Pyramids: Egypt's Wonder of the Ancient World

Pyramids are the only wonder of the ancient world that is still standing today. A pyramid is structure with triangular sides that rise to a point from a square, rectangular, or triangular base. The largest and most famous man-made pyramids are the stone constructions built as tombs for the Egyptian pharaohs of the Old Kingdom (about 2664-2180 BC). On a much smaller scale, this form of tomb(Pyramid) was revived often in Egypt and in Nubia, to the south, through 2,500 years.

Exactly eighty pyramids survive from ancient Egypt. Most of the pyramids are found on the western side of the Nile River, at the edge of the desert beyond the fertile part of the valley. Most of the large scale Egyptian pyramids were built during the Old Kingdom at the sites of Giza, Saqqara, Dashur, Meydum, and Abusir. All of the sites are in the North within twenty miles of the ancient capital Memphis. Since the pharaohs thought of themselves as gods they expected to reign forever, their tombs were even more important than their palaces. For pharaohs of the Old Kingdom, their houses after their death, were pyramids. The Old Kingdom was the great age of pyramid building in ancient Egypt. Even though pyramids still stand in the Egyptian desert, the bodies of the pharaohs, no longer rest there. Thieves probably stole the mummies long ago; they also stole gargantuan amounts of divine treasures.

Pyramid texts are part of a body of religious literature designed to help the pharaoh to reach his objective in the afterlife. According to Egyptian belief the dead king had to be preserved, revitalized and lifted to his place on the vessel of the sun god in order to sail through the sky during the day and guide this vessel safely through the dangers of the underworld at night. A pyramid text includes ritual and offering spells, a scension text, and magical spells. This would allow the pharaoh to become one of the great gods and to overcome the serpent-demons the pharaoh would confront in the netherworld.

The pyramid was high structure of stone; within or beneath the pyramid was a burial, but this structure is only one part of a larger makeup of buildings that make the complete pyramid. On the eastern side of the pyramid was a mortuary temple, in which the last rituals were performed of the pharaoh's mummified body. A donation left by the pharaoh would provide for offerings to be made on his behalf at this temple long after his burial.

While the inner recesses of the pyramids were supposed to stay sealed; priests, family members, and loyal subjects could continue to pay their respects at these relatively small mortuary temples. A similar relationship between the mortuary chapel and the tomb existed through all periods and at most levels of society in ancient Egypt. Unfortunately, even inadmissible tomb entrances were always discovered to be in the surroundings of the pyramids because of the clearly visible mortuary temples or chapels. In the New Kingdom, an effort was made to separate mortuary temples from the royal burials. The temples were hidden in excavated tunnel tombs in the secret and guarded Valley of the Kings, which was west of the Nile River at Thebes. This ended up in reversing the sizes of the mortuary temple and the pyramid. In the end separating the mortuary temple from the pyramid gave more security and protection to the burials. In addition to these two necessary elements of any pyramid complex, there was also an enclosure wall to name the limits of each burial site. Inside this wall, other buildings of the late pharaoh were built, and often another pyramid was included. It probably contained the false burial of the pharaoh's, double which was another mummy that was supposed to be the pharaoh's body.

The pyramid was developed from the flat rectangular mud-brick construction used as royal tombs during the first two dynasties. Because of the pyramid's appearance the pyramids were called Mastabas(Benches) by modern Arabs. There is enough evidence to show that the methods used to construct the pyramids were primitive. For finishing the soft, sandstone, limestone blocks; chisels and saws of beaten copper were used together with mallets and wedges of wood. Hard stone tools may have been used to work the granite for many burial chambers and mortuary temples. Transporting and positioning the stones were done by sledges, ropes, earthened ramps, and levers. Quartz sand would have been used in grinding and polishing stones. Fire was also necessary for working the copper tools and maybe fire was also used for heating stone to help break it. Water and other liquids were very necessary for oiling the path of the sledge. The strength of the Egyptian men was the most important factor in building this construction. Oxen may have been used in some cases. The flooding of the Nile would have helped to reduce the distance that the limestone and granite had to be brought.

The Great Pyramid at Giza was built by the Pharaoh Khufu in 2528 BC Two million, three thousand blocks of stone, each weighing two and a half tons, were dragged up ramps until they covered thirteen acres and reached the point and altitude of four hundred and eighty one feet. Over the stones they Egyptians put a smooth outer facing of pure white limest. It reflected the desert sun. This Great Pyramid-tomb was a fit eternal resting place for the Egyptian's pharaoh. The pyramid would protect the pharaoh and his remains forever, help his immortality, insure his magical work for the land of Egypt. Unfortunately all the pyramids were robbed of their precious contents including the pharaoh. Only one pyramid had not really been disturbed. This pyramid belonged to that of Pharaoh Tutankhamon. King Tutankhamon ruled Egypt for little less than a decade. King Tutankhamon became pharaoh at the age of eight in about 1347 BC King Tutankhamon died nine years later in 1339 BC at the remarkable young age of seventeen.

Many scholars believe that the pyramid shape had a religious meaning to the Egyptians. Such as the sloping sides may have reminded the Egyptians of the slanting rays of the sun, this is the way the pharaoh's soul could climb to the sky and join the gods. Funeral ceremonies were done in temples that were connected to the pyramids. Most of the pyramids had two temples that were attached by a long stone passageway. A smaller pyramid was often built next to the pharaoh's pyramid for his queen. Egypt has at the least forty smaller pyramids that were used as queen's tombs or as memorial buildings for the pharaohs. Inside the Great Pyramids of Giza include the Grand Gallery, the king's chamber, the queen's chamber, and various other passages. After the burial of the pharaoh, large stone blocks called sealing plugs were allowed to slide down the passageway from the Grand Gallery to seal off the pharaoh's tomb. Workers left the pharaoh's tomb through an escape passageway.

Although none of the royal burials involving pyramids have survived tomb robbers. It is certain that the pyramids were intended as tombs. It is most likely that only a few artifacts survive which were discovered inside and out of the pyramid.

In conclusion, the pyramids of ancient Egypt were built as tombs for the mighty and powerful pharaohs of ancient Egypt. As for the pyramids themselves Egyptians had other religious beliefs about them. Nonetheless Egypt's pyramids were and are still very wondrous and beautiful. Even though almost or every pyramid have been disturbed or robbed this wonder of the ancient world is still standing to this day. Egypt's pyramids are very fascinating and mystical. Along with all their wonder Egypt's pyramids are said to be the most exhilarating achievement of an ancient millennium that was full of prosperity and most importantly peace.

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