When pharaohs in Ancient Egypt died, they would be buried in great triangular structures called pyramids. The Nile River passes by some of the world's largest pyramids. These include the Great Pyramid in Giza and Egypt's oldest pyramid, the Step Pyramid of Djoser, completed in 2611 B.C. It was believed the pharaohs' spirits would exist in the afterlife; thus, many of the chambers in pyramids were filled with treasure and food for a pharaoh's spirit.
The Colossi of Menmon are two 65-foot tall statues in the ancient city of Thebes, approximately five minutes from the Nile River. These statues were once at the entrance of the mortuary temple of Amenophis III. However, the temple has been lost due to flooding from the Nile and vandalism. In the present day, the statues are faceless and have lost crowns that were once on the top of their heads. The base of the statues feature hieroglyphs of Nile gods.
The Great Sphinx in Giza is a large statue with the body of a lion and the face of a human. Egyptologists believe the Great Sphinx was built during the reign of the pharaoh Khafre around 2,600 B.C. This ancient monument is over 240 feet long and 66 feet tall. In 1,400 B.C., the pharaoh Tuthmosis IV placed the "Dream Stela" between the Sphinx's paws; Tuthmosis set the Stela there in return for power over all of Egypt. The Sphinx is less than four miles from the Nile River.
Located in Luxor, the Temple of Karnak, built by Ramses II in 14th century B.C., is one of the largest religious temples in the history of the world; the temple covers approximately 200 acres. This ancient Egyptian site is on the eastern banks of the Nile River. One of the marquis features of the Temple of Karnak is the Hypostyle Hall, a 54,000 square-foot spaces with 134 columns. The Temple of Karnak's Sacred Lake was used for ritual cleansing and housed a bird aviary.
The Abu Simbel Temples are in Abu Simbel, a Nile Valley town in southern Egypt; the town is less than 60 miles from the Egypt-Ethiopia border. These temples were built by Ramesses II in 13th century B.C. The pharaoh built these temples in honor of himself and his wife, Nefertari, and Egypt's victory over the Hittites in the Battle of Kadesh. The facade of the temples stand at nearly 120 feet, and the temples' statues are over 67 feet tall.