Almost every visitor to the Pyramids of Giza photographs the same three silhouettes. Far fewer notice the rows of small, eroded pyramids beside them, which most tour groups walk past on the way to the Sphinx.
These are often called the queens’ pyramids, or subsidiary pyramids. Counting the small structures beside the three main pyramids gives about eight. Some were for royal women; others were ritual structures. For the plateau as a whole, see the Giza plateau overview.
Why did pharaohs build pyramids for their queens?
In Old Kingdom belief, a king’s afterlife involved his family. His mother and principal wives were given their own burial places close to him, in the same architectural language but on a much smaller scale.
The difference in size was deliberate: a queen’s pyramid of up to about 30 meters beside a king’s monument of more than 140 meters expressed hierarchy and proximity at once. Typically each had a small mortuary chapel and a burial chamber cut into the bedrock.
Who were the three queens beside the Great Pyramid?
Three small pyramids stand in a north-south row on the east side of the Great Pyramid, catalogued as G1-a, G1-b and G1-c. They are badly weathered today, though each was once cased in white limestone.
G1-a is traditionally attributed to Hetepheres I, mother of Khufu. G1-b is linked to Meritites I, a wife of Khufu and mother of crown prince Kawab. G1-c is attributed to Henutsen, a wife of Khufu; she is thought by some sources to be the mother of Khafre, though this is not certain.
None of these attributions is settled. Inscriptions naming the owners are fragmentary, and the identifications rest partly on nearby texts such as the Inventory Stela, which calls Henutsen a king’s daughter, so her place in the family is debated.
See Them for Yourself
The Queens' Pyramids rarely make it into a rushed itinerary, which is exactly why they reward the visitors who know to look for them. Our Egyptologist-led Giza tours take you past the main pyramids and the Sphinx with enough time, and enough context, to actually notice what everyone else walks past.
What is G1-d, the ritual pyramid?
A fourth small pyramid, G1-d, lies near the southeast corner of the Great Pyramid. It was found in 1992 during the removal of a road, and is much smaller than the others, with a base of about 21.75 meters and a height of about 13.8 meters.
It is generally treated as a ritual or satellite pyramid, not a queen’s tomb. Proposed purposes include a pyramid for the king’s ka, a symbolic structure for the Sed festival, or a solar role; the question is open.
What was found in Hetepheres’ shaft tomb?
In early 1925, an expedition of Harvard University and the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, directed by George Reisner, uncovered a hidden shaft, G7000X, east of the Great Pyramid. Accounts differ on details: the expedition photographer Mohammedani Ibrahim is usually credited with noticing a patch of plaster in the rock, and Alan Rowe, the deputy director, is named in other accounts. The shaft descends about 27 meters.
At the bottom lay the burial equipment of Hetepheres I, including gilded furniture and a canopy frame, an alabaster sarcophagus and an alabaster canopic chest that still held her preserved organs. The sarcophagus itself was empty. Theories include that her body was moved or robbed and that the tomb was a reburial; the question is unresolved. Most of the finds are in the Egyptian Museum in Cairo, with some reconstructions in Boston.
What about the small pyramids beside Khafre and Menkaure?
Khafre’s pyramid has one small satellite pyramid, G2-a, on its south side, with descending passages that end in a niche. Like G1-d, it is generally interpreted as a ritual rather than burial structure; see the guide to the Pyramid of Khafre.
Menkaure’s pyramid has three small pyramids, G3-a, G3-b and G3-c, on its south side. G3-a, the easternmost, was completed as a true pyramid; the others are less finished. Reisner believed G3-a held a queen, possibly Khamerernebty II, but this is far from certain; see the guide to the Pyramid of Menkaure.
Can you go inside the queens’ pyramids?
Generally no. The queens’ pyramids are viewed from outside, and they are included in the standard plateau ticket, approximately EGP 700 for foreign adults as of 2026; confirm at the gate.
Their interest lies in their position and context rather than in anything you can enter. Early morning light brings out their weathered, stepped profiles best.
How to see the queens’ pyramids on a visit
The G1 group is a short walk from the east face of the Great Pyramid. For Khufu’s boats, see the guide to Khufu’s solar boat. The G3 group is at the far southwest end of the plateau.
To see the older story behind Giza, continue to Memphis and Saqqara, which many Giza itineraries combine.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many queens’ pyramids are there at Giza?
Counting the small pyramids beside the three main pyramids gives eight: four at Khufu’s (G1-a to G1-d), one at Khafre’s (G2-a) and three at Menkaure’s (G3-a to G3-c). Counts vary because G1-d and G2-a are usually seen as ritual rather than burial pyramids.
Can you go inside the queens’ pyramids?
Generally no. They are viewed from outside and are included in the plateau ticket. Their interiors are not open to ordinary visitors.
Who was buried in G1-a, G1-b and G1-c?
Traditionally G1-a is attributed to Hetepheres I, G1-b to Meritites I and G1-c to Henutsen, though these identifications rest on limited evidence and are not settled.
Was Henutsen Khafre’s mother?
Some sources suggest she was probably Khafre’s mother; others say Khafre’s mother is uncertain. An inventory stela also calls her a king’s daughter, so her family relationships are debated.
What is the G1-d pyramid?
A small ritual or satellite pyramid found in 1992 near the southeast corner of the Great Pyramid. Its function is debated: suggestions include a pyramid for the king’s ka or a symbolic structure connected to the Sed festival.
