The monuments of the Giza Plateau are the most iconic and fascinating remnants of ancient Egyptian civilization. The massive pyramids and the enigmatic Sphinx, built in the third millennium BCE by the pharaohs Khufu, Khafre, and Menkaure, are justly famous around the world for their extraordinary scale, complex design, and profound religious meaning, which have enthralled visitors since at least the fifth century BCE. But there is much more to Giza than these famous structures. Each of the pyramids was just one part of a larger funerary complex which included two temples honoring the deceased pharaoh, a ceremonial road linking them, quarries for the extraction of the building stone, housing for the workers who built the structures, and cemeteries for the workers and members of the Egyptian elite. The archaeologists and Egyptologists of Flyover Zone take you on a unique tour of the Giza monuments: a virtual one, which covers all of the major structures and a representative sample of the minor structures and can be enjoyed from the comfort of home! The expert commentary on every monument prepared by your scholarly guides is accompanied by a breathtaking aerial view of the wider context or an immersive ground-level view of the monument’s exterior or interior. Besides the history and function of each monument, the tour also addresses the questions that visitors to Giza invariably ask, such as who built the pyramids, how were they built, and what exactly was the purpose of the Sphinx?

Audio: English

Producer:
Bernard Frischer

Project Manager:
Hesham Hussein
Alberto Prieto

Tour Guide/Narration:
Alberto Prieto

Scientific Advisors:
Stephen Vinson

Script:
Hesham Hussein
Alberto Prieto

3D Modeling (interiors):
Iconem

Art Direction:
Hesham Hussein

Contributors:
Mohamed Abdelaziz

Captions:
Nancy Peniche May (Spanish)

Image Credits:
Comparison chart of 10 tallest ancient pyramids by chitchart.com.
Satellite image of northern Egypt by NASA/GSFC/Jeff Schmaltz/MODIS Land Rapid Response Team via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0).
Photograph of the capstone of the pyramid of Amenemhat III at Dashur by Leon Petrosyan via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Photograph of the ivory statuette of Khufu by Osiritkos via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Section through Khufu's pyramid by Юкатан via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Photograph of Khufu's boat by Abanoublotfy via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 3.0).
Photograph of the diorite statue of Khafre by Osiritkos via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Panoramic photograph of the burial chamber of Khafre's pyramid by Mr. Mohamed Ibrahim (with permission).
Section through Khafre's pyramid by Юкатан via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Photograph of the burial chamber of Khafre's pyramid by Leon Petrosyan (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Plans of Khafre's funerary temple, valley temple, and Sphinx Temple, as well as Menkaure's pyramid, funerary temple, and valley temple, by HoremWeb via Wikimedia Commons (public domain).
Photograph of the diorite statue of Khafre (side view) by A. Parrot via Wikimedia Commons (public domain).
Photograph of the Great Sphinx by Diego Delso/delso.photo via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0), with modifications.
Photograph of the Great Sphinx with the Dream Stele by Chanel Wheeler via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0).
Photograph of the Great Sphinx at Luxor Las Vegas Hotel and Casino by Bernard Spragg via Wikimedia Commons (CC0 1.0).
Photograph of the Menkaure triad by Chipdawes via Wikimedia Commons (public domain).
Plan and section of Khentkawes tomb complex by Mr mddude and Janmad via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0 and CC BY-SA 2.5).
Photograph of the statue of Hem-iunu by Einsamer Schütze via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0).
Photograph and line drawing of the false door in the Tomb of Raemkai (Rogers Fund, 1908 08.201.1e), as well as the photograph of the statue of Menkaure (Rogers Fund, 1937, 37.6.1), courtesy of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York: www.metmuseum.org.
Master plan of the Giza Plateau by MesserWoland via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0), with modifications.

Created By:
Flyover Zone

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