Ancient Egyptian astronomer-priests using the Great Pyramid of Giza as an observatory. Egyptian pyramids were carefully aligned towards the pole star. The Great Pyramid of Giza (the Pyramid of Khufu or the Pyramid of Cheops) is the oldest and largest of the three pyramids in the Giza Necropolis. It is the oldest of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, and the only one to remain largely intact. Egyptologists believe that the pyramid was built as a tomb for fourth dynasty Egyptian Pharaoh Khufu over a 10 to 20-year period concluding around 2560 BC. This image has been colorized.