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00:02While everyone knows the famous pyramids of Giza, few realize that the ancient Egyptians built more than a hundred of
00:09them.
00:11Amongst them, seven stand out for their exceptional dimensions, their unique history, and their particularly ingenious construction methods.
00:20These seven pyramids are exceptional. Not only are they impressive, but above all they've left their mark on history.
00:26Forty-seven hundred years on, when contemplating these extraordinary monuments, the question remains the same.
00:33How, using rudimentary techniques, did the Egyptians construct such edifices, which remained the highest in the world until the Middle
00:40Ages?
00:41The pyramid was representing the power and the dignity of the king.
00:47To achieve this result required reflection, understanding, and adaptability.
00:53Groundbreaking techniques needed to be invented.
00:56Nobody knew what a pyramid should look like. A true pyramid.
01:02From one pyramid to the next, the pharaohs sought to better their predecessors.
01:07This is where the genius of their architects came in.
01:10The talent of these engineers of the past still amazes us today.
01:14The interior of Khufu's pyramid is magical. It is a triumph of architecture and engineering.
01:22What were the calculations, the methods, and the means of construction of these pyramid builders?
01:27Where lie their successes and failures? What do we know about these superstructures?
01:31And what part of their mystery is still intact?
01:34A certain number of things had to be changed to achieve this masterpiece.
01:38That is to say, the perfect perennial pyramid, the Red Pyramid.
01:44From above, from inside, and even from beneath the pyramids, thanks to the studies of the greatest specialists,
01:51we can now dissect the construction techniques to reveal the secrets of these stone megastructures.
01:58We will see how Egypt set out on the path to perfection, where each of these seven pyramids was to
02:03eclipse its predecessor in terms of splendor and the intelligence of its conception.
02:09We will crescendo towards the most famous of these pyramids, which remains the reference points for all comparisons, the Pyramid
02:16of Khufu.
02:20Scale with us the seven most marvelous pyramids of Egypt, which, nearly 45 centuries after their construction, still fascinate the
02:28whole world today.
02:42Of course, the sea of these zoos are beautiful.
02:47the third and the望animous future is the same.
02:47The Space Source, is the same with us as a new image that shows us the same as what the
02:47planet is,
02:48Of course, the sun cannot be.
02:50The space is the same with us as the star temhmen parte.
02:51The sun cannot be, but the sun cannot be.
03:22Two hours from Cairo, we come to the immense Fayyem oasis.
03:25This is where King Amenemhat III chose to build his pyramid.
03:30Zai Hawass is one of the most famous Egyptologists in the world.
03:34For him, this pyramid is one of the most fascinating.
03:38It is an abundant pyramid, but it's an amazing one.
03:43Because if you look at the construction of this pyramid,
03:47it's a miracle of how the Egyptians constructed this pyramid.
03:52It's something amazing.
03:55At its completion, Amenemhat III's pyramid cut an impressive figure.
04:00It stood on a large base more than 105 meters wide
04:03and was 58 meters in height,
04:06the equivalent of the first floor of the Eiffel Tower.
04:10But how did it come to be in its present state?
04:13What happened to compromise the pharaoh's plans to this extent?
04:23Amenemhat III was the most important pharaoh of the 12th dynasty.
04:28He reigned at the time of the Middle Kingdom,
04:31800 years after the construction of the famous pyramids of Giza.
04:36Times had changed since the construction of the giant pyramids of the Old Kingdom.
04:40The means and the architectural techniques were no longer the same.
04:45They switched from building pyramids of stone to building them of mud brick.
04:50The construction was far simpler.
04:51Wherever you were in the territory, transportation was easier.
04:56This clever construction method was a time and energy saver.
05:00Added to which, it had no impact on the final appearance of the pyramid.
05:04And ultimately, those mud brick cores are faced with limestone,
05:09so they look exactly like an Old Kingdom pyramid.
05:12Once finished, the Hawara pyramid shone out brightly.
05:16It was in fact covered by a facade of slabs of stone with remarkable qualities.
05:22It was a particular limestone, known as Tura limestone,
05:25which is extremely white and very pure.
05:28To draw a somewhat anachronistic comparison, it's almost the marble of Egypt.
05:33The Tura limestone covering with its crystalline nature reflected the rays of the sun.
05:38This represented the solar nature of these constructions
05:40and meant that they were visible from a great distance.
05:44Further north, on the other side of the Nile Valley,
05:47the Tura quarries are totally unique in Egypt.
05:49They supplied limestone of extremely high quality and sparkling whiteness,
05:54with which all the country's pyramids were covered.
05:58You have huge teams of people who would be chiseling it down and cutting it into blocks.
06:03There it would be taken slipways and brought to the Nile.
06:09Once the blocks had been cut, they were transported to the construction site by boat.
06:14Each pyramid area would have a canal so that boats could bring these large blocks there.
06:20Then they were taken on causeways, on big sleds,
06:23and they would be dragged by teams of workmen up to the pyramid.
06:30However, there was one element which the pharaoh did not anticipate.
06:35The devastating activities of stone thieves.
06:39From antiquity, these robbers simply helped themselves from the pyramid
06:43and reused the blocks for other constructions.
06:48Over the centuries, they totally stripped it of its covering, leaving it completely naked.
06:55The effects of time did the rest.
06:58The resemblance to a crumbled sandcastle which it has today
07:01was brought about by rain, time, and wind erosion.
07:04Everything caused it to sag. It was destroyed.
07:08The edifice now only stands 20 or so meters high, less than half of its original size.
07:15But, beneath this pile of bricks, it is in the very entrails of the monument
07:19that the true genius of its construction can be found.
07:22The problem is, no one can go inside to study it.
07:26The pyramid has been inaccessible for more than a century, because it is totally flooded.
07:31This was caused by groundwater seeping up from the phreatic zone.
07:35Look, beside the pyramid, you have agricultural land, and you have canals.
07:41All the water comes from here, and they began to be stuffed completely in the burial chamber.
07:51These images are absolutely exceptional.
07:54They are the only ones taken inside the pyramid.
07:57During the dive of an underwater robot in December 2019,
08:02it managed to film the beginning of the corridors.
08:05But the vast quantities of sediment which had accumulated
08:08were churned up by the water, making exploration very difficult.
08:13Nonetheless, one thing is clear from these images.
08:16Despite the thousands of cubic meters of water attacking the interior,
08:20the internal structure of the pyramid is incredibly well preserved.
08:23Proof of the quality of conception.
08:27I don't understand how the burial chamber and the pyramid still exist of this water.
08:34When I came here, like, 12 years ago,
08:37I could not believe that this pyramid would stay until today.
08:40It's been flooded for a very long time, even in the 19th century.
08:44But despite that, the stone has managed to withstand
08:47the vicissitudes of nature and time very well.
08:51And it is extraordinarily surprising that it has done so.
08:55Thanks to the determination of 19th century explorers,
08:58the last to have entered the pyramid,
09:00we have a good description of the interior.
