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The Pyramids of Egypt
Egypt’s pyramids are the oldest stone buildings in the
world.
They were built nearly 5000 years ago.
These ancient tombs are among the world’s largest
structures. The biggest is taller than a 40-story building
and covers an area greater than that of ten football
fields.
Sometimes up to 100,000 men worked for 20 seasons
on one pyramid.
The Pyramids of Egypt
More than 80 pyramids still stand today.
There are secret passageways, hidden rooms, ramps, bridges,
and false doors.
The pyramids were built for kings, or pharaohs, to protect their
bodies for the after death. Egyptians believed that a pharaoh
buried in grand style would continue to bless his people.
The average weight of a pyramid’s stone block was 2½ tons!
That’s the weight of 2 medium-sized cars. Some blocks weigh up
to 15 tons!
Let’s Compare! Take a guess!
How tall is the Eiffel Tower in Paris, France?
984 feet
How tall is the
Leaning Tower of Piza in Italy?
179 feet
What about the
Statue of Liberty?
305 feet
Now... The Great Pyramid of Giza,
the largest of the three Giza pyramids?
480 feet
Earliest times
The first Egyptians were buried in the desert in
shallow pits. The desert’s hot sand preserved the
body, naturally mummifying it.
The dead were buried under a pile of rocks. Bodies
were wrapped in goatskin or reed mats.
Personal goods were placed around the body.
MASTABA TOMBS
Around 3000 B.C., kings and high officials began to build large,
flat-topped tombs we call mastabas.
Each mastaba contained a burial chamber and rooms filled with
goods.
Mastaba tombs were made of sunbaked mud bricks, which gave
protection against the harmful effects of nature.
On the walls of mastabas were carved painted scenes called reliefs.
Some reliefs showed rows of people bringing offerings.
Stairway to Heaven
The first pyramid was built out of stone around 2700 B.C. It is
known as the Step Pyramid and consisted of six steps.
Imhotep is credited with the invention of the Step Pyramid. He built
it for King Zoser so that he could climb the stairs to reach the gods
when he died.
It served two purposes: it was a royal tomb and a temple for
worshipping the spirit of the dead king.
Building a Pyramid
The Great Pyramid of Giza was built for Pharaoah Khufu. It was
originally 480 feet high and its base covers approximately 13 acres.
The pyramid contained over two million blocks of limestone.
To complete the Great Pyramid of Giza, one huge stone block must
have been quarried, shaped, and smoothed every 2 minutes for 23
years! Two kinds of rocks were used – limestone and granite.
Building plans showing how the pyramids were built have never
been found. However, experts use present knowledge about
construction to make intelligent guesses.
Building a pyramid was difficult and dangerous. It required a highly
organized society and thousands of workers.
Steps to Building a Pyramid
Step One:
The enormous limestone blocks were
taken off the boats near the pyramid
site. If one block accidentally fell, it
could crush to death hundreds of
people.
Step Two:
Once unloaded, the
limestone blocks were
hauled on sledges over
wooden rollers by gangs of
men. Water or milk was
poured around the sledges
to help them slide.
Step Three:
Ramps, built of mud brick, were
used to haul the heavy stones to
the level where building was
going on. To raise the stones
higher, spiraling ramps were
probably put against the pyramid
sides.
Step Four:
A causeway connected each
pyramid to the Nile River. Built as a
highway for the sledges, it
eventually served as a corridor for
the funeral procession.
Location of the
Pyramids
Religious and practical reasons controlled where the pyramids were built.
1.
Pyramids had to be on the west side of the Nile River, where the sun set.
2.
They had to be built close to the Nile so boats could carry the stones to
the construction site.
3.
They had to be built high above the level of the river so no damage
would occur during the flood season.
4.
Each side of the pyramid had to face one of the four cardinal points –
north, south, east, and west.
5.
A pyramid had to be close to the pharaoh’s palace so he could keep any
eye on his “castle of eternity”.
Valley of the kings
By 1600 B.C., robbers had ransacked, or taken the treasures, from
most of the pyramids. Later pharaohs decided that their bodies
would be safer in hidden tombs cut from solid rock. Many of
these pharaohs are buried in the Valley of the Kings.
King Tut was buried in the Valley of the Kings. Practically
untouched by robbers, his tomb contained weapons, furniture,
jewelry, musical instruments, clothing, model boats – many made
of solid gold.
These isolated tombs were built near the isolated cliffs near
Thebes.
62 tombs have been found there. However, even these tombs
were robbed.
Pyramids Around the World
The pyramids of Egypt were built over a span of one
thousand years. The most splendid ones date from about
2700 B.C. to 2200 B.C.
Pyramids, however, have been built in many parts of the
world at various times. All of these pyramids contain
certain essential elements.
* They are enormous.
* They have rectangular bases.
* Most are made of stone or brick.
* Most have four sloping sides that meet at a point.
The Castillo
Located in Chichen Itza, Mexico, this pyramid is known as
the great pyramid. It was probably built between A.D. 900
and A.D. 1200.
The pyramid at the Louvre
This pyramid is located in Paris, France, and is a
transparent glass pyramid that rises to 71 feet. It was
designed by an architecture firm and serves as an
entrance to the museum.
Great American Pyramid
This pyramid opened in 1991 and overlooks the Mississippi River in
Memphis, Tennessee. It is 321 feet high and covers about 6.8 acres.
It is a monument to American music.
The glory of the King is in the sky,
His power is in the horizon...
-from the oldest collection of religious texts of Ancient Egypt,
THE PYRAMID TEXTS