Egyptian pyramid appearance. Egyptian pyramids
The magic of the mysterious countries still exists. Palm trees sway in the warm breeze, the Nile sails through the desert surrounded by a green valley, the sun illuminates the temple of Karnak and the mysterious pyramids of Egypt, and bright schools of fish flicker in the Red Sea.
Funerary culture of ancient Egypt
Pyramids are called grandiose structures in the form of a regular geometric polyhedron. In the construction of funerary buildings or mastabas, this form, according to Egyptologists, began to be used because of the similarity with a funeral cake. If you ask how many pyramids there are in Egypt, you can hear the answer that to date, about 120 buildings have been found and described, which are located in different areas along the banks of the Nile.
The first mastabas can be seen in Saqqara, Upper Egypt, Memphis, Abusir, El-Lahun, Giza, Khawara, Abu Rawash, Meidum. They were built from clay bricks with river silt - adobe, in a traditional architectural form. The pyramid housed a prayer room and a funeral "dowry" for traveling in the afterlife. The underground part kept the remains. The pyramids had a different appearance. They evolved from a stepped to a true, geometrically correct form.
The evolution of the shape of the pyramids
Tourists are often interested in how to see all the pyramids of Egypt, in which city they are located. There are many such places. For example, Meiduma is the most mysterious point, where the oldest of all the great funerary buildings are located. When Sneferu came to the throne (circa 2575 BC), Saqqara had the only large royal pyramid of Djoser completely completed.
ancient locals called it "el-haram-el-kaddab", which means "false pyramid". Because of its shape, it has attracted the attention of travelers since the Middle Ages.
The Step Pyramid of Djoser at Saqqara is known as the earliest form of burial structure in Egypt. Its appearance is attributed to the period of the third dynasty. Narrowing passages from the north lead to the burial chamber. Underground galleries surround the pyramid from all sides except the south. This is the only completed building with huge steps that were lined with stone. But her form was different from the ideal. The first regular pyramids appeared at the beginning of the reign of the 4th dynasty of the pharaohs. The true form arose as a result of the natural development and improvement of the architectural design of the stepped building. The structure of a real pyramid is almost the same. Building blocks were stacked to the required shapes and sizes of the object, and then they were finished with limestone or stone.
Pyramids of Dahshur
Dahshur forms the southern region of the Memphis necropolis and contains a number of pyramidal complexes and monuments. Dahshur has only recently been opened to the public. In the valley of the Nile, south of Cairo, alone on the edge of the Western Desert, above the lush green fields at Meidum, is a remarkable area where one can see the transition from a stepped to a regular pyramid shape. The transformation took place during the change of the third dynasty of the pharaohs to the fourth. During the reign of the 3rd dynasty, Pharaoh Huni organized the construction of the first regular pyramid in Egypt, where the stepped structures from Meidum are located as a base for construction. The burial structure was intended for the son of Huni, the first pharaoh of the fourth dynasty, Sneferu (2613-2589 BC). The heir completed work on the pyramids of his father, then built his own - stepped. But the construction plans of the pharaoh were curtailed, as the construction did not go according to plan. Reducing the angle of the lateral plane led to a diamond-shaped curved silhouette. This design is called the Bent Pyramid, but it still has intact outer shells.
The oldest pyramids in Saqqara
Saqqara is one of the huge necropolises ancient city which is known today as Memphis. The ancient Egyptians called this place "White Walls". The pyramids of Egypt in Saqqara are represented by the first oldest step pyramid of Djoser. It was here that the history of the construction of these funerary structures began. In Saqqara, they found the first inscription on the walls, known as the Pyramid Texts. The architect of these projects is called Imhotep, who invented hewn stone masonry. Thanks to construction developments, the ancient architect was ranked among the deities. Imhotep is considered the son of Ptah, the patron of crafts. Saqqara is home to many tombs belonging to important ancient Egyptian officials.
The true gem is the great pyramids of Egypt in the Sneferu complex. Feeling dissatisfied with the Bent Pyramid, which did not allow him to worthily go to heaven, he began construction about two kilometers to the north. It was the famous Pink Pyramid, so named because of the red limestone used in its construction. This is one of the oldest buildings in Egypt, which is created in the correct form. It has an angle of inclination of 43 degrees and is the second largest, second only to the Great Pyramid of Giza. It was built by the son of Sneferu in Khufu. In fact, the Great Pyramid is only 10 meters from the Rose. Other major monuments in Dahshur date from the 12th and 13th dynasties and are not comparable in scale to the work of Huni and Sneferu.