09:04They noted that Amenemhat III's architects
09:06had invented the first high-security pyramid.
09:11We have some really sophisticated approaches taken to security.
09:16This wasn't the first time that closing systems
09:19had been used to prevent thieves and pillagers
09:20from entering a funeral chamber.
09:22However, the complexity of this system was a first.
09:27The treasure which accompanied pharaohs in their tombs
09:29attracted pillagers.
09:31The constructors were well aware of this,
09:33and to outwit them, they built a new-style funeral chamber.
09:37You could say that Amenemhat III has a sort of a strong box
09:42or a vault for a burial chamber.
09:46The casket was inserted directly into a block of massive stone,
09:51intended to make the pharaoh's resting place impenetrable.
09:55What the Egyptians did, I think, before they were building the pyramid,
09:59they cut in the level, in the ground, a big, large square.
10:05Then they had one big block, 100 tons weight,
10:10and they put it in that square.
10:13Then in the middle, they cut a space,
10:15and they put the sarcophagus inside that space.
10:21But how could such a heavy block of stone be manipulated?
10:25The builders came up with a particularly ingenious system.
10:29Two narrow shafts, filled with sand,
10:31were dug at the sides of the chamber.
10:33The last of those blocks, which was held in place,
10:37open, before the king's interment,
10:39is held up by two struts made of stone,
10:45which are slowly lowered into the chamber by means of sand.
10:49All that remained was to remove the sand from the side cavities
10:52so that the block would descend to its final position
10:55under the effect of gravity.
10:58A true technical exploit.
11:00Just using the displacement of sand,
11:02the Hawara Pyramid builders managed to close a stone slab
11:06weighing several tons over the remains of the pharaoh.
11:11With such meticulous means of protection,
11:14this tomb was intended to ensure the eternal tranquility
11:17of Amenemhat III.
11:19Yet the plans failed.
11:21When 19th century Egyptologists entered the pyramid,
11:24they found it completely emptied and ransacked.
11:27Here, as elsewhere, the defenses had been totally ineffective.
11:34The pyramids were all broken into very early on.
11:38None of the protection systems outsmarted the pillagers.
11:43Thieves managed to get around all the protection systems,
11:46almost certainly because they were informed about precisely
11:49how the pyramids were constructed.
11:53Despite the damage done by looters,
11:55the interior of the building undoubtedly still retains numerous secrets.
11:59But as long as it remains inaccessible,
12:02any wide-range study of these apartments is impossible.
12:13In 6th position,
12:15here is a pyramid which doesn't even appear to be one.
12:19And yet this mound,
12:21standing barely 10 meters high,
12:23conceals one of the most incredible secrets of the pharaohs.
12:26Some 15 kilometers from Cairo stands Saqqara,
12:30the biggest necropolis in Egypt.
12:32In its southernmost part can be found a fantastic funerary complex
12:36around the pyramid of Pepi I.
12:39Pepi I pyramid complex could be regarded as being the most elaborate of its time
12:45because it incorporates a huge number of subsidiary pyramids
12:49belonging to members of the royal family.
12:54It was pharaoh Pepi I who had this surprising pyramid built around 2300 BCE.
13:00He was the third king of the 6th dynasty,
13:03the last phase of the old kingdom.
13:06The golden age of pyramid builders was coming to an end.
13:11From above, the vast expanse of this complex,
13:14today largely in ruins, becomes apparent.
13:19It covers a total of 4.7 hectares,
13:22the equivalent of more than six football pitches.
13:25Upon its completion,
13:27it was one of the most beautiful funerary complexes ever built in Egypt,
13:31a superb pyramid surrounded by magnificent,
13:34finely decorated temples and satellite pyramids.
13:37In the center is the pyramid of the king,
13:40around which you have the necropolis of spouses and royal children,
13:44essentially in the form of pyramids.
13:46And in a third circle, you have the necropolis of nobles.
13:48It had a great temple with beautiful stonework, paintings and so on.
13:544300 years later, hardly anything remains.
13:57Stone thieves carried off virtually everything.
14:01Today, it's a hillock,
14:03totally shapeless rubble,
14:05which looks more like a dome
14:07or a pile of stones than a pyramid.
14:11In the 19th century,
14:13a group of French archaeologists were determined to find out
14:16what was hidden under this pile of sand.
14:20With great effort, they reached the interior.
14:22What they found there left them speechless.
14:25The walls were covered in hieroglyphics.
14:28When archaeologists entered the pyramid of Pepe the First,
14:31it was the first time funerary texts had been found in a pyramid.
14:34It was extraordinarily beautiful.
14:36It's really stunning to go in there
14:38and to feel oneself surrounded by the magic of these spells.
14:43The discovery of the pyramid texts is extremely important
14:46because it brings to life previously silent monuments.
14:52No hieroglyphics had ever been found
14:55in any of the previously explored pyramids.
14:58Now, here were walls totally covered in them.
15:03But Egyptologists were perplexed.
15:07What could these mysterious hieroglyphics possibly recount?
15:11Why had the pharaohs had them engraved here?
15:14In deciphering them,
15:16they came to understand the fabulous nature of these texts.
15:19The texts in the pyramids were magic formulae
15:22permitting the sovereign to escape from his enemies and demons
15:25in order to finally reach the kingdom of the gods.
15:29The study of these texts,
15:30the totality of these writings,
15:32these incantations,
15:33these magic formulae,
15:35clearly shows that they were designed
15:36to accompany the regeneration of the king in his tomb
15:38and his journey to the exterior.
15:40Once engraved,
15:41the formulae were painted green,
15:43a color not chosen at random.
15:45It symbolized Osiris,
15:47the god of resurrection,
15:48and had a very particular function.
15:51The very logic of these texts
15:53leads from the interior to the exterior.
15:55In a certain way,
15:56they accompanied the king's exit from his tomb.
15:59You have a series of lists of offerings,
16:01a little bit like a shopping list,
16:03which were the indispensable survival elements
16:05for the deceased.
16:08All across the ceiling,
16:10hundreds of stars were drawn.
16:12They represented the celestial dome.
16:15While exploring the other pyramids
16:17of the 5th and 6th dynasties,
16:19archaeologists discovered
16:20that these texts were actually engraved
16:22in all the pyramids of this period,
16:2411 in total.
16:27Collectively known as the text pyramids,
16:29they are all to be found at Saqqara.
16:42South of the Saqqara necropolis,
16:45Dashur stands on a desert plateau,
16:4730 kilometers from Cairo.
16:50Marc Linaire has been studying
16:51the Egyptian pyramids
16:52for more than 40 years.
16:55Ever since he started out as an Egyptologist,
16:57the Bent Pyramid has fascinated him.
17:00The most prominent thing
17:02about this pyramid,
17:03it's bent.
17:05And this is the result
17:06of Sneferu's experiments.
17:08So what you're looking at, really,
17:10is the research and development,
17:12the R&D,
17:14that led to the Great Pyramid of Khufu.
