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You may have been looking for the Great Pyramid of Giza.Giza or
Gizah (,
transliterated el-Gīzah) is a city in
Egypt on the west bank of the
Nile river, some 20 km southwest of central
Cairo and now part of the greater
Cairo metropolis. It is the capital of the
Giza Governorate, and is located near the northeast border of this governorate in coordinates. It is located right on the banks of the
River Nile. The city's population was 2,681,863 in the 2006 national census, while the governate had 6,272,571 at the same census. Its large population makes it the second largest suburb in the world, tied with
Incheon, Korea and
Quezon City, Philippines, second only to
Yokohama, Japan.
Giza is most famous as the location of the
Giza Plateau: the site of some of the most impressive ancient monuments in the world, including a complex of
ancient Egyptian royal mortuary and sacred structures, including the
Great Sphinx, the
Great Pyramid of Giza, and a number of other large
pyramids and
temples. The plateau and its monuments have been recorded in the Giza Plateau Mapping Project run by
Ancient Egypt Research Associates, directed by Dr.
Mark Lehner. AERA's 2009 field season was recorded in a blog.
The Great Pyramid of Giza at one time was advocated (1884) as the location for the
Prime Meridian, a reference point used for determining a base longitude.
History
Giza's most famous archaeological site, the
Giza Plateau, holds some of the most astonishing
monuments in
Egyptian history. Once thriving with the
Nile that flowed right into the Giza Plateau, the
Pyramids of Giza were built overlooking the
ancient Egyptian capital of
Memphis, which was near modern day
Cairo.
The
Giza Plateau is also home to many other
Ancient Egyptian monuments, including the tomb of Pharaoh
Djet of the
First dynasty, as well as that of Pharaoh
Ninetjer of the
Second dynasty.
The city itself has seen some changes over time. Changes in
infrastructure during the different occupations of
Egypt by various rulers, including the
British in the 18th and early 20th century, focused on the construction of
roads,
streets, and
buildings in the area. It is commonly misunderstood that the Giza area is a complete
desert area; however, Giza has become a thriving centre of
Egyptian culture and is quite heavily populated, with many facilities and buildings in the current area. Giza saw much attention in particular to its vast amount of
ancient Egyptian
monuments found on the
Giza Plateau, and has astonished thousands of visitors and tourists over the years. Giza's infrastructure saw much attention from both the British government prior to the 1952
coup d'etat, as well as the current
Egyptian government due to the city's importance in
tourism.
Parts of Giza include el Haram, famous for its night clubs and El Mohandeseen, predominantly populated by middle class and lower class
Egyptians.
Economy
Industries here include movies, chemicals, machinery and cigarettes. In addition, Giza has many luxury apartment buildings along the Nile, making it a popular place to live.
International access
Access to the city of Giza, which has its own
Governorate adjacent to the governorate of
Cairo, is dependent on
Cairo International Airport. Another local airport is found in Giza, called Imbaba Airport, but recently the Egyptian government decided to shut down the area, and turn it into a cultural or an athletic area.
Education
Giza's learning institutions include the
University of Cairo (moved here in 1924) and the
Academy of the Arabic Language (established 1932).
Twinnings
See also
Notes & references
