Pharaoh Khufu

Khufu (Cheops)

The Pharaoh Who Built the Great Pyramid

Last surviving wonder of the ancient world

Who Was Khufu?

Khufu (خُوفُو ) ruled Egypt as the second king of the 4th Dynasty from ~2589–2566 BCE. His name means "Khnum Protects Me".

Only known portrait (7.5 cm ivory)

He is famous for building the Great Pyramid of Giza, the largest stone structure of antiquity.

Pharaoh → فِرْعَوْن (fir‘awn)

• Horus Name: Medjedu
• Golden Horus: Bikwy Neb
• Prenomen: Khnum-Khufu

• Original height: 146.6 m
• Base: 230.3 m per side
• ~2.3 million stone blocks
• Aligned to true north within 3/60°

الْهَرَمُ الْأَكْبَرُ

Discovered in 1954: a 43.6 m cedar ship for the afterlife journey with Ra.

Quick Quiz

Khufu was the second king of the 4th Dynasty.

Khufu was the first king of the 4th Dynasty.

Pyramid height: 146.6 m

Pyramid height: 136 m

Only one statue survives.

Many statues exist.

Timeline of Khufu’s Era

~2686 BCE

Sneferu reigns

~2589 BCE

Khufu ascends

~2580 BCE

Pyramid begins

~2566 BCE

Khufu dies

Vocabulary

Pyramid → هَرَم

King → مَلِك

Eternity → خُلُود

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