The Giza Plateau is a limestone plateau in Giza, Egypt, the site of the Fourth Dynasty Giza pyramid complex, which includes the pyramids of Khufu, Khafre and Menkaure, the Great Sphinx, several cemeteries, a workers' village and an industrial complex. It forms the northernmost part of the 16,000 ha Pyramid Fields in the Western Desert edge of the Nile Valley that are part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site, Memphis and its Necropolis.
From north to south: parts of the city of Giza, the Giza Necropolis, and part of the Giza plateau
Great Sphinx of Giza
Image: Pyramids of the Giza Necropolis
The Plateau seen from afar in 1955
In geology and physical geography, a plateau, also called a high plain or a tableland, is an area of a highland consisting of flat terrain that is raised sharply above the surrounding area on at least one side. Often one or more sides have deep hills or escarpments. Plateaus can be formed by a number of processes, including upwelling of volcanic magma, extrusion of lava, and erosion by water and glaciers. Plateaus are classified according to their surrounding environment as intermontane, piedmont, or continental. A few plateaus may have a small flat top while others have wider ones.
Satellite image of the Tibetan Plateau between the Himalyan mountains to the south and the Taklamakan Desert to the north
The Pajarito Plateau in New Mexico is an example of a volcanic plateau.
Road to the ALMA's Operations Support Facility and then on further to the Chajnantor Plateau at 5,000 metres above sea level.
