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19Dec

King Khafre

King Khafre was the fourth ancient Egyptian pharaoh of the 4th Dynasty. He was the son of Khufu by queen Meritites I and he reached the throne after the death of his elder brother, Djedefre in 2570 B.C. He ruled Egypt for about 26 years and then he was followed by his son Menkaure. His wives were Queen Khamaerernebty I and Queen Meresankh III. He had many sons including Menkaure, Misuerre, Nikawre, and Khenterka in addition to a couple of daughters: Khameremebty II and Shepsestkau. Through our article, you get to know all the information about King Khafre:

King Khafre Family Tree

King Khafre was the son of the great king Khufu and it is believed that his mother was Meritites I but there is no evidence about his mother. King Khafre got married about 4 times and he had nearly 12 sons and 3 daughters. Khamerernebty I was his main wife and she was also the mother of the next pharaoh, Menkaure. Queen Meresankh III was actually the daughter of his brother Kawab so his wife was actually his niece. Hetepheres II was another wife of King Khafre, who got four sons of King Khafre. Present was his last queen of King Khafre and the mother of Nikaure.

King Khafre Reign

King Khafre Reign - Trips in Egypt

It is believed that King Khafre ruled between 2558 BC and 2532 BC, which gives him about 24 to 25 years of rulership. We don’t have much information about his achievements in the development of his state or its welfare but we know that he ruled most of the areas in modern Egypt. King Khafre pyramid in Giza says a lot about the state of wealth of the Egyptians during his reign.

King Khafre should get the credit for his splendid construction of the Sphinx, which is located in Giza Complex and its face was believed that it resembles King Khafre but was later discovered that it actually resembles the Sun God, Harmachis. He used to build statues for himself more than any other Egyptian ruler did. King Khafre pyramid is smaller than his father’s with only three meters but it lies on a higher ground, which makes it looks taller than Khufu’s Pyramid.

King Khafre Facts

King Khafre Facts - Trips in Egypt

  • King Khafre was known as Chevron, which was his name in Greek.
  • He ruled the fourth dynasty as the fourth king of Egypt during the old Kingdom.
  • King Khafre was involved in the death of Djedefre but there is no accurate evidence for this but there was a history of jealousy between the members of the royal family.
  • His father “Khufu” was the one who has built the great Giza Pyramid and his half-brother has built his pyramid at another location in the north in Abu Rawash.
  • King Khafre was the one who initiated the second Pyramid in Giza and the magnificent Sphinx.
  • The location of the pyramid was chosen very carefully so that the pyramid looks taller than it actually is.
  • King Khafre was the one who established the royal court at Memphis. It was the place where he governed ancient Egypt.
  • His name was closely associated with the sun god Ra as his name means “Appearing like Ra”.
  • He had some viziers like Ankhhaf, Nefermaat, Minkhaf, and Khufukhaef who were sons of Khufu. Those viziers were the main architects of the buildings of King Khafre and Ankhhaf was the first vizier to construct the second pyramid of Giza.
  • The main target of the government during the reign of King Khafre was the construction of projects, which included the planning, designing, and construction of the monuments.
  • His statue in the Egyptian Museum was made of a unique material that no other ancient statue has been made of, which makes it one of the most invaluable and important statues there.

King Khafre Pyramid

King Khafre Pyramid - Trips in Egypt - Trips in Egypt

King Khafre’s pyramid is a fanciful building as it keeps very interesting structural elements. The main characteristic about the pyramid is that it has limestone rock covering its apex.  The pyramid is about 136.4 meters high and contains hidden chambers in the upper part yet to be discovered. There is scientific evidence for the complex organization developed during the so-called Zep Tepi, the mythological Age of the Gods. It is believed that the architects of King Khafre chose the location of the pyramid so that the king will be able to see the points of the horizon where he can clearly see the sunrise.

The main name of this pyramid was “Wer (en)-Khafre”, which means Khafre is Great. It was mainly constructed as a tomb for the fourth dynasty Pharaoh King, Khafre and it has a base length of 215.28 meters. It is made of limestone blocks and each block of them weighs about 2 tons. It is higher than Khufu’s pyramid with about 10 m high. To get into the interior part of the pyramid, there are two entrances that lead you to the burial chamber.

The Sphinx of King Khafre

King Khafre Sphinx - Trips in Egypt

The Sphinx in Khafre’s complex has a very interesting history as it is a mythical creature with a face of a human “Probably Khafre’s”, a body of a lion, and wings of a bird. This mythical creature was used in the Greek methodology as a creature that was responsible for punishing those who commit crimes against the law of the state of Thebes.

There is a wrong belief that the Sphinx lost its nose during the French war of Napoleon but it is not accurate as a Sufi Muslim called Muhammad Sa’im al-Dahr from the Khanqah of Sa’id al-Su’ada was the one who was responsible for the missing nose of the Sphinx in 1378 A.D.

The Valley Temple of King Khafre

King Khafre Temple - Trips in Egypt

It was the place where the process of purification and the mummification process of the mummy of the king was being operated. This temple was part of the funerary complex and it was buried under the sands of the desert until the 19th century.

Experience A Vacation to Egypt As You Dream Of!

There’s nothing more liberating and exhilarating than living part of your life on Egypt and will be increasingly more when booking a venture trip in the land of Pharaohs through our Egypt tour package to discover the highlights of ancient Egypt in Cairo, Luxor, Aswan & Alexandria and enjoy one of our Nile river cruises beside to the possibility to taste the fun & entertainment on the fabulous beaches on the red sea:

Trips in Egypt Team
About the author

Trips In Egypt Team

Trips In Egypt team is composed of diverse individuals from all over the world who are the guardians of the ancient knowledge, magnificent attractions, and secrets of Egypt. They are travel enthusiasts, Egyptologists, Archaeologists, and history passionates who know every corner about the historical, geographical, geopolitical, and cultural nature of Egypt that trace back to more than 5000 years.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ):

  • What Should I Wear While Being in Egypt?

    You should wear whatever you want. It is advised to wear something light from cotton or linen, comfortable and put on sunblock during your time in Egypt in the summer and wear comfortable footwear like a closed-toe shoe to sustain the sandy terrain.

  • What to Pack for Your Egypt Tour?

    You should bring a brimmed hat and sunglasses if you not used to the Egyptian sun &pack everything you could ever need and put in a small bag so you could move easily between your destinations.

  • Are All Nile Cruises Available at Any Time?

    Yes, it is available all years. as the Nile from Aswan to Luxor takes three to four days of sailing on Monday, Wednesday and Friday for the total cost of 600$ and the Nile cruise from Luxor to Aswan take four to five days in Saturday, Monday and Thursday for the coast of 650$.

  • Why book Trips in Egypt?

    We have experience in vacation planning for more than 10 years & our staff consists of the most professional operators, guides and drivers who dedicate all of their time & effort create the perfect vacation. All of our tours are customized by Travel, Financial & Time advisors to fit your every possible need during your time in egypt. we always keep in mind that your safety & comfort are our main priority until you return home.

  • Is it safe to travel to Egypt?

    Yes, it is absolutely safe to travel to egypt, You will feel secure in Egypt as the current atmosphere of the country is very peaceful after the government took powerful measures like restructuring the entire tourist police to include all the important and tourist attractions in Egypt and construct an entire environment dedicated for ensuring the lives of all tourists.

  • What are Egypt's Visa Requirements?

    They are very simples, If you want to apply for a Visa On Arrival that lasts for 30 days then you should be one of the eligible countries(check the link), have a valid passport with at least 6 months remaining and pay 25$ USD entry fee in cash. As for the E-Visa for 30 days, you should have a valid passport for at least 8 months, complete the online application, pay the e-visa fee then print the e-visa to later be presented to the airport border guard. You could be one of the countries eligible for a free visa for 90 days.

  • What is the Weather is Like?

    The temperature of Egypt ranges from 37c to 14 c, Summer in Egypt is somehow hot and winter is cool and mild but sometimes it becomes cold at night. The average of low temperatures vary from 9.5 °C in the wintertime to 23 °C in the summertime and average high temperatures vary from 17 °C in the wintertime to 32 °C in the summertime while the temperature is moderate all along the coasts.

  • Should I Give Tips in Egypt?

    It is totally up to you, but if you choose to you can tip the servers at your restaurant 5-10% by handing it to them directly and 5 Egyptian Pounds as a general tip of anyone.

  • What is the Best Time of Visit Egypt?

    It is known the best time to travel to Egypt is in the winter from September to April as the climate becomes a bit tropical, a warm atmosphere with a winter breeze. You will also be notified a week before your trip if the weather is unsafe or if any changes have been made.

  • Can I Enter the Pyramids?

    Yes, you can enter the pyramids for the small fee of 20$.

  • How to Enjoy Egypt During Ramadan?

    Ramadan is a special time of year for Muslims that should be celebrated by non-Muslims and feel the essence of the Islamic culture. You can fast with the Muslim or just observe but you are always welcome to join the celebrations and festivals.

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About Trips In EGypt


Trips In Egypt was founded in 2002 when it launched, since then the company specialized in providing trips in Egypt only which includes tour packages, vacations, Nile cruises, day trips, shore excursions, and any kind of trips in Egypt.

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