17:19Sneferu was the founder
17:20of the 4th dynasty,
17:22the most well-known in Egypt,
17:23and the father of the famous Khufu.
17:26He reigned around 2600 BCE.
17:31This was at the time
17:33of the Old Kingdom,
17:34the thriving period
17:35during which the giant pyramids were built.
17:38Egypt was at its height.
17:42I would say that it is during this reign
17:44that the Egyptian state
17:45attained adulthood,
17:46with the valorization
17:47of its agricultural territory
17:49never before seen.
17:51Sneferu is able to use resources
17:53from all around Egypt,
17:54including people,
17:55towards a national project,
17:58in this case,
17:59the building of pyramids.
18:02Before Sneferu,
18:04all Egypt's pyramids
18:05had been built
18:06in the steppe pyramid form,
18:07resembling staircases.
18:11But this pharaoh wanted to revolutionize everything.
18:14He demanded from his architects
18:16a technical prowess hitherto unheard of,
18:18the construction of a smooth-faced pyramid.
18:21The initial project was monstrously ambitious.
18:25This first project for a pyramid
18:26with faces sloped at about 60 degrees
18:29was intended to reach a height of 130 meters.
18:32With a base width of 157 meters,
18:35it was the largest ever built in Egypt.
18:38The very steep 60-degree faces
18:40should have resulted in a pyramid
18:42with a phenomenal height of 136 meters,
18:46something never before seen.
18:48Nobody knew what a pyramid should look like,
18:51a true pyramid.
18:52The evidence is that the 60-degree pyramid
18:56was too steep.
18:58With the burial chambers already completed,
19:01this overly audacious project
19:03was suddenly modified.
19:09The first pyramid project
19:11was curtailed at a certain height.
19:13They perhaps realized
19:14that it was extremely difficult
19:16to reach such heights
19:17with such steeply sloping sides.
19:20So the idea is
19:21that his workers said,
19:23oops,
19:23and they put a girdle,
19:25a brace,
19:26around this steep 60-degree pyramid
19:29at the lower slope
19:30of about 54 to 55 degrees.
19:32And then they started to build up,
19:35now with a fatter pyramid.
19:39A thick envelope of masonry
19:41was therefore added
19:42to all four sides of the building
19:43to consolidate it.
19:45This greatly reduced
19:46the angle of the slope.
19:48This enlargement brought consequences
19:50which were totally unexpected
19:52and disastrous.
19:55The Egyptians had not envisaged
19:56differential settlement.
19:58That is to say,
19:59the outer layer became lower,
20:01it sank slightly.
20:03The foreman and the architect
20:05realized that there were
20:06technical problems,
20:07cracking, subsidence.
20:09They began to fear the worst.
20:12The pyramid could have collapsed.
20:16It should be noted
20:17that Senefru had committed
20:19a major error
20:20in the choice of site
20:21for building his edifice.
20:23The fundamental problem
20:24with the bent pyramid
20:25was the bedrock
20:26on which it was built.
20:27It clearly wasn't up
20:29to supporting
20:30the sheer weight
20:31being piled above that.
20:33He was building
20:33on the natural desert surface,
20:36the clay and the gravel,
20:37and this is not substantial enough
20:39to support
20:41such a large pyramid.
20:43As the pyramid grew,
20:45its weight increased,
20:46pressing down ever more heavily
20:48on the unstable foundations.
20:51To avoid a catastrophe,
20:53the pharaoh's architects
20:54needed a hasty change
20:55of strategy.
20:58So it was decided
20:59to create a second slope
21:01in an attempt
21:02to reduce the weight
21:03of the finished structure.
21:05So they had to change
21:06the incline of the slope
21:08to reduce the weight
21:09on the top of it,
21:10and this stopped it
21:13collapsing completely.
21:16The top of the pyramid
21:17was finished
21:18at the shallower angle
21:19of about 43 degrees.
21:22The work was completed hastily.
21:26On the upper part,
21:28the blocks of the facade
21:29were placed
21:29quite haphazardly.
21:31It's very clear
21:32that the Egyptians
21:33wanted to finish
21:33the monument quickly.
21:36Thanks to the adaptative skills
21:38of its creators,
21:39the pyramid nonetheless
21:41reached the incredible height
21:42of nearly 105 meters.
21:44equal to that
21:45of a 42-story building.
21:49It was the first pyramid
21:50in history
21:50to exceed the height
21:52of 100 meters.
21:55Despite the relative
21:56architectural disappointment
21:58which it represents,
21:59the Bent Pyramid
22:00is paradoxically
22:01the one which has best
22:02weathered the centuries.
22:03It was in fact
22:04the way in which
22:05the blocks were positioned
22:06which protected it
22:07from stone thieves.
22:09The Bent Pyramid
22:10in fact presented them
22:12with an obstacle.
22:12The blocks were much
22:13more difficult to detach
22:15and drop to the ground.
22:16Snefer's builders
22:17are setting blocks
22:17at an incline.
22:19You see they're tilting them
22:20a little bit in
22:21towards the core
22:22of the pyramid.
22:24Actually,
22:24it's the incline
22:25of the casing blocks
22:26that made them
22:27difficult to rob.
22:29And that's why
22:29you have more casing
22:30on the Bent Pyramid
22:32than any other pyramid.
22:34Over the centuries,
22:36this Tura limestone covering
22:38has lost its sparkling
22:39whiteness.
22:41Through contact
22:43with the air
22:43and the rain
22:44it formed a protective coating
22:45and this is what
22:46has given the stone
22:47this beige tint.
22:51But with more than 70%
22:53of the facade preserved,
22:55the Bent Pyramid
22:56is today the best
22:57conserved in Egypt.
22:58A satisfying sign
23:00of defiance.
23:02Nonetheless,
23:03for Sneferu at the time,
23:05the project was a failure.
23:07He didn't achieve
23:08the perfect pyramid.
23:10But the pharaoh
23:11wasn't somebody
23:12who gave up easily.
23:13He simply decided
23:15to have a third pyramid
23:16built.
23:16Larger,
23:17more stable,
23:18more perfect.
23:20The Red Pyramid.
23:30In fourth place,
23:32the very first successful,
23:33smooth-faced pyramid,
23:35the Red Pyramid.
23:37Its construction
23:38was a true
23:39architectural revolution
23:40and the triumph
23:42of Sneferu.
23:45At 108 meters in height,
23:47it established
23:48a new record.
23:49This less famous pyramid
23:51is nonetheless
23:52the third greatest in Egypt
23:53in terms of size
23:54and impressive volume.
23:58To have this new pyramid built,
24:00Sneferu didn't search
24:01very far.
24:03He chose to stay
24:04in Dashur
24:04and build the monument
24:06at less than two kilometers
24:07from the Bent Pyramid.
24:10But the Egyptians
24:11had learned
24:11from the errors
24:12committed
24:12with the Bent Pyramid.
24:15To start with,
24:16the choice of site
24:17was far better thought out.
