"Time laughs at all things, but the pyramids laugh at time". This old Arab proverb pays respect to the great pyramids of Giza, which have sat on a high plateau by the Nile for more than 4,500 years. By the time of Tutankhamun, they were more than a thousand years old, and even the Egyptians thought of them as ancient wonders. To the Arabs, who invaded Egypt in A.D. 639, the pyramids were unbelievably old. From a distance, they are an awesome, majestic sight. Up close, they are massive. The largest of the three, the Great Pyramid of King Khufu, was built around 2550 B.C. At its peak it was 147 m (481 ft) tall, with square sides 230 m (756 ft) long. It is made of about 2,300,000 blocks of solid limestone, weighing 2.5 tonnes each on average. Its neighbour, build 70 years later for King Khafra, is only 3 m (9 ft) shorter. The third great pyramid was made for the pharaoh Menkaura. It is the smallest of the three, only standing 66 m (218 ft) high.

The pharaoh had total authority. His subjects thought of him as a god and would do anything for him. Without this absolute power, the pyramids could never have been built. The word pharaoh means "great house", and originally referred to the palace rather than the king Khufu, Khafra, and Menkaura had their palaces at Memphis. From there they could admire their massive tombs being built nearby at Giza. The building process took many years – if the pharaoh was lucky, his pyramid would be ready before he died. These huge projects must have put an enormous strain on Egypt’s economy. When there were finally finished, the Giza pyramids were given names which celebrated the majesty of the kings who built them. The Great Pyramid was called "Khufu is one belonging to the horizon". The other two were known as "Great is Khafra" and "Menkaura is divine".

The Great Pyramid