Late pyramids at the Sneferu complex
There are later pyramids in Meidum. In Egypt, where the White Pyramid of Amenemhat II, the Black Pyramid of Amenemhat III and the building of Senusret III are located, smaller monuments of funerary purpose for minor rulers, nobles and officials dominate.
They tell of a fairly stable and peaceful period in the history of Egypt. Interestingly, the Black Pyramid and the structure of Senusret III were built not of stone, but of brick. Why this material was used is unknown, but at that time new construction methods penetrated into Egypt from other countries, thanks to trade and international relations. Unfortunately, although brick was much easier to work with than multi-ton granite blocks, the material did not stand the test of time. Although the Black Pyramid is fairly well preserved, the White Pyramid is badly damaged. Tourists, who are little aware of the huge number of pyramidal burials, have a misunderstanding. They ask: "Where are the pyramids in Egypt?" While everyone knows about the great burial structures of Egypt, there are many less significant examples of such structures. Scattered along the Nile from Celia on the edge of the oasis to the island of Elephantine in Aswan, in the village of Naga el-Khalifa, about five miles south of Abydos, in the city of Minya and many other unexplored places.
Giza pyramids and necropolis
For all tourists who come to Egypt, an excursion to the pyramids becomes almost a ritual. The buildings of Giza are the only surviving of the seven wonders of the Ancient World and the most famous sights. This is sacred place impresses with antiquity, the scope of the necropolis, the unreality of buildings and the Great Sphinx. The secrets of the construction and supposed symbolism of the pyramids of Giza only add to the appeal of these ancient wonders. Many modern people still consider Giza to be a spiritual place. A number of fascinating theories have been proposed to explain the "mystery of the pyramids". The author of the project of the Great Pyramid in Egypt is called the adviser of Cheops and his relative - Hemiun. Giza is the most important site on earth for many researchers who are trying to unravel the geometric perfection of burial structures in ancient sources. But even great skeptics are in awe of the deep antiquity, scope and absolute harmony of the pyramids of Giza.
History of the Pyramids of Giza
Located on west bank River Nile, about 12 miles southwest of downtown Cairo, Giza (el-Gizah in Arabic) is the third largest city in Egypt with a population of nearly 3 million. This is a famous necropolis on the Giza plateau, which houses the most popular monuments in Egypt. The Great Pyramids of Giza were built in 2500 BC for the burial places of the pharaohs. Together they make up the only ancient wonder of the world still in existence today. Many tourists are attracted by Egypt (Hurghada). They can see the pyramids of Giza in half an hour, which will be required on the road. You can admire this wonderful ancient sacred place to your heart's content.
The Great Pyramid of Khufu, or Cheops as the Greeks called it (it is the oldest and largest of the three pyramids at Giza), and the necropolis bordering Cairo have remained virtually untouched by time. It is believed that the pyramid was built as a tomb for the fourth dynasty of the Egyptian pharaohs Khufu. The Great Pyramid was the tallest man-made structure in the world for over 3,800 years. Initially, it was covered with facing stones, which created a smooth outer surface. Some of them can be seen around the base and at the very top. There are various scientific and alternative theories about how the pyramids of Ancient Egypt were built, and about the construction methods of the Great One itself. Most of the accepted construction theories are based on the idea that it was built by moving huge stones from the quarry and lifting them into place. It occupies an area of just over 5 hectares. The original height was 146 m in height, but the pyramid is still impressive at 137 m. The main losses are associated with the destruction of the smooth limestone surface.
Herodotus on Egypt
When the Greek historian Herodotus visited Giza, around 450 BC, he described what kind of pyramids there were in Egypt. He learned from the Egyptian priests that the Great Pyramid was built for Pharaoh Khufu, who was the second king of the Fourth Dynasty (c. 2575-2465 BC). Priests told Herodotus that it was built by 400,000 people over 20 years. At the construction site, 100,000 people were employed to move the blocks at a time. But archaeologists find this implausible and tend to think that the workforce was more limited. Perhaps 20,000 workers, with an accompanying support staff of bakers, doctors, priests, and others, would be sufficient for the task.
The most famous pyramid was carefully laid out using 2.3 million worked stone blocks. These blocks had an impressive weight of two to fifteen tons. After the construction was completed, the burial structure struck with a weight that was approximately 6 million tons. All the famous cathedrals in Europe, taken together, have such a weight! The Pyramid of Cheops has been recorded for thousands of years as the tallest structure in the world.
Only the graceful spiers of the extraordinarily majestic Lincoln Cathedral, built in England, 160 m high, were able to break the record, but collapsed in 1549.