24:20The Egyptians
24:21positioned the Red Pyramid
24:22on much more stable ground
24:23in that it is rock
24:24as opposed to sand or gravel.
24:28To satisfy their king,
24:30Sneferu's architects
24:31took no risks.
24:33Their first objective
24:34was to ensure
24:35the stability
24:36of the edifice.
24:38For this,
24:39the builders
24:40had understood
24:40that the base
24:41needed to be widened
24:42to reduce the angle
24:43of the slope
24:44and avoid the danger
24:45of collapse.
24:47Nearly 40 meters
24:48were added to the width
24:49compared to the previous project.
24:53The angle of slope
24:54thus obtained
24:55was identical
24:56to that used
24:57for the top
24:57of the Bent Pyramid.
25:00So from the preceding project,
25:02Sneferu had drawn
25:03a conclusion.
25:04He believed
25:05he had found
25:05the ideal slope
25:06for safely building
25:08a pyramid.
25:09Here they achieved
25:10a perfect pyramid
25:11with the rather low slope
25:13that we see
25:14at the top
25:14of the Bent Pyramid
25:15of 40 to 3
25:16to 44 degrees.
25:18This is what gives
25:19the slightly squat look
25:20which is rather surprising
25:21but made it the most stable
25:22of the three pyramids.
25:25With this much shallower slope,
25:27the Red Pyramid
25:28effectively appeared
25:29more stocky,
25:30not as slender
25:30as the others,
25:31but its stability
25:32was thereby guaranteed.
25:35Another technical improvement.
25:37While the previous pyramids
25:38had been built
25:39with their stones
25:40slightly inclined
25:41towards the inside
25:41of the building,
25:42this time
25:43a different choice
25:44was made.
25:47With the Red Pyramid
25:48for the first time
25:49horizontal coursing
25:50was used
25:50which was definitely
25:51more stable.
25:53The blocks
25:54for each level
25:55were all positioned
25:55on the same plane
25:56and these were placed
25:58one above the other
25:59until they reached
26:00the summit.
26:03This was the norm
26:04in Egypt
26:05for all future pyramids.
26:08Somehow
26:08in their learning curve
26:10they came to the conclusion
26:12that horizontal coursing
26:14is the best.
26:18After probably
26:19more than 15 years
26:20of work
26:21the Red Pyramid
26:22was finally completed.
26:24Although the envelope
26:25of the edifice
26:26has now totally disappeared
26:27the interior
26:28has remained
26:29virtually intact.
26:31The external perfection
26:32of the pyramid
26:33is reflected
26:34in the interior apartments.
26:36For many Egyptologists
26:38I think
26:38the inner chambers
26:41of the Red Pyramid
26:42are the greatest
26:44interiors
26:45of any pyramid.
26:48Zai Hawass
26:49leads us
26:50into the depths
26:51of the building.
26:52To arrive there
26:53you have to take
26:54a particularly
26:55steep corridor
26:56the entry of which
26:57is higher placed
26:58than in any
26:59of the other pyramids.
27:03And the reason
27:04for making
27:04the entrance
27:05of the pyramid
27:06and this corridor
27:06to be in a height
27:07of 28 meters
27:10is to hide it
27:11from the thieves.
27:13This is why
27:13they made the entrance
27:14to be that high
27:15different from
27:17any pyramid
27:17in Egypt.
27:18This steep passageway
27:20was never intended
27:21for visitors.
27:22The pharaoh alone
27:23was intended
27:24to take it
27:25and only once
27:26at the moment
27:27of his resurrection.
27:28The journey
27:30of the pharaoh
27:31was to leave
27:32the sarcophagus
27:34and then to join
27:35the stars.
27:36So he took
27:37the opposite path
27:38to visitors
27:40following the tunnel
27:41upwards
27:42to the north.
27:44At the end
27:45of the corridor
27:46three magnificent
27:47chambers are laid out.
27:48Each is covered
27:49by corbel arches
27:50intended to consolidate
27:52these empty spaces
27:53beneath the monument.
27:54It's an impressive spectacle.
27:57A corbel arch
27:58like with other
27:58types of vault
27:59makes it possible
28:00to redistribute
28:01the load above
28:02the chamber
28:02towards the sides.
28:04This stops
28:04the burial chamber
28:05from caving in.
28:07You have a system
28:08of stone beams
28:09placed longitudinally
28:10along the hall
28:11with the space
28:12between the lines
28:13being gradually reduced.
28:16So you have
28:17something like
28:17a staircase
28:18to the summit.
28:19This was something
28:20totally new,
28:21an innovation
28:22of the architect
28:23which was absolutely
28:24extraordinary
28:24and made it possible
28:26to achieve
28:27larger empty spaces.
28:30The limestone walls
28:31of the chambers
28:32were built
28:33with astonishing precision.
28:35The blocks
28:35are perfectly smooth
28:37with extremely fine joints.
28:40You cannot even
28:41make one needle
28:42between them.
28:43They never used
28:44any mortar.
28:46In this type of blocks
28:47they put it
28:48between each other
28:49in a way
28:49can be like this.
28:52The work
28:53was so meticulously
28:54carried out
28:54by the pharaoh's
28:55laborers
28:56that when you look
28:57at the perfect
28:58state of conservation
28:59it's hard to believe
29:00that these rooms
29:01are around
29:024,600 years old.
29:04The pyramid
29:05was not only
29:06a tomb
29:07the pyramid
29:08was representing
29:10the power
29:11and the dignity
29:13of the king
29:14and therefore
29:15he should show
29:16perfections
29:17in the construction.
29:20The Red Pyramid
29:21or the North Pyramid
29:23at Dashur
29:24built by Sneferu
29:25really represents
29:27a kind of
29:27pyramid perfection
29:29and it's that
29:30model which
29:31Sneferu's son
29:32King Khufu
29:33will follow
29:34and basically
29:35that becomes
29:35the classic
29:36pyramid
29:37in ancient Egypt.
29:47In third place
29:48of our top seven
29:49stands a pyramid
29:50which is too often
29:51eclipsed by its neighbor
29:52and yet today
29:54it is the tallest
29:55in the world
29:56the only one
29:57higher than
29:57140 meters.
30:01It is the majestic
30:02pyramid of Khafre
30:03a true
30:04architectural
30:05masterpiece.
30:08We are on
30:09the Giza Plateau
30:10the most famous
30:11site in Egypt
30:12and one of
30:13the world's
30:14best known.
30:17It is at the
30:18western extremity
30:19of the Cairo
30:19Megalopolis
30:20the center of which
30:21is less than
30:2210 kilometers away.
30:25Khafre
30:26was the first
30:27pharaoh of the
30:274th dynasty
30:28to construct a
30:29pyramid right
30:30next to that
30:30of his father
30:31the illustrious
30:32Khufu.
30:34So why did
30:35he make this
30:35choice?
30:36In order to
30:37understand
30:37we need to
30:38look into the
30:39king's mysterious
30:40history.
