bigger and better: he built the Great Pyramid of Giza, the largest of its kind and one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.
Source => ancient-egypt-online.com

3. Steve or Stevie Wonder?

If Khufu could speak Greek, he'd probably chuckle at being called "Cheops": a bit like being named "Steve" when everyone knows you as "Stevie Wonder": Khufu, the impressive Egyptian pharaoh responsible for the Great Pyramid of Giza, was indeed also known as Cheops. The offspring of Sneferu and Queen Hetepheres I, this ancient ruler had three wives, a fan club that lasted through the 26th Dynasty, and a surge in popularity during the Roman era. So much for being the less-liked pharaoh!
Source => bbc.co.uk

4. Cosmic Construction Crew

Pyramid Scheme: The ancient Egyptians had a stellar strategy to keep things aligned when building Khufu's Great Pyramid, involving cosmic construction workers known as Mizar and Kochab. The serious reveal: By using these celestial stars from the Big and Little Dipper to track the north-south direction, they achieved an alignment accuracy of up to 0.05 degrees, even though no star sat at the north pole during the third millennium BC, allowing researchers to date the construction within five years.
Source => newscientist.com

Ancient Concrete Masters

5. Ancient Concrete Masters

Feeling a bit stuck between a rock and a hard place? Buckle up, because ancient Egyptians had that cemented down to an art: The Great Pyramid of Giza's limestone blocks were held together using a remarkable mortar technique that set like modern concrete, achieved through a mix of limestone chippings, gypsum mortar, and the use of rudimentary tools for precision and flatness.
Source => express.co.uk

6. Egyptian Parking Lot Mystery

Ancient Egyptian parking lots were more exciting than ours: The Khufu ship, discovered at the base of the Great Pyramid, is a majestic, 4,500-year-old solar barque measuring an impressive 142 feet long and 19 feet wide. Although its exact purpose remains a mystery – perhaps a fabulous cruise ship for dead Pharaohs or a vessel to help Khufu jaunt around holy sites – this "woodcraft masterpiece" could still set sail today, proving that antiquity wasn't all doom, gloom, and pyramid-building.
Source => en.wikipedia.org

7. Pyramid Scheme Ruler

Before Giza was experiencing the mummy returns, Cheops ruled the pyramid scheme: Khufu, also known as Cheops, commissioned the construction of the largest pyramid in Egypt – the Great Pyramid of Giza – which sports a sleek exterior and a 20-year building receipt, while simultaneously reforming ancient Egypt's administrative system to rule like an eternal pharaoh.
Source => en.wikipedia.org

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