Khafre Pyramid Colouring

The Pyramid of Khafre is the second great pyramid on the Giza Plateau in Egypt. Khafre, a son of Khufu, ruled during the Fourth Dynasty around 2558-2532 BCE and built this monument as the centre of his royal funerary complex. Its original height was about 143.5 metres, slightly less than Khufu's Great Pyramid. However, Khafre's builders chose higher ground and used a steeper-looking slope, so the pyramid can appear equally tall from some viewpoints. Local limestone forms the core. The most recognizable feature is the smooth cap of high-quality Tura limestone that still clings to the upper part. Similar casing once covered most of the monument, creating a bright, even surface above the rougher stone courses. A mortuary temple stood beside the pyramid, connected by a long causeway to a valley temple near the old edge of the Nile floodplain. These temples are among the best-preserved Old Kingdom structures of their type and contained impressive statues of the king. The pyramid has two entrances on the north side leading to passages and a burial chamber cut partly into the bedrock. Khafre's wider complex is also linked with the Great Sphinx, although this page concentrates on the pyramid, temple and causeway. The Giza monuments belong to the UNESCO World Heritage property of Memphis and its Necropolis. Start by colouring the smooth upper cap cream, bright white or very pale gold. Keep it lighter than the block courses below so the boundary remains obvious. Use warm beige, sandstone, peach and soft brown for the exposed lower stones, varying neighbouring blocks gently. Colour the valley temple pale grey or tan, and make the straight causeway a sandy gold leading your eye toward the pyramid. The two palms can have deep green fronds and striped brown trunks. Add a golden sun, a light blue sky and pale mauve distant dunes. Try broad, even strokes across the smooth casing, then shorter rectangular strokes on the rough blocks. A thin shadow beneath the casing edge will make the cap seem to sit over the core. Leave the main outlines crisp, because the surviving white crown is the clue that helps young historians recognize Khafre's pyramid.

◫ A4 size✎ Bold outlines♡ Ages 3–8

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Grown-up note: Please supervise printing and choose age-appropriate art materials.