30:45Khafre
30:45mounted the
30:46throne around
30:472560 BCE
30:48in somewhat
30:50troubled
30:50circumstances.
30:53Khafre
30:53is a son
30:54of the
30:55previous
30:55king
30:56Khufu
30:57but he's
30:58not the
30:58immediate
30:59successor
30:59of Khufu
31:00there's
31:00another
31:00king
31:01a guy
31:01called
31:02Jedefri
31:02there may
31:03be some
31:03dynastic
31:04struggle
31:05there
31:05we're not
31:05quite sure
31:06of.
31:06the royal
31:07legitimacy of
31:08this character
31:09at the
31:09moment when
31:10he arrived
31:10in power
31:11is unclear.
31:14To establish
31:15his legitimacy
31:16Khafre made
31:17a particularly
31:18clever choice
31:19placing his
31:20pyramid in
31:21direct alignment
31:22with that of
31:22his father
31:23Khufu
31:23in order to
31:25affirm himself
31:25as rightful
31:26successor.
31:27any question
31:29about his
31:30lineage would
31:31have required
31:32an immediate
31:32statement to
31:34say I am on
31:35the throne
31:36I am
31:36legitimate.
31:38But Khafre
31:39didn't stop
31:40there.
31:41To present
31:42himself as the
31:43greatest of
31:43pharaohs he had
31:44one single
31:45obsession
31:46outranked the
31:47pyramid of Khufu
31:48the largest in
31:49Egypt.
31:52upon completion
31:53the pyramid
31:54of Khafre
31:55was over
31:55143 meters
31:57in height.
31:58It is the
31:59second highest
31:59pyramid ever
32:00built.
32:01However
32:02it remains
32:03smaller than
32:04that of Khufu
32:05the total
32:06volume of
32:06which was
32:0715%
32:07greater.
32:09Nonetheless
32:10it is the
32:11pyramid of
32:12Khafre
32:12which appears
32:13to be
32:13slightly larger
32:14than its
32:14neighbor.
32:17When people
32:18visit the
32:18Giza
32:19Plateau
32:19they are
32:20immediately
32:20struck by
32:21the size
32:22of the
32:22Khafre
32:22pyramid.
32:23So the
32:23uninitiated
32:25it is
32:26actually the
32:27most impressive
32:27of them.
32:28How is
32:29this possible?
32:30In fact
32:31to satisfy
32:32the demands
32:33of their
32:33master
32:33Khafre's
32:34architects
32:35prove
32:35themselves
32:36particularly
32:36skillful.
32:38Using a
32:3953 degree
32:39slope
32:40steeper than
32:41that of
32:41Khufu
32:41was a
32:42first strategy
32:43which gave
32:43the impression
32:44of stretching
32:45the edifice
32:45upwards.
32:47That's
32:48what gives
32:48it its
32:49slender look
32:49much more
32:50gracious
32:50than the
32:51other pyramids.
32:52It shows
32:53a good
32:53knowledge
32:54of how
32:55things look
32:56and so
32:57it just
32:57makes it
32:58that bit
32:58look taller
32:59and slightly
33:00more impressive
33:01than the
33:02actually bigger
33:02pyramid
33:03of Khufu
33:04next door.
33:05But above
33:06all the
33:06builders took
33:07great care
33:08in deciding
33:08upon the
33:09site for
33:09the monument.
33:11Their choice
33:12was as
33:12simple as
33:13it was
33:13effective.
33:14They placed
33:15the pyramid
33:15on a rocky
33:16promontory.
33:18They used
33:19a plateau
33:20which was
33:2010 meters
33:21higher than
33:21that used
33:22for the
33:22pyramid
33:22of Khufu.
33:25Thanks to
33:26this ruse
33:26when finished
33:27the pyramid
33:28of Khafre
33:28was higher
33:28than the
33:29pyramid
33:29of Khufu.
33:30Khafre
33:31clearly had
33:31picked up
33:32the idea
33:33of higher
33:34ground
33:34higher top.
33:37Thanks
33:37to the
33:38ingenuity
33:38of his
33:38workers
33:40Khufu's
33:40demands
33:41were fulfilled.
33:42It is
33:43indeed
33:44his pyramid
33:45which
33:45dominates
33:45the Giza
33:46plateau.
33:47Even
33:48today
33:48specialists
33:49are astounded
33:50by the
33:50level of
33:50perfection
33:51which was
33:51achieved.
33:53The
33:54precision
33:54of the
33:55measurements
33:55for the
33:55pyramid
33:56of Khufu
33:56is nothing
33:57short of
33:57prodigious.
33:58The
33:58faces
33:58only differ
33:59by a
33:59matter
34:00of
34:00centimeters.
34:02The
34:02base
34:03is almost
34:03a perfect
34:04square
34:04with
34:04215
34:05meter
34:06sides
34:06with an
34:07average
34:07margin
34:08of
34:08error
34:08not
34:09exceeding
34:098
34:09centimeters
34:10from
34:10one
34:10face
34:11to
34:11another.
34:12The
34:12right
34:12angled
34:13corners
34:13are
34:13not
34:13more
34:14than
34:14one
34:14degree
34:14out.
34:15But
34:16how
34:16did
34:16the
34:16Egyptians
34:17attain
34:17such
34:18precision
34:18with
34:19the
34:19means
34:19of
34:19the
34:19time?
34:22The
34:22mapping
34:23out of
34:23pyramids
34:24was
34:24extremely
34:24precise.
34:25However,
34:26the
34:26means
34:27were
34:27quite
34:27rudimentary.
34:28We
34:28can
34:28assume
34:29they
34:29used
34:29ropes
34:29and
34:30sticks.
34:32They
34:32also
34:32could
34:33have
34:33used
34:33targeting,
34:34aiming
34:35at
34:35target
34:35points
34:35on
34:36the
34:36horizon.
34:38On
34:39closer
34:39inspection,
34:40it is
34:41still
34:41possible
34:41to
34:42observe
34:42strange
34:43holes
34:43in
34:43the
34:43ground
34:43all
34:44around
34:44the
34:44pyramid.
34:45They
34:46probably
34:46hold
34:46the
34:47answer
34:47to
34:47the
34:47mystery
34:48of
34:48this
34:48extraordinary
34:49regularity.
34:50The
34:51reason
34:51for
34:52the
34:52construction
34:52of
34:52these
34:53holes
34:53is
34:54to
34:54make
34:54an
34:54accurate
34:55square
34:56base
34:57for
34:57the
34:57pillar.
34:58All
34:58these
34:58type
34:59of
34:59holes
34:59were
35:00connected
35:00with
35:00ropes
35:01by
35:02each
35:02other.
35:05Workers
35:05must have
35:06planted
35:06wooden
35:06post
35:07in
35:07these
35:07holes,
35:07which
35:08they
35:08linked
35:08together
35:09with
35:09rope
35:09to
35:10achieve
35:10a
35:10straight
35:10line.
