Khafre and sphinx
Oral Presentation
1. The artwork I chose was the Khafre Pyramid, also known as the pyramid of Chephren. Is one of three famous pyramids of Khufu. The pyramid of Khufu is also known as Cheops is the largest of them all. Standing at 481 meters above the plateau
2. The Pyramid reveals a unique addition which is the sphinx. It’s partly carved out of a natural bit of rock and was believed to watch over Khafre’s Valley Temple. Each pyramid at Giza was connected to the Nile River by a canal. This canal ended at King’s Valley Temple. In the Temple is where the major ceremonies for the King’s funeral took place and prayers where said for the King long after his death. The temple of khafre is one of the first examples of a building constructed with massive blocks of stone and near it were statues of Khafre himself.
3. The pharaohs Khufu, his son Khafre and his grandson Menkure ordered the construction of three tremendous pyramids that would serve as their tombs and because they feared their remains would be disturbed by grave robbers. They chose a site on the west side of the Nile because they believed that the home of the dead was toward the setting sun and although they wanted to protect their prize possessions from their royal families they ended up getting robbed anyway.
4. Khafres temple influenced the genre of art by giving the divinity and eternal stillness that defined the nature of the ruler. His temples became an icon for enduring power of a pharaoh, a statement for eternity and Egypt’s place as a significant power and imposing majesty.
5. Khafre pyramids didn’t really influence the cultures, it was said to believe that khafre was depicted in fold tradition as a harsh despotic ruler.