Here is what I read in a certain traveling guide.

"Egypt reminds you of pyramid, and pyramid reminds you of Egypt. As you decided on a hotel, go and see a pyramid to begin with. The three world's famous pyramids are located 13km to the west of Cairo. Yet, those in Giza are not the only pyramids. Besides them, in Egypt, there are a great number of large and small pyramids such as the Step Pyramid at Saqqarah and the Bent Pyramid of Dashur. It was through trial and error of the construction method that the three great pyramids of Giza were built. Thus, such beauty of quadrilateral pyramid with universal mystery must be a great attainment that was realized as the construction technique and human sense of beauty have been harmonized perfectly with each other. It was about 4,500 years ago that these pyramids have been built during the 4th Dynasty in the Old Kingdom of ancient Egypt. Words are powerless before such old and massive structures. First of all I must have you to look at them with your own eyes, and to be overwhelmed by the huge scale of them." (Reference 1)

Egypt civilization is one of the four major civilizations, and it is believed to have been appeared about 3,100 B.C. along the Nile River and developed after that. Thus, there are a large number of cities along the Nile River from Abu Simbel, which is where the river rises, in the south to the Mediterranean littoral such as, say Alexandria in the north. To give some of the main ones, there are Abu Simbel, Aswan, Kom Ombo, Edfu, Esna, Luxor, Dendera, Abydos, Beni Hasan, Fayum, Maydum, Saqqarah, Giza, Alexandria, and etc. Among them, pyramids are found mostly in the lower reaches between Fayum and Giza, which is in the suburbs of Cairo, and it is a limited area covering only about one-tenth the length of whole Nile River. Giza is located in the southernmost point of this pyramid zone.

As it is said in the guidebook, Giza is located 13km to the west of Cairo, the capital of Egypt. Yet, looking at it with a historical fact that Giza is older, we should probably say that Cairo was built 13km to the east of Giza. As its water level has sunken because of the Aswan High Dam, the Nile River is now flowing far in the distance. But before the dam was built, it used to be running just by the city of Giza, particularly when it was in flood, which occurred at regular intervals. Along the Nile River is the Mokattam Formation where Giza is located. What is making the base of pyramids is not soil ground but a rocky hill made of limestone. According to Graham Hancock, Giza is the only place around the area where such rocky hill, which makes the foundation of pyramids, exists. By scraping rocks and making not only flat but horizontal surfaces, pyramid builders laid the foundation of pyramids here. There was some definite reason for them to choose this spot.

Now, let's look at pyramids from another point of view. Giza is situated at lat. 29û55'51' N. and 31û09' E. Thus, it is very close to lat. 30û N. In addition, it is located in the center of the whole land inhabitable for human. (Resource 2)

There are three massive pyramids standing side by side in Giza, and they are named the First, Second, and Third Pyramid respectively from north. The First Pyramid is also called the Great Pyramid or the Pyramid of Khufu, the Second Pyramid is the Pyramid of Khafre, and the Third Pyramid is the Pyramid of Menkure. Among them, the First Pyramid is located closest to the Nile River, water, and is also the largest and has a complicated interior structure. The Second Pyramid is positioned in the middle of those three, and is about the same size as the First Pyramid. The Third Pyramid is the smallest and southernmost one among them.

These three pyramids are placed almost in a straight line, but to be more accurate, the Third Pyramid is positioned slightly off to the south. In regard to this positioning, a scholar of pyramids, Robert Bouvel, argues "The three pyramids in Giza are positioned in imitation of the Orion (Orion's Belt Star)."

Additionally, regarding the origins of Egyptian civilization that I mentioned in the opening paragraph, as the hieroglyph, mathematics, and construction were extremely advanced already from its early days, there is a controversy as to whether it has been originated from nothing or from some other civilization.

References
1 "Chikyu no arukikata: Egypt" 1996-97, p115, Diamond Big Inc.

2 "Keeper of Genesis" p53

Translated by Maiko Noda