35:12Next,
35:12they
35:13would
35:13have
35:13used
35:13simple
35:14tools
35:14to
35:14obtain
35:15a
35:1590-degree
35:15angle
35:16and
35:16sketch
35:17out
35:17a
35:17square.
35:21Once
35:22the
35:22base
35:22was
35:23drawn,
35:24the
35:24Egyptians
35:24could
35:24begin
35:25building
35:25the
35:25structure.
35:27Thanks
35:27to the
35:27excellent
35:28limestone
35:28of
35:29Giza,
35:29they
35:30could
35:30use
35:30megalithic
35:31blocks
35:31larger
35:31than
35:31those
35:32employed
35:32earlier.
35:34Walking
35:34around
35:35the
35:35pyramid,
35:35it
35:35is not
35:36uncommon
35:36to
35:36come
35:36across
35:37blocks
35:37of
35:37more
35:37than
35:3850
35:38tons.
35:39The
35:39use
35:39of
35:39blocks
35:40with
35:40such
35:40exceptional
35:41dimensions
35:41has
35:41no
35:41equivalent
35:42in
35:42Egyptian
35:43funerary
35:43architecture.
35:45Everything
35:45was
35:46thought
35:46out
35:46to
35:47guarantee
35:47the
35:47perfect
35:47stability
35:48of
35:48the
35:48pyramid.
35:50The
35:50considerable
35:51mass
35:51of
35:51these
35:52gigantic
35:52stones,
35:53which
35:53can
35:53be
35:53more
35:54than
35:545
35:54meters
35:54in
35:54length,
35:55meant
35:56the
35:56lower
35:56layers
35:56were
35:57solidly
35:57placed
35:57on
35:58the
35:58foundations.
35:59Afterwards,
36:00as the
36:01building
36:01grew
36:01higher,
36:02the
36:02volume
36:02of
36:03the
36:03blocks
36:03was
36:04progressively
36:04diminished.
36:05They
36:05put
36:06above
36:06the
36:06pyramid
36:07horizontal
36:08blocks
36:08equal
36:09in
36:10every
36:10side
36:10until
36:11they
36:11go
36:13smoothly
36:13up to
36:14the
36:14pyramid.
36:15If you
36:15see the
36:16stones,
36:16when you
36:17go to
36:17the
36:17top,
36:18it
36:18became
36:18smaller.
36:20Towards the
36:21top of the
36:21construction,
36:22rarely are
36:23the blocks
36:23of more
36:24than a few
36:24cubic meters
36:25in
36:25volume.
36:26The
36:27idea
36:27was to
36:28lighten
36:28the upper
36:28part of
36:29the
36:29monument
36:29so as
36:30to better
36:30spread the
36:31weight
36:31over the
36:31lower
36:32layers.
36:33But how
36:34did the
36:34Egyptians
36:35manage to
36:35raise
36:36stones
36:36weighing
36:37several
36:37tons
36:37to such
36:38a
36:38height?
36:40For
36:40specialists,
36:42ramps
36:42are a
36:43likely
36:43solution.
36:45Two main
36:46ramp
36:46theories
36:46exist.
36:47The
36:48theory of
36:48a
36:48straight
36:49ramp
36:49heading
36:50straight
36:50towards
36:50the
36:50pyramid
36:52and
36:53that
36:53of a
36:54spiral
36:54ramp
36:54encircling
36:55the
36:55structure.
36:58Frontal
36:58ramps
36:59have
36:59the
36:59obvious
37:00advantage
37:01of
37:01being
37:01straight
37:03making
37:03transporting
37:04the
37:04blocks
37:04easier.
37:06On the
37:06other
37:06hand,
37:06they have
37:07the
37:07inconvenience
37:08of having
37:08to start
37:09a very,
37:09very long
37:10way back.
37:11Whereas
37:11if you
37:12have more
37:12of a
37:13spiral
37:13ramp,
37:14you can
37:14do a
37:14lot more
37:15building
37:15from all
37:16the
37:16different
37:16sides.
37:17You're
37:17not as
37:18restricted
37:18in
37:18traffic,
37:19and so
37:19you can
37:20build
37:21the pyramid
37:21much
37:22faster
37:22with
37:23a,
37:24in fact,
37:24smaller
37:25workforce.
37:27The
37:27pyramid
37:28of
37:28Khafre
37:28was to
37:29be the
37:29last
37:29giant
37:30pyramid
37:30built
37:30in
37:31Egypt.
37:32No future
37:32pharaoh
37:33managed
37:33to
37:33attain
37:34such
37:34colossal
37:34dimensions.
37:35No future
37:36pyramid
37:37was to
37:37reach
37:38half
37:38of its
37:38maximum
37:39height.
37:51On the
37:52second
37:52step
37:52of the
37:52podium
37:53stands
37:53the
37:54pyramid
37:54of
37:54Djoser,
37:55the very
37:56first pyramid
37:56in
37:57history
37:57of
37:57and
37:57history
37:58of
38:02The unusual
38:03staircase
38:03shape
38:04of this
38:04edifice
38:05is
38:05immediately
38:06disconcerting
38:07for any
38:07observer
38:07who likes
38:08to think
38:09of pyramids
38:09as triangles.
38:10It is
38:11what is
38:11called
38:12a step
38:12pyramid.
38:13The pyramid
38:14of Djoser
38:14was the
38:15very first
38:15of its
38:16kind.
38:22We
38:22return to
38:23Saqqara
38:23and the
38:24most expensive
38:25necropolis
38:26in Egypt.
38:27This is
38:28where,
38:28close to the
38:29capital of
38:29Memphis,
38:30Djoser chose
38:31to erect
38:32his tomb.
38:34The reign
38:35of this
38:36pharaoh
38:36began at
38:36around
38:372700 BCE.
38:39He was
38:40the founder
38:40of the
38:40Third
38:41Dynasty.
38:42Djoser
38:43succeeded
38:43in unifying
38:44the country
38:44as no
38:45one had
38:45before him,
38:47thereby sparking
38:47an age
38:48of prosperity
38:49hitherto
38:49unknown,
38:50the Old
38:51Kingdom.
38:53With
38:54the rediscovered
38:55territorial unity
38:56and the
38:56unified state,
38:58King Djoser
38:59had the means
38:59to undertake
39:00a monumental
39:00construction
39:01at a level
39:02unlike
39:02that of
39:03any of
39:03his immediate
39:04predecessors.
39:05Reunifying
39:06the whole
39:06of Egypt
39:06meant a vast
39:07labor force
39:08was available
39:08for constructing
39:09his monumental
39:10funerary complex.
39:12It is estimated
39:14that the
39:14colossal works
39:15lasted 20 years
39:16and above all
39:17such an exploit
39:18was rendered
39:19possible by the
39:20skill of one
39:20man,
39:21Imhotep.
39:23Imhotep,
39:23the great
39:24royal architect,
39:25was chosen
39:25by Djoser
39:26to build
39:27his funerary
39:27complex.
39:28He was
39:29brilliant,
39:30something of
39:31the da Vinci
39:31of ancient
39:32Egypt.
39:34Egyptian tradition
39:35regards him
39:35as an extremely
39:36important character,
39:38so important
39:38in fact that
39:39at the end
39:39of Egyptian
39:40history,
39:40he was even
39:41deified by
39:41the Egyptians.
39:44So how did
39:45Imhotep go about
39:46building such
39:47an edifice?
39:49How did the
39:50idea of creating
39:51a pyramid
39:51even come about?
39:54To try to
39:55shed light
39:55on this mystery,
39:57archaeologists
39:58concentrated on
39:58the monument
39:59structure.
40:00To their
40:01immense surprise,
40:02they discovered
40:03that, at the
40:04outset, it
40:05wasn't even a
40:05pyramid at all.
40:07Originally, it
40:08was just a
40:09simple mastaba.
40:11The word
40:12mastaba comes
40:14from an Arabic
40:15word for bench,
40:16so these are
40:16relatively low,
40:17flat structures.
40:19Mastabas were
40:20rectangular, clay-brick
40:21constructions, which
40:23were the earliest
40:24examples of royal
40:25tombs.
40:26Up until then,
40:27all Egyptian
40:28buildings had
40:28been made from
40:29mud bricks, which
40:30were easy to
40:31produce and
40:31transport.
40:32But the major
40:33inconvenience was
40:34that these bricks
40:35disintegrated with
40:36time.
40:37So, in order for
40:38this tomb to
40:39weather the
40:39centuries, Imhotep
40:41came up with a
40:41fabulous idea.
40:42For the first
40:43time, he replaced
40:44bricks with
40:45stones.
40:46The idea behind
40:47stone construction
40:48was to create
40:49sustainability and
40:50last for eternity,
40:52which is the very
40:53point of a tomb.
40:55Despite this
40:56innovation, Djoser
40:58was apparently
40:58dissatisfied.
41:00The pharaoh ordered
41:01his architect to
41:02produce a still
41:03more spectacular
41:03tomb.
41:05Imhotep began by
41:06enlarging the
41:07original mastaba.
41:09So they added
41:10another layer over
41:11the top, and
41:12then a second
41:13one.
41:14When they saw
41:15that this held
41:16firm, they decided
41:17to enlarge it.
41:18But Djoser still
41:19demanded more.
41:21And that's when
41:21Imhotep suddenly had
41:23a flash of
41:23inspiration, a
41:24simply brilliant
41:25idea, making a
41:27stack of
41:28mastabas.
41:28If you want to
41:29really impress
41:30someone, you pile
41:31them one on top
41:31of the other.
41:32And that's what
41:32the step pyramids
41:33is.
41:34It is a series of
41:35mastaba tombs, one
41:37on top of the
41:37other, like a
41:38wedding cake.
41:38The engineers were
41:40getting more
41:41confident, and then
41:42put three more
41:44rectangular things on
41:45top of it to make
41:46it a four-stepped
41:47pyramid, and
41:48presumably, having
41:49discovered it hadn't
41:49fallen down, they
41:51then enlarged it
41:51further to a six-stepped
41:52pyramid.
41:56That was how, by
41:57easy steps, Egyptians
41:59invented the pyramid.
42:01It was an
42:01architectural revolution
42:03which would render
42:04the pharaohs famous
42:05for eternity.
42:07Never had man
42:08succeeded in building
42:09an edifice of such
42:10dimensions.
42:14With a base of 109
42:15by 121 meters and a
42:19height of over 60
42:20meters, the Pyramid
42:23of Djoser became the
42:24highest building in
42:26the world.
42:27This layering created
42:29a sort of staircase, a
42:30ladder, if you like,
42:31to reach the sky so
42:33that the soul of the
42:33deceased king could
42:34attain the gods.
42:36It allowed the pharaoh
42:37to reach the
42:38hereafter, the
42:39firmament, and to
42:40reign alongside Ra in
42:41his perpetual and
42:42daily journey.
42:43But the pharaoh's
42:44project didn't end
42:45there.
42:45To preserve his
42:46grave, Djoser had a
42:48spectacular structure
42:49built beneath the
42:50pyramid, which was
42:51undetectable from the
42:52exterior, a vast
42:54network of galleries
42:55of a total length of
42:56nearly six kilometers.
42:58The interior corridors
43:00are probably the most
43:01elaborate of any
43:03Egyptian pyramid.
43:04They are vast.
43:05This sort of thing
43:06doesn't exist in other
43:07funerary complexes.
43:14Mark Linaire takes us to
43:15the heart of this
43:16incredible subterranean
43:17palace.
43:20Beneath the center of
43:21the pyramid, nearly 25
43:23meters underground, the
43:25burial chamber of the
43:26pharaoh was to hold his
43:27remains in an enormous
43:28granite cavern, four
43:30meters high.
43:31Right next to his tomb
43:32were the king's sumptuous
43:34apartments for his life
43:36after death, the blue
43:37chambers.
43:39You have the so-called
43:41blue chambers, which
43:42refers to corridors
43:43completely covered in
43:44multiple pieces of blue
43:46earthenware.
43:47This is not only a tomb,
43:49it is also the
43:50representation of a
43:51palace of the
43:51hereafter, decorated with
43:53absolutely magnificent
43:54reliefs, which by the
43:56way are a first in the
43:57history of Egyptian art.
43:58Mark Linaire is determined
43:59to show us these rooms,
44:01which are the most
44:02beautiful in the
44:03monument, but it's
44:04difficult to find your
44:06way through such a
44:07labyrinth.
44:08Coming in here, I'm kind
44:10of playing it by ear as
44:11we say in English, because
44:13I don't know it by heart,
44:14but we're trying to find
44:15our way to the
44:16subterranean symbolic
44:18private apartments of
44:19the king.
44:21Once resuscitated, the
44:23soul of the pharaoh was
44:24to leave the tomb and be
44:25able to wander the
44:26apartments.
44:27He comes from here,
44:29where he's put to rest,
44:30and he resurrects, and
44:32he goes around the
44:33corner into his private
44:35apartment.
44:36We finally come to
44:38this privileged space.
44:39All this exquisite work
44:41was never meant to be
44:42seen.
44:43It was 25 meters below
44:45the plateau.
44:46You know, these chambers
44:47rendered in blue faience,
44:50they are really the
44:51spiritual heart of the
44:52pyramid.
44:53This is where the king
44:54lived on.
44:55This is where his spirit
44:57left the mummy in the
44:59granite vault and came
45:00to live on in the
45:01afterlife.
45:02In a sense, this is the
45:04spiritual heart of the
45:05steppe pyramid complex.
45:08Due to pillaging and the
45:09ravages of time, much of
45:11this superb earthenware has
45:12disappeared.
45:14But, nearly 4,700 years
45:17after they were put in
45:18place, the finesse and the
45:19state of conservation of the
45:21remaining pieces is
45:22astonishing.
45:33This is the pyramid of all
45:35the superlatives.
45:37It has to be at the summit
45:38of our top seven.
