Summary
Khafre, known to the Greeks as Chephren, was a king of Egypt’s 4th Dynasty who ruled in the mid-26th century BC. A son of Khufu, he built the second pyramid of Giza, which looks the tallest of the three because it stands on higher ground. Most Egyptologists believe the Great Sphinx was carved in his reign, with his face. His seated statue, protected by the falcon god Horus, is one of the masterpieces of Egyptian art.
Who Was Khafre?
Khafre (also written Khafra; Chephren in Greek) was a son of Khufu, builder of the Great Pyramid. He came to the throne after his brother Djedefre, who built his pyramid at Abu Rawash, north of Giza, and ruled for about 25 years in the middle of the 26th century BC. His name means “appearing like Ra”, a sign of the growing importance of the sun god in the age of the pyramids.
He belonged to the dynasty that built the greatest pyramids of all, during the Old Kingdom, the first great age of Egyptian civilisation. His son Menkaure built the third pyramid of Giza.
The Pyramid of Khafre
Khafre’s pyramid is the second largest at Giza. It was originally about 143.5 metres high, only three metres lower than his father’s, and is about 136 metres today. Because it stands on a higher part of the plateau and its peak is steeper, it looks taller than the Great Pyramid from most viewpoints.
- The casing at the top: it is the only Giza pyramid that keeps part of its original smooth limestone casing, on the upper third, which shows how all the pyramids once gleamed.
- Inside: two entrances on the north side lead down to a burial chamber cut into the bedrock, with a plain granite sarcophagus. The Italian explorer Giovanni Belzoni was the first modern visitor to enter it, in 1818, and wrote his name on the wall, where it can still be seen.
- The complex: a mortuary temple at the foot of the pyramid, a causeway running down the plateau, and the Valley Temple near the Sphinx.
You can go inside with a separate ticket; it is usually cheaper and less crowded than the Great Pyramid. See tickets and hours on our Giza Pyramids page and the Pyramid of Khafre page.
Khafre and the Great Sphinx
Most Egyptologists attribute the Great Sphinx to Khafre. It lies beside his causeway and Valley Temple, was carved from the same quarry that supplied stone for his temples, and its face, with the royal nemes headcloth, is thought to be his portrait. The Sphinx, a lion with a king’s head, shows the pharaoh as a guardian with the strength of a lion, facing the rising sun.
No inscription from Khafre’s reign names the Sphinx, so a few scholars suggest it was made for Khufu or another king. Read the evidence in who built the Sphinx?
The Valley Temple
The Valley Temple of Khafre, next to the Sphinx, is one of the best-preserved buildings of the Old Kingdom. Its walls and pillars are made of huge, perfectly fitted blocks of red granite from Aswan, with floors of white alabaster, and no carvings at all: its beauty lies in the stone itself. Here the king’s body was probably received and purified before burial, and dozens of statues of the king once stood around the main hall.
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View This TripThe Diorite Statue of Khafre
In 1860 the French archaeologist Auguste Mariette found a pit in the Valley Temple holding broken statues of Khafre. One of them is among the greatest works of Egyptian sculpture: the king seated on a throne carved with the symbol of the union of the two lands, while behind his head the falcon god Horus spreads his wings in protection.
It is carved from a very hard, dark stone, usually called diorite (technically an anorthosite gneiss), brought from a quarry deep in the Western Desert. Even after 4,500 years its surface is smooth and the face calm and idealised: the perfect image of divine kingship. It is on display at the Egyptian Museum in Tahrir. Read more about the symbols on it in ancient Egyptian symbols.
How Later Ages Remembered Khafre
Two thousand years later, the Greek historian Herodotus was told in Egypt that “Chephren” and his father Cheops had been cruel tyrants who closed the temples and forced the people to build their pyramids. Modern archaeology tells a different story: the workers who built the Giza pyramids lived in a town nearby, were fed with bread, beer and meat, and received medical care. See how were the pyramids built? and the ancient Egyptian social pyramid.
Where to See Khafre Today
| Where | What to see |
|---|---|
| Giza Pyramids | His pyramid, its casing stones and burial chamber (extra ticket) |
| Great Sphinx | Probably his face, 4,500 years old |
| Valley Temple | Granite halls where his statues stood |
| Egyptian Museum, Tahrir | The diorite statue with the Horus falcon |
See them all with an Egyptologist on our Giza Pyramids and Grand Egyptian Museum tour, and meet the other great kings in our guide to Egyptian pharaohs.
King Khafre: FAQ
Who was Khafre?
A king of the 4th Dynasty, son of Khufu, who ruled Egypt in the mid-26th century BC and built the second pyramid of Giza.
Is Khafre the same as Chephren?
Yes. Chephren is the Greek form of his name, used by Herodotus.
Did Khafre build the Sphinx?
Most Egyptologists think so: the Sphinx lies beside his pyramid complex and its face is believed to be his, though no inscription proves it.
Why does Khafre’s pyramid look taller than the Great Pyramid?
It stands on higher ground and has a steeper angle, and it still has its casing stones at the top. In fact it was about three metres lower.
Where is the statue of Khafre?
The famous diorite statue with the Horus falcon is in the Egyptian Museum in Tahrir, Cairo.
