Сократи текст Since ancient times, the Pyramids of Giza in Egypt have been one of the world's most popular tourist destinations. The largest of these, the Great Pyramid of Giza, or Pyramid of Cheops, is the only one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World that still exists. It was the tallest building in the world for almost 5,000 years - that is, until the Eiffel Tower, which was built in 1889. The pharaohs, the first rulers of Egypt, built pyramids to show their power to the people. The first pharaohs built simpler tombs called mastabas. These mastabas were square buildings with a space inside large enough for the coffin, mummy body of the pharaoh and his treasures. The ancient Egyptians believed that deceased people still needed their bodies and treasures, such as paintings, gold and gems, for their life after death. Many of the pyramids had decorations on the inside, especially in the room where the dead pharaoh was laid. Archaeologists have discovered many images in the tombs and mysterious writings on the walls, called hieroglyphs. Invented about 5,000 years ago, hieroglyphs are the oldest form of writing. They were just simple drawings of the everyday things we see and hear. The Egyptians believed that both hieroglyphs and tomb paintings were magical, so they painted them inside the pyramid. When we look at the pyramids today, we can easily see that they were built to last for a very long time. Have you ever wondered how these great monuments were built? Many archaeologists believe that the builders first studied the stars to determine which direction the pyramid would face, since the Egyptians believed that the pharaohs would join the stars after death. They then built a small mastaba on the ground. They then laid mud and stones all over it, leaving the tunnel to the outside. To get the stones to the top of the pyramid, they probably built long ramps and then lifted the stones up them. The city of Giza is located on the Nile River. The Nile was also very important in the construction of the pyramids, as it was used to transport stones from afar. Granite and marble, for example, were brought from Aswan, which is more than 500 km away. Many ships also brought the limestone used for the outer walls of the pyramid from the city of Tura, which was on the other side of the river from the city of Giza. Just to give you an idea of how big the Great Pyramid is - that's the height of a modern 40-story building, or over 145 meters. It occupies an area of land the size of seven city streets. Workers used 2,300,000 blocks to build it, each weighing 2,500 kg (2.5 tons). It took about 36,000 workers (mostly slaves and farmers) 20 to 30 years to build it. This means that for every minute they worked, they added three blocks to the pyramid! In conclusion, there are still many surprises and mysteries around the pyramid. Nobody knows exactly when and how they were built. So far, 46 of them have been found in Egypt. However, there may be others lying beneath the sand, just waiting to be discovered. Only time will tell!