Page 24 - Tourism regions

The visitor can also still see the remains of his mortuary temple,

the Temple of the Valley, and rising causeway. These temples
witnessed the religious rites during the embalming of the body.

The Third Pyramid

Built by Mycerinus (Menkaure), south-west of the Great and

Second Pyramids. It is much smaller than either one (62 ms). It is

distinguished by the fact that the lower parts of its sides still retain
their granite slab coverings.

The Ancient Egyptians, it must be noted, built the pyramids to

be tombs to preserve the bodies of their dead kings especially that
they believed in resurrection and immortality. The three Pyramids

of Giza are surrounded by several small pyramids, and hundreds
of mastaba-tombs of the royal family, nobles and high-ranking

people.

The Sphinx

On the way to the Temple of the Valley, (of the pyramid of
Kephren), lies the large statue of the Sphinx. It is one of most

famous monuments in the whole world. It is, indeed, a legendary
statue for it has the body of lion and the face of a man. It is 70 m2

long and 20 m2 high.

Egyptian Tourism Regions Page 23