45:42Khufu, the so-called
45:44Great Pyramid.
45:46It represents the peak of
45:48pyramid construction and
45:50happens to be the only one
45:51of the seven wonders of the
45:52world to have lasted to the
45:54present day.
45:56Khufu was the second king of
45:58the fourth dynasty.
46:00He came to throne at about
46:012,590 BCE.
46:05Paradoxically, we know very
46:06little about this pharaoh,
46:08of whom the only known image
46:10is this tiny ivory
46:11statuette.
46:14Khufu was the son of King
46:15Sneferu.
46:16We know from available
46:18sources that this king
46:19probably reigned for about
46:2025 years.
46:21And seems to spend all of
46:24that time building one
46:26big, massive pyramid.
46:29Khufu was the very first
46:31pharaoh to place his tomb
46:32on the Giza Plateau, an
46:34unused site, which thanks to
46:36him, became the most famous
46:38in Egypt.
46:39Khufu chose the site of
46:40Giza to build his pyramid
46:42because it was a limestone
46:43quarry, supplies from which
46:44could be immediately used for
46:45the building of the Great
46:46Pyramid.
46:50Khufu's architects knew that
46:52the building their pharaoh
46:53demanded needed to be the
46:54largest ever built.
47:00To ensure its stability,
47:02they had the idea of placing
47:04the pyramid on a perfectly
47:05level, gigantic slab of stone.
47:08This was a first.
47:11They wanted the foundation
47:13on the outside to be so
47:14substantial and so perfect
47:17because the previous pyramid
47:19builders had structural
47:21problems with the gigantic
47:23pyramids that came before Khufu.
47:25They had a perfectly leveled
47:27platform so the pyramid baseline
47:30in the casing would be
47:32completely stable.
47:34But to gain in efficiency,
47:36part of the massive natural rock
47:38on which the pyramid was built
47:39was left in the center of the
47:41foundations.
47:41It constitutes the first meters
47:43of the edifice's nucleus.
47:45In the middle, they left the
47:47bedrock raised up like an
47:50artificial hill.
47:51So you can see here on the
47:52northeast corner, this is bedrock,
47:55this is bedrock here, and
48:00this is still bedrock.
48:02By bedrock, I mean the natural
48:03mother's stone.
48:04And so is this bedrock.
48:06Here, it's almost four meters high.
48:09The base of the pyramid is a
48:11gigantic square, the sides of
48:13which are 230 meters in length,
48:15the precision of the measurements
48:16being absolutely extraordinary.
48:18It covers a total area of
48:20nearly 53,000 square meters,
48:23the equivalent of seven football
48:24pitches.
48:25The base of Khufu's pyramid is
48:28really the largest base size of
48:30any pyramid in Egypt.
48:32Thanks to this immense base and
48:34the first ever use of a 51-degree
48:36slope, the pyramid reached a
48:38previously inconceivable height.
48:41It's simply the largest ever
48:42built.
48:43It stood 146 meters high and
48:46until the medieval period remained
48:47the highest construction ever
48:49built by humankind.
48:51One might easily think that the
48:53Great Pyramid is so perfect that
48:55the blocks of limestone which make
48:57up its bulk must have been
48:58systematically cut and aligned.
49:00The reality is very different.
49:02The core of the pyramid is more
49:05sloppy.
49:05It's not brick-like squared blocks
49:09laid in brick-like masonry.
49:11You have all different quality of
49:13stone just to fill up the core.
49:15The internal blocks are hardly even
49:17square cut and the joints between
49:19them are very large.
49:21Virtually all of them were filled with
49:22mortar.
49:25The Egyptians knew they needed to be
49:27realistic.
49:28It would have been far too
49:30laborious to fill the center of the
49:31pyramid with regularly cut and
49:33assembled blocks, which in any case
49:35would not have been visible when the
49:37facade was in place.
49:41When completed, more than two million
49:43blocks of stone made up the pyramid.
49:45The building weighed five million tons, or
49:48nearly 500 times the Eiffel Tower, head
49:51spinning figures.
49:53And to round off the masterpiece, the
49:56interior of the Great Pyramid needed to
49:58be as impressive as the exterior.
50:01In the case of Khufu, it is simply
50:03amazing.
50:04The interior of Khufu's pyramid is
50:07magical.
50:08It is a triumph of architecture and
50:11engineering.
50:12It's really a phenomenal series of
50:15spaces that must have been conceived by
50:18a master architect.
50:20In all the other pyramids, the burial
50:23chambers had been placed underground or
50:25at ground level.
50:26Here, the main one, the king's chamber, is
50:30placed at the heart of the monument, at a
50:32height of nearly 40 meters.
50:34To reach it, Khufu's architects built the
50:37only known ascending corridor in any
50:39Egyptian pyramid, the Grand Gallery.
50:42The Grand Gallery is one of the most
50:44awesome, actually, spaces ever created by
50:47humankind.
50:48It really does make you think of rising
50:51up into the sky and becoming one with
50:53the stars.
50:54This structure speaks for itself.
50:56You just need to touch the walls and look
50:57at the joints, which are of an absolutely
50:59extraordinary finesse.
51:00It's a type of perfection.
51:03Over almost 50 meters, the heavy stone beams
51:06of the corbel arch this time are positioned
51:08laterally, following the slope of the corridor.
51:12An enormous technical challenge.
51:14You have this corbeling developed by Khufu's father in his pyramids at D'ashur, but here they've
51:22taken the corbeled chamber and they have it up at 26 degrees slope, making it even more amazing.
51:30However, the principal purpose of this Grand Gallery was not aesthetic, but completely practical.
51:35It was intended for stocking the blocking stones, which would be used to cut off the access
51:41to the king's chamber.
51:42There were wooden logs put across to hold the blocks, the plugging blocks.
51:47When they wanted to close the pyramid, they released the brake logs and boom, boom,
51:54all these blocks would slide down into the ascending passage and plug it.
52:00At the end of this majestic corridor, you come to the king's chamber,
52:04an incredible cube made entirely out of pink granite, one of the heaviest stones in Egypt.
52:10The whole thing weighs more than 3,000 tons.
52:14So the ceiling is amazing because it is roofed by these granite beams.
52:21Each one of them may weigh somewhere between 40 to 60 tons.
52:25And this is the first time they roofed a space this wide.
52:29It's more than 5 meters.
52:33It is the only example of a flat ceiling inside a pyramid.
52:39Recent studies have shown that another unknown cavity could still be hidden inside the pyramid,
52:45opening the possibility for new spectacular discoveries concerning this exceptional building.
52:52You will have many things to discover about how they made it in generations to come.
52:58The pyramid of Khufu still hasn't revealed all its secrets.
53:02After centuries of study, we now know many things about these incredible pyramids.
53:08But many of their mysteries remain unsolved.
53:11Will it one day be possible to know everything about these monuments,
53:15which have fascinated humanity for more than four millennia?
53:18The pharaohs and their architects took the response to this enigma with them, to their graves.