Looming
over desert sand on the bank of the River Nile, the 4,500-year old
Great Pyramid of Giza is the only surviving relic of the Seven Wonders
of the ancient world.
Yet despite being visited by millions of
tourists every year, and poked and prodded by modern-day archaeologists
armed with the latest robot technology, the giant monument - built over
20 years as a tomb for Egyptian pharaoh Khufu (known as Cheops in Greek)
- still holds tightly onto many of its secrets.
Day-trippers
from Cairo who brave long ticket queues, hawkers and ill-tempered camels
to explore inside often complain that they are rewarded with little
more than a guided tour of an ill-lit, cramped and overcrowded
passageway.
But much of the vast structure remains out of bounds
to the visiting public as work continues to reveal hidden doors, secret
chambers and painted hieroglyphs which give a tantalising glimpse into
the ancient world.
The Great Pyramid was built in around..
