Cheops stands at the center, with Chephren and Menkaure on either side.

When first built, the Pyramids were encased in smooth shiny white marble. Legend has it that under the setting sun they shone with such a brilliance they could be seen as far away as Israel. Unfortunately, due to an earthquake many centuries ago, the Egyptians quarried this marble to help rebuild Cairo. Today the Pyramids stand as bare limestone blocks.

As one of greatest - if not the greatest - engineering feats of all time, no one knows for sure who built the Pyramids or when. Even more intruiging is how and why they were built.