Ancient Egyptians - Khufu
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Profile of Pharaoh Khufu
The following profile provides a fast overview of Khufu, the pharaoh who built the Great Pyramid at Giza. This famous king was also known as King Cheops which was his name in Greek.

Profile of Khufu

History Time Period: Old Kingdom

Predecessor: Snefru

Dates of his Reign: 2551 - 2528 BC

Successor: Djedefre aka Radjedef

King Khufu
Interesting facts, biography & information about the life of Pharaoh Khufu, the ancient Egyptian King. The Pharaoh Khufu fact sheet provides details of the major events and accomplishments in his life, his consort and his family. Information about the dynasty and period in ancient Egyptian history in which King Khufu lived. Refer to Pharaohs for additional interesting facts and information.

Ancient Egyptian King - Khufu Fact Sheet

Fact 1 on Khufu: Name: This pharaoh of ancient Egypt was also known as Cheops which is his name in Greek. His name means "Khnum Protects Me". Khnum was the ram-headed god of water, fertility and procreation. Khufu was twenty when he came to the throne and at once began building the Great Pyramid at Giza, his “Stairway to Heaven”.

Fact 2 on Khufu: History: Khufu ruled as the king of Egypt during the period in ancient Egyptian history known as the Old Kingdom and was a pharaoh of the 4th dynasty of kings by right of inheritance. He succeeded Pharaoh Snefru to the throne of Egypt.

Fact 3 on Khufu: Family: His father was Snefru and his mother was Queen Hetepheres.

Fact 4 on Khufu: Family: Khufu married Meritites, whose status and title was the "King's Principal Wife", "King’s Wife, his beloved" and "Consort and beloved of the Two Ladies". Meritites was one of Snefru's daughters and therefore either the sister or half sister of Khufu. It was acceptable for the pharaoh to practise incest in order to retain the sacred and divine bloodline. Meritites was the mother of Crown Prince Kawab.

Fact 5 on Khufu: Family: The names of one of his 'lesser wives' was Henutsen, another daughter of Snefru and therefore a blood relative of Khufu. Henutsen was believed to be the mother of Khafre aka Chephren.  There were also at least two other wives, one of whom was believed to be Neferkau, the mother of Djedefre. The name of the other wife of Khufu is unknown. It was acceptable for the king of Egypt to practise Polygamy, meaning he had more than one wife at the same time.

Fact 6 on Khufu: Khufu had 9 sons and 15 daughters and they were all given influential positions in the royal court. Nepotism (favoritism granted to relatives) was practised by all of the kings of the 4th dynasty thus ensuring that the wealth and power of the kingdom remained in the family. But also led to jealous rivalries and disputes between the relatives who vied for positions that held the greatest power and influence.

Fact 7 on Khufu: The names of the children of King Khufu are as follows:

Sons

Daughters

Fact 8 on Khufu: Khufu followed the lead of his father and initiated the construction of his tomb, which would become known as the Great Pyramid at Giza. It was built in just over 20 years and soared to the height of 146 meters (480 feet) which is equivalent to a modern 40 storey building.

Fact 9 on Khufu: The Great Pyramid was hailed as one of the Seven Wonders of the ancient World and a source of awe and wonder to everyone who saw it. Its construction demonstrated the wealth and the power of the ancient Egyptian pharaohs.

Fact 10 on Khufu: The architect of Khufu's pyramid was a man called Hemiunu. Hemiunu was a member of the royal family, a grandson of King Snefru. Hemiunu was also Khufu's Vizier (Chief Chancellor) which made him the second most powerful man in Egypt, next to the pharaoh.

Fact 11 on Khufu: Another important man in the royal court of Khufu was Djedi who had previously served his father as court physician, prophet and magician. Djedi continued his influential position under the new king. An ancient Egyptian text called the Westcar Papyrus contains stories about miracles performed by magicians, including those of Djedi.

Ancient Egyptian King - Khufu Fact Sheet

Pharaoh Khufu
Discover fast, interesting fun facts about Pharaoh Khufu for kids with some amazing, cool and quick information about ancient Egypt and Egyptians. Ideal for children, homework, schools, teachers and kids of all ages! Find fascinating fun facts about Khufu for kids and the history, culture and civilisation of the ancient Egyptians and ancient Egypt. Interesting, fun facts about this king of Egypt for research, schools, students and kids of all ages.

King Khufu
Learn about this ancient Egyptian pharaoh the fast and easy way via the Khufu Fact sheet.

Ancient Egyptian King - Khufu Fact Sheet

Fact 12 on Khufu: The foreign policy was another crucial element of the government of the kingdom. Military campaigns were mounted against the Bedouins to ensure that Egypt retained control over the stone quarries in the dessert areas that provided the stone to facilitate the building projects of the pharaoh.

Fact 13 on Khufu: The Sinai attracted the attention of the king who fought military campaigns in this area. 

Fact 14 on Khufu: Other expeditionary campaigns were initiated to find sites for additional turquoise and copper mines to increase the coffers of Egypt. 

Fact 15 on Khufu: The name of Khufu is detailed in various stelae and inscriptions. He is depicted 'smiting' a Bedouin nomad at Wadi Maghareh, the site of ancient turquoise mine in the south-western Sinai Peninsula.

Fact 16 on Khufu: The king obtained alabaster (travertine) from a quarry in Hatnub in the Eastern Desert. Alabaster was a prized commodity and used for statues.

Fact 17 on Khufu: Khufu also initiated expeditions to the Dakhla Oasis in the Western Desert and area rich in phosphate and iron oxides apparently to source red pigments used for paint.

Fact 18 on Khufu: During his reign there was also a shift towards the worship of the sun god Ra, whose cult was based in Heliopolis, the "City of the Sun".

Fact 19 on Khufu: The pyramid was believed to emulate the shape of the sacred Benben Stone which featured in the ancient Egyptian creation myth. The Benben stone was the pyramidion (capstone) located on the top of an obelisk in the Sun Temple of Ra at Heliopolis. The first rays of the sun fell on the pyramidion marking the way to heaven by ascending the rays of the sun.

The Benben Stone

The Sun Temple of Ra

Fact 20 on Khufu: The pyramid of Khufu was closely associated with the solar god Ra and by this association Khufu emphasized his divine status and his role as mediator with the gods.

Fact 21 on Khufu: The nepotism practised in the royal regime of Khufu seriously backfired. The Crown Prince Kawab had died during the reign of his father so the next ruler was Djedefre, his half-brother. There is some speculation that Djedefre had Kawab murdered so he could take the throne.

Fact 20 on Khufu: Djedefre reigned for a relatively short period of time and was succeeded by his half-brother Khafre. Once again there is speculation that another murder took place, this time Khafre was believed to be involved in the death of Djedefre.

Ancient Egyptian King - Khufu Fact Sheet

King Khufu and the 4th Dynasty
The following chart provides the names of the kings and the line of succession in the 4th Dynasty together with a map of ancient Egypt.

4th Dynasty

Name - Dates of Reign

King Snefru - 2575–2551 BC

King Djedefre aka Radjedef - 2528–2520 BC

King Menkaure aka Mycerinus - 2490–2472 BC

Succession of the Kings

Khufu
Learning about the ancient Egyptians and King Khufu inspires everyone to visit historical sites and undertake Egypt Travel and Tours to experience the wonders of this magical land at first hand. Many people choose to experience a tour of Egypt on a Nile Cruise stopping at the famous destinations and sites of Egypt such as the Pyramids of Giza and the Great Sphinx. The information and facts about Pharaoh Khufu will provide you with a great insight into Egypt and the legacy of the ancient Egyptians.

Khufu