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Overview:

Reign: 2558 - 2532 BC Dynasty: 4

Biography:

Khafre is most famous for being the builder of the second pyramid at Giza. He succeeded his brother, Djedefre who had only reigned for eight years before he died. Khafre's reign appears to have been very prosperous. The actual length of his reign is believed to have lasted between 24 to 26 years although a famous ancient egyptian scholar Manetho wrote that it lasted 66 years. Khafre's temple is built on slightly higher ground so that is would appear taller than his father's. But the years have removed nearly 30 feet of the pyramids top so now it is actually a few feet shorter than Khufu's. He was also know for building more statues (mostly of himself) than any other king of the Pyramid Age. Many prominent Egyptologists believe Khafre also deserves credit for the world-famous Sphinx which is located at Giza as well. There is certainly a resemblence to Khafre's portraits in what is left of the Sphinx's facial features. In recent years there has been some debate over the age of the Sphinx. Estimates based upon calculations of the Sphinx's erosion have placed it's creation in a time period that would pre-date the Egyptian civilization. But the vast majority of experts do not hold this view. Content provided by: eHistory Staff

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