Giza and the Pyramids

Description

For more than 4,000 years the pyramids of Giza have stood like giant question marks that have intrigued and endlessly fascinated people. Who exactly built them? When? Why? And how did they create these colossal structures? But the pyramids are not a complete mystery - the stones, the hieroglyphs, the landscape and even the layers of sand and debris hold stories for us to read. Mark Lehner and Zahi Hawass, with over four decades of involvement with Giza, provide their unique and personal insight into the site, bringing together all the information and evidence to create a record unparalleled in its detail and scope. The celebrated Great Pyramid of Khufu, or Cheops, is the only one of the seven wonders of the ancient world still standing, but there is much more to Giza. We may think of the pyramids as rising from the desert, isolated and enigmatic, yet they were surrounded by temples, tombs, vast cemeteries and even teeming towns of the living. All are described in detail here and brought back to life, with hundreds of illustrations including detailed photographs of the monuments, excavations and objects, as well as plans, reconstructions and the latest images from remote-controlled cameras and laser scans. Through the ages, Giza and the pyramids have inspired the most extraordinary speculations and wild theories, but here, finally, in this prestigious publication, is the full story as told by the evidence on the ground, by the leading authorities on the site.

Dr Zahi Hawass has made many major discoveries, including the tombs of the pyramid builders at Giza, the Valley of the Golden Mummies at Bahariya and the identification of the mummy of Hatshepsut. He is Secretary General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, Egypt, and the author of many popular books, including King Tutankhamun: The Treasures of the Tomb, The Royal Tombs of Egypt and his memoirs Secrets from the Sand, all published by Thames & Hudson. Mark Lehner has been conducting fieldwork at Giza since the mid-1970s. He is president of Ancient Egypt Research Associates (AERA), which is excavating the large settlement of the pyramid builders. Among his publications is the bestselling and award-winning The Complete Pyramids, published by Thames & Hudson.

'Astonishingly comprehensive ... a monumental book' - Nature 'A must- have for anyone interested in Giza and the pyramids' - Timeless Travels 'This huge, richly illustrated volume is everything you ever wanted to know about Giza, the pyramids and the people who built them' - Ancient Egypt Magazine 'A delight to read, giving so much well-presented detail, including the authors' own experiences in the field, written in a light but informative manner' - AEMES Journal 'Without question, the definitive account of ancient Giza' - Times Literary Supplement