Pyramid of Khafre
Among the pyramids of Giza, the second largest is the structure built for the afterlife journey of Khafre (Khaphren), the son of Pharaoh Khufu. He inherited power after the death of his elder brother and was the fourth ruler in the fourth dynasty. Of his well-born relatives and predecessors on the throne, many were buried in penny tombs. But the grandeur of Khafre's pyramid strikes almost the same as the "last house" of his father.
The Pyramid of Khafre stretches visually to the sky and seems to be higher than the first pyramid of Giza - the funerary building of Cheops, because it stands on a higher part of the plateau. It is characterized by a steeper angle of inclination with a preserved smooth limestone coating. At the second pyramid, each of the sides was 216 m and was originally 143 m high. Its limestone and granite blocks weigh about 2.5 tons each.
The ancient pyramids of Egypt, such as Cheops, as well as the construction of Khafre, include five burial pits connected by passages. Together with the mortuary, the Valley of the Temples and the connecting dam, it is 430 meters long, carved into the rock. The burial chamber, which is underground, kept a red granite sarcophagus with a lid. Nearby is a square cavity, where there was a chest with the insides of the pharaoh. The Great Sphinx near the Pyramid of Khafre is considered to be his royal portrait.
Pyramid of Menkaure
The last of the pyramids of Giza is the Pyramid of Menkaure, located to the south. It was intended for the son of Khafre, the fifth king of the fourth dynasty. Each side is 109 m, and the height of the building is 66 m. In addition to these three monuments, small pyramids were built for Khufu's three wives and a series of flat-topped pyramids for the remains of his beloved children. At the end of a long dam lined small tombs of courtiers, a temple and a mortuary were built only for the mummification of the body of the pharaoh.
Like all the pyramids of Egypt, created for the pharaohs, the burial chambers of these buildings were filled with everything necessary for the next life: furniture, statues of slaves, niches for canopic canopies.
Theories about the construction of the Egyptian giants
Many mysteries are hidden by the centuries-old history of Egypt. Pyramids built without modern devices only increase curiosity about these places. Herodotus assumed that the foundation was laid out of huge blocks weighing about seven tons. And then, as from children's cubes, step by step, all 203 layers were lifted up. But this cannot be done, as evidenced by the Japanese attempt in the 1980s to duplicate the actions of the Egyptian builders. The most plausible explanation is that the Egyptians used slopes, along which stone blocks were towed along a ladder using sleds, rollers and levers. And the base was a natural plateau. The majestic structures have withstood not only the crushing work of time, but also numerous attacks by grave robbers. They robbed the pyramids in ancient times. Khafre's burial chamber, opened by the Italians in 1818, was empty, there was no longer any gold and other treasures.
There is a possibility that there are still undiscovered pyramids of Egypt or are now completely destroyed. Many make fantastic theories about the extraterrestrial intervention of another civilization, for which such construction is child's play. The Egyptians are only proud of the perfect knowledge of their ancestors in the field of mechanics, dynamics, thanks to which the construction business developed.
I want to summarize all the information about the most famous Egyptian pyramids, collected on LifeGlobe, into a single collection. Naturally, here I will describe only the most large pyramids, with links to a separate article about each of them. In detailed topics you will find both their coordinates and more detailed description. In total, there are 118 pyramids in Egypt of various shapes, sizes and heights, but we will start, of course, with the three Great Egyptian pyramids in Giza. It is these structures on the Giza plateau that are included in the list of the seven ancient wonders of the world, although, in addition to Giza, there are many pyramids in other parts of Egypt.
The first number in our review will be the Great Pyramid of Cheops, which is known anywhere in the world. It is she who is the face of the Egyptian pyramids and the largest building of antiquity, giving rise to many secrets and legends around her. The construction of the pyramid took two whole decades and was completed in 2560 BC. 
With a height of 146.5 meters, it was the largest building in the world for over 4 millennia. I have been collecting material about the Great Pyramid for a long time in a separate article, at the link above you can learn more about it. 
The second most important is the pyramid of Khafre, the son of Cheops. It was built on a 10-meter plateau, because it seems to be higher than the pyramid of Cheops, but it is not. Its height is 136.4 meters, while that of Cheops is 146.5 meters. 
Not far from the pyramid of Khafre is the Great Sphinx - a monument carved into the rock. The facial features of the Sphinx repeat the face of Pharaoh Khafre. 
The third great pyramid is the Pyramid of Menkaure. It is the smallest of them, and built the latest. In height, it is only 66 meters, and the length of the base is 108.4 meters. 
Despite its small size, it is considered to be the most beautiful of the three pyramids. In addition, the pyramid of Menkaure marked the end of the era of the great pyramids. All subsequent buildings were small in size. 
On this Egyptian pyramids do not end, we move from Giza to other parts of Egypt. One of the largest in Egypt is the step pyramid of Djoser. It is located in the village of Sakkara, and was built for Pharaoh Djoser by Imhotep himself. It occupies an area of 125 by 115 meters, and its height is 62 meters. This is the first pyramid in Egypt, and also very well preserved. 
The most unusual in form can be safely called the pyramid in Medum. It is located 100 kilometers south of the capital of Egypt, it was built for Pharaoh Huni, but his son Sneferu completed it. It originally had 8 steps, but in our time only the last 3 are visible. After construction, its height was 118 meters, and the area was 146 by 146 meters. 
The Pink Pyramid is unusual in that it has a pink hue due to the special stone used for its construction. This is the third highest pyramid after Cheops and Khafre, 104.4 meters high. Researchers believe that this pyramid was also built by Pharaoh Sneferu, already known to us. 
Not far from the Pink one is the Bent Pyramid, built in the 26th century. BC e. She got her name because of the irregular shape. See for yourself, it was built in 3 stages, at each of which it was given different angles of inclination: 
I have described the largest and most famous Egyptian pyramids, now let's move on to smaller specimens. A later building is the pyramid of Userkaf at Saqqara, not far from the pyramid of Djoser. It has been preserved very poorly, therefore only the initial data can be given: its height is 49.4 meters, the length at the base is 73.30 meters. 
Not far from Saqqara, in Abusir, is the pyramid of the pharaoh of the 5th dynasty Sahure. In the likeness of this pyramid, all subsequent complexes of the pharaohs of this dynasty were built. Unfortunately, this pyramid has survived to this day in a rather poor condition. 
Let's finish our review of the most outstanding Egyptian pyramids with the pyramid of Unas in Saqqara. It is notable for the fact that the very first "Pyramid Texts" were discovered here - ancient hieroglyphs on the walls of the burial chamber. Many scholars are still deciphering these texts. 
An endless series of eras of human civilization keeps in itself great amount secrets and mysteries. Each of them requires close attention and study. The study is hampered by those huge time intervals that separate modern man from the affairs of the past. Looking at living people from eternity, the greatest architectural and artistic creations are not at all going to talk about how, by whom, and most importantly why they were created.
One of the most mysterious masterpieces of times gone into oblivion are, without any doubt, pyramids of ancient egypt. These great creations human hands they delight and fascinate, amaze with their size and at the same time cause a feeling of deep bewilderment: why was it necessary to spend so much effort, energy, time on absolutely useless constructions.
Most likely, those who lived 45 centuries ago wanted to emphasize the greatness of their era, the significance of their rulers, the inviolability of their power and proximity to the gods. Or maybe these structures contain some other meaning, beyond the understanding of modern man. All this is a mystery behind seven seals, securely hidden for millennia.
The first ancient pyramids of Egypt
The facts indicate that The first pyramid was built in ancient Egypt under the founder of the III dynasty Pharaoh Djoser. He ruled approximately 2780-2760 BC. e. and radically changed the architectural style of the tombs practiced before him.
From the end of the IV millennium BC. e. the rulers were buried in mastabas - truncated pyramids. These were small structures made of stones, fastened together with clay mortar. In those distant times, they may have made an impression on people, but in the present century they are shapeless stone piles that bear little resemblance to architectural creations.
The tomb of Djoser (located in Saqqara - 20 km south of Cairo) had nothing to do with the mastaba. Rather, it was six mastabas stacked on top of each other. The lowest one was also the widest. The next mastaba was smaller, it had an even smaller one, and even smaller one above. Thus, a stepped pyramid 62 meters high and 125 by 115 meters along the perimeter was obtained.
For those times, the building, of course, is majestic. Developed it, designed it, and then implemented it Pharaoh's vizier Imhotep. Apparently it was a very outstanding person, since her name survived for almost five thousand years. Imhotep is rightfully considered the founder of a new architectural style that lasted in ancient Egypt for almost 200 years.
The shape of the pyramids underwent significant structural changes during the time of the founder of the IV dynasty Pharaoh Sneferu(ruled 2613-2589 BC). Two pyramids are associated with his name, but these are no longer stepped, but fundamental structures with smooth sloping walls. One pyramid is called broken line- its height is 104 meters, another pyramid has a name pink. It is taller, its height is 109 meters.
The pyramids are located in Dahshur - a desert area 26 kilometers south of Cairo. They are not alone in their greatness. Next to them is another 20 pyramids of the pharaohs of the XII and XIII dynasty. In this necropolis, the pyramids of Sneferu are the oldest, but despite the fact that other man-made tombs were built many centuries later, these two pyramids are much better preserved. They have not lost their geometric shapes, have not crumbled under the weight of centuries, but continue to rise royally above the mortal earth, impassively looking at the world around them.
Such amazing vitality is explained by completely different construction technologies, completely different from those by which the rest of the necropolis structures were built.
The pink and broken pyramids are assembled from granite blocks, ideally processed and fitted to each other. These blocks are not cemented with mortar, but the structures stand like a monolith. An enormous weight securely binds all the knots of these ideal architectural structures, but the 46 centuries that have passed since the time of their construction serve as proof of their strength.
The rest of the pyramids are assembled from ordinary raw stones, or rather, cobblestones. They were tied with mortar and, laying on top of each other, they created structures that were significantly inferior in strength to the Snefru pyramids. All this is rather strange, since in 700 years it was possible not only not to lose the technologies practiced during the IV dynasty, but also to significantly improve them. The fact remains that during the construction of the broken and pink pyramids, more advanced construction methods were used than in later centuries.
In general, it falls out of the usual series of similar building structures. Its name already speaks about it. The fact is that the angle of inclination of the walls of this structure from the base to the middle of the height is 54 ° 31 ′. Further, the angle changes and is equal to 43 ° 21 ′. What is the reason for such an architectural refinement is unknown, although there are a great many assumptions and theories.
The prevailing opinion is that in connection with the death of the pharaoh, they decided to speed up the construction work and therefore made the slope of the upper parts of the walls steeper. Other researchers believe that it was just a "test of the pen." Until that time, nothing like this had been built in Ancient Egypt, so they decided to create something original and different, but apparently this form did not meet with the support of others and did not take root.
It got its name due to the peculiar color of the stone blocks from which it is laid out. The blocks have a pale pink color and are filled with the appropriate shade in the setting sun. This was the reason to call it the pink pyramid. Although in ancient times it was not at all pink but white. This color had a lining made of white limestone. Over the centuries, the coating peeled off and pink limestone was exposed, from which, in fact, the pyramid was assembled.
The pyramids of Snefru are huge, but they cannot be compared with similar structures located on the Giza plateau (northwest of Cairo). There are three pyramids here, two of them are striking in their size. The largest is the pyramid of the son of Sneferu Pharaoh Cheops(ruled 2589-2566 BC). Its original height was 146.6 meters, and it was built from 2.3 million limestone blocks.
Great Pyramids of Giza aerial view
From above the pyramid was covered with white limestone, the top was decorated with a pyramidion: a stone made of polished granite. It was covered with gold and shone majestically in the rays of the sun. At the base of the stone there was a square ledge, at the top of the pyramid there was a recess for it. The pyramidion was thus securely fastened at a great height, perfectly complementing the grandiose picture of the greatest structure on the planet.
On the east side, a temple and three pyramids for queens adjoined the pyramid. Today, only the foundation remains of the temple, while small pyramids have been preserved. The temple, located in the valley, was also destroyed. It was connected with the pyramid of Cheops by a road. But the "solar boat" of the ruler, made of cedar, remained in excellent condition. After the death of the pharaoh, it was dismantled and placed in storage at the foot of the pyramid, apparently considering that in the afterlife it would be necessary for the formidable ruler.
How the pyramid of Cheops was built
Such a huge structure at all times caused one question among people - how did such a masterpiece manage to be created. Each block of the pyramid weighs at least two tons, but in total, as already mentioned, there are more than two million. All of them are perfectly fitted to each other and raised to different heights. In addition, there are three chambers inside the pyramid. The uppermost, the burial "chamber of the king", is lined with granite blocks weighing 60 tons each.
This chamber is located at a height of 43 meters from the base of the monumental structure. Raising such blocks by tens of meters is a truly difficult task. However, the Egyptians somehow coped with this and even perfectly fitted the granite slabs to each other. There are no gaps between them, which speaks of the highest production technology.
Hemiun
The architect of the pyramid is called the vizier of the pharaoh Cheops Hemiun. It was Hemiun who designed this structure and supervised its construction. He died shortly before the completion of the work, which, according to ancient sources, lasted 20 long years. Two decades of titanic labor have produced "on the mountain" the greatest architectural masterpiece, stunning the human imagination for 45 centuries.
So how was Hemiun able to build such magnificence? There is no single answer to this question. There are various versions and assumptions. One of the versions claims that the blocks did not rise to a great height at all. Workers crushed limestone, turned it into powder, removed moisture, and thus it became ordinary cement. The latter was poured into special formwork located directly on the pyramid under construction, diluted with water, stone and crushed stone were added for bonding and monolithic blocks were obtained.
Does this theory have a practical basis? Limestone is a rock of medium hardness. It is cut, polished, taking into account modern technologies. But how to turn more than six million tons of rock (the weight of the pyramid of Cheops is 6.3 million tons) into powder is a rather time-consuming task, rather even impossible. It is unlikely that Hemiun would have dared such an action. In addition, where would he get so much wood to simultaneously make several hundred formworks.
A tree in ancient Egypt was worth its weight in gold. It was brought from distant lands, and it was very expensive. Taking into account all the costs, it would be easier to cast gold bars and mold them into a tomb for the pharaoh. True, then it would not have stood for 45 centuries, but it would have cost less.
The other point of view is much more realistic. It is followed by some American and French researchers. Having carefully studied the internal and external structure of the ancient structure, they put forward a rather interesting theory, which is offered to the judgment of discerning readers.
In this case, it is planned to install an external ramp at the beginning of construction. Under the ramp is meant an embankment along which the slabs are dragged to the place where they should lie. The pyramid grows, and the height of the ramp increases. In addition to the height, its length also increases: after all, the flatter the embankment, the easier it is to drag blocks along it.
But at a certain height, there comes a moment when it becomes problematic to lengthen the ramp. To withstand the minimum angle, it is necessary to increase the embankment for a kilometer or more. Such a structure is already beginning to surpass the pyramid under construction in its volume. But its height is 146.6 meters. This is what kind of embankment is needed, and even with a slope angle of a maximum of 10 °.
Hemiun found a way out of a seemingly hopeless situation. The chamber-tomb for the king is at a height of 43 meters. It was up to this point that the outer ramp was made in order to drag 60 ton slabs along it. If the size of the embankment allowed, then the chamber would have been made much higher, but this height was critical.
To this place, along the outer ramp, 600 people could easily drag a huge and heavy block. Did these move boulders on sleds. Logs were hardly used, since the wheel was not yet known at that time, so the corresponding analogies most likely could not come to the minds of the builders.
Above, according to the project, there were already stone blocks weighing 2-3 tons. In order to lay them down, they made an internal ramp. It was a narrow spiral-shaped cavity, gently rising upwards. It was located, and is still located, very close to the edges of the pyramid, above the "king's chamber". If you know where to chisel the walls, then the inner ramp is easy to spot.
Above the chamber itself, five unloading cavities were installed, between which stone slabs were placed. They put a gable ceiling over them. They did this to evenly distribute the weight of the overlying layers of a huge structure.
The weight of these layers is one and a half million tons. If there were no unloading cavities, then a huge mass of stones would crush the "king's chamber" trimmed with black granite, like a nut shell.
The very process of installing the upper blocks was as follows: the outer ramp was dismantled to a height of 15-odd meters. That is, to the place where the main entrance to the pyramid is located (after the work was completed, it was sealed with a granite plug). Stone blocks were dragged here, from which the entire upper part of the pyramid, more than 100 meters high, was laid out.
The blocks were dragged along the rising corridor, which abuts against the "king's chamber". Currently, this tunnel is divided into an ascending corridor and a Grand Gallery. The Grand Gallery is a tall and narrow passage 48 meters long and 8 meters high. Right in the middle of the gallery stretches its entire length a square recess. Its width is 1 meter, depth is 60 centimeters. There are 27 pairs of recesses on the side protrusions. The passage ends with a horizontal ledge with a smooth surface, 2 and 1 meters wide and long, respectively.
Here, 45 centuries ago, wooden guides were installed, along which a sledge was moved, with a stone block lying on them. The guides were held on wooden bars driven into the recesses of the side ledges. The next block was dragged to a horizontal ledge, and from it they moved to an internal ramp, the entrance to which is located next to the "king's chamber". Researchers have not yet reached it, but there is no doubt that in the near future it will be discovered.
Next, a two-ton block was pulled along the ramp to the construction site. Here the builders laid it in one of the rows and started on the next one. First, the outer rows of blocks were laid out, and then the inner ones, in order to maintain the correct geometric shapes of the huge structure. This was a very complex and precise matter: after all, it is much more difficult to correctly set an inclined surface than a vertical one. However, the ancient engineers succeeded brilliantly.
The Pyramid of Cheops
and the highest
buildings of the world
After the construction of the majestic structure, it was covered with white limestone slabs. Now there is nothing left of the lining on the pyramid of Cheops. All of it was stolen long ago by the inhabitants of Cairo for the construction of their houses. The miserable remains of white limestone can only be observed on the neighboring pyramid - Pyramid of Khafre.
The height of this structure is 143.5 meters. According to legend, it was crowned with a granite pyramidion adorned with pure gold. When he disappeared from the top, where he is now is unknown. The technology for the construction of this structure is fully consistent with the one by which the largest pyramid was erected - the pyramid of Cheops.
Khafre created his creation almost 40 years after the father of Pharaoh Cheops. The years of his reign fall on 2558-2532 BC. e. From 2556 to 2558 BC. e. Another pharaoh, Djedefra, reigned in Egypt. He was the elder brother of Khafre, but he built his pyramid in Abu Roash - 10 km. north of Giza.
Its height after construction was only 68 meters, but the pyramid was lined not with white limestone, but with red granite. They brought it from the very south of the country, as they could not find it closer.
The third pyramid in Giza, standing next to the two giants, is Pyramid of Menkaure. Unlike her colleagues, her height is only 66 meters. In volume, it is 10 times smaller than the pyramid of Cheops. This pharaoh, who took power after Khafre, did not differ in apparently exorbitant ambitions and showed modesty unusual for such people.
It seems that most likely it is not the modesty and vanity of the ruler, but the economy of Ancient Egypt. Seventy years of continuous construction of gigantic structures that bring absolutely no profit, but, on the contrary, pump out all the funds from the treasury, have undermined the well-being of the state so much that it simply did not have the opportunity to build further something grandiose and exorbitantly huge.
So you can only sincerely sympathize with Mikerin. His creation looks very faded against the general fundamental and majestic background and does not make the proper impression on the true connoisseurs of antiquity, who come from all over the world to look at the pyramids of Ancient Egypt.
Other ancient pyramids of Egypt
Actually, with Mykerin, the construction of the Great Pyramids ceased. Nothing else, breathtaking and leading to a state of delight, was created by the pharaohs. The first pharaoh of the 5th dynasty, Userkaf (reigned 2465-2458 BC), built a pyramid 44.5 meters high. It is located in Saqqara and today it is a pile of poorly processed stones that bear little resemblance to an architectural structure.
For some unknown reason, the brilliant technology used in the installation of the pyramids of the pharaohs of the IV dynasty came to naught. They have never been reborn. Pyramids, over the course of all subsequent centuries, were built from carelessly processed stones or unbaked clay bricks and did not even remotely resemble the fundamental structures of the 26th century BC. e.
Such construction continued until the XIII dynasty. This is the XVIII, beginning of the XVII century BC. e. It was in the 17th century BC. e. the era of construction is over grandiose structures, and the pyramids of ancient Egypt became history. In the future, the rulers of this power have never practiced anything like this.
Thus, in ancient Egypt, about a hundred pyramids were built. They are all located on the left bank of the Nile from Abu Roash to Meidum (70 km south of Cairo) on a limestone plateau. They were created in different centuries by different people, but there are no architectural differences in the appearance of these structures, unless they differ in volume and height.
Who built the Great Pyramids and why?
The pyramids of the pharaohs of the IV dynasty stand apart. During their construction, completely different technologies were used, and the quality of work stands out sharply against the general background of rather primitive and clumsily made structures. Some researchers explain this by the fact that the labor of slaves was not used in the construction of these structures. Hired teams of workers built majestic buildings - hence the corresponding quality. Subsequently, forced labor was used in such works, which immediately affected such original tombs for the pharaohs.
Perfectly machined and fitted stone blocks from one of the Great Pyramids
Such an argument can and will convince someone, but certain things are striking, which cannot be explained from this position. In particular - the ideal processing of stone blocks from which the pyramids are assembled. Their surfaces are mirror-smooth. This can only be done using special stone processing equipment. Nowadays, there are corresponding machines and tools, but where could they come from 45 centuries ago, in the era of the Bronze Age.
Another particular is traces of erosion in the lower layers of the pyramids, which indicates their long stay in the water. They even find shells - this once again emphasizes that the time of the creation of such majestic structures can be safely attributed to more ancient eras, when the climate was not so dry, and the limestone plateau was often flooded with water.
And finally, why did everyone decide that it was Snefru, Cheops and their successors who built the Great Pyramids. Where is that written? This point of view exists with the light hand of the ancient Greek historian Herodotus (484-425 BC). This venerable man visited Egypt in 445 BC. e., communicated with local representatives of the nobility, priests, and even described the construction of the pyramid of Cheops. But how true is all this? This master was caught more than once on serious distortions historical facts, but when they mean the pyramids of Ancient Egypt, they believe him unconditionally.
And one more particular - in the same pyramid of Cheops there are no images and inscriptions pointing to its creator. But such paraphernalia was an integral part of the funerary art of this state. And the granite sarcophagus itself in the "king's chamber", apparently, never served as a storage place for his mummified body. At least there is no evidence and traces that it was once there.
Sculpture of the Great Sphinx
It is also impossible to ignore such a creation of architecture as sculpture of the Great Sphinx. It is carved from a monolithic limestone rock and, although it has nothing to do with any of the pyramids of Ancient Egypt, it is an integral part of the man-made complex in Giza.
The dimensions of the Sphinx are truly enormous: length 73 meters, height 20 meters. Over the millennia, the sculpture was covered with sand up to the very neck. Periodically, they tried to clear it, though they were limited only to the front part. Completely cleared and learned the true volumes only in 1925.
The face of the Great Sphinx has pronounced negroid features.
There is an assumption that it was built during the time of Pharaoh Djedefre. He created it in memory of his father, but for some reason his face has pronounced negroid features. Some researchers, pointing to a disproportionately small head, claim that at first it was the muzzle of a lion, but then one of the later rulers of the state ordered to cut down the excess and immortalized his face.
Interestingly, the sculpture has clearly visible horizontal stripes. This is erosion, indicating that the Sphinx was once up to its neck in water. When? During the great flood that took place 11 thousand years BC. e. according to Sumerian mythology, or during floods - they were a frequent occurrence in the 5th millennium BC. e. Then it turns out that it was created long before the Egyptian pyramids or simultaneously with them, but at a time much earlier than 45 centuries ago. Who created, when and why?
There are many questions, but no concrete answers. Even the theory of the construction of the pyramid of Cheops described above does not have a single practical evidence. All this is just speculation and conjecture.
Based on all of the above, the conclusion suggests itself: the Great Pyramids were created by some other civilization that existed in these places millennia before Ancient Egypt. And they were erected for purposes that the human mind cannot comprehend.
Maybe it was a powerful energy station, maybe through the pyramids communication with space was carried out. It is also possible that it could be a treatment center: the properties of the pyramids indicate that they have a beneficial effect on a living organism and kill pathogenic bacteria.
But what about Cheops then? Unfortunately, there are no traces left of the powerful ruler, except for the pyramid with his name. The only thing is a small ivory figurine depicting this man. She was found at Giza in 1903.
People search, guess, assume, doubt. The pyramids of Ancient Egypt are devoid of throwing and hesitation. For 45 centuries they have seen everything, it is impossible to surprise or excite them with something. Great man-made creations dispassionately look at the vain world, and even Time itself respectfully bows its head before them, recognizing them as equal to Eternity.
The article was written by ridar-shakin
Based on materials from foreign and Russian publications
The pyramids are without a doubt silent witnesses to the many thousands of years of human history. What makes them unique for tourists and mythologists is the fact that they were built in a period when there were no construction equipment and advanced technologies. They are interesting both from the point of view of architecture and culture of that period of human history. We offer an overview of the main pyramids ancient world revealing the secrets and traditions of that time.
Majestic structures in different parts of the world were built in a variety of complex shapes, types and sizes for various reasons. In the history of Egypt and China, the pyramids played the role of burial chambers and monuments dedicated to the emperors and leaders of the country. The pyramids of the ancient American tribes and Hindus were built as religious buildings and tombs. Almost everyone is unique, has its own place in history and is popular tourist attraction.
Listed as one of the Seven Wonders of the World, the majestic Pyramid of Giza is the oldest structure on the planet. Everyone knows that the pyramid of Cheops is a tomb built in 2560 BC. There are many scientific theories regarding the principles and methods of its construction. Inside the building there are three rooms, the tomb is located in the lowest of them. The other two are called the halls of the pharaoh and the queen. This is the only Egyptian pyramid containing both descending and ascending galleries.
Nubia is located in the Nile Plain, so the structures that were found here are known as the pyramids of Nubia. They were built by the kings of the ancient Kushite dynasty. A total of 255 pyramids were found, including el-Kurra, Nuri, Meroe. These are examples of stepped structures from 6 to 30 meters high, the stone blocks of which were arranged horizontally. Many of them were places of worship.
The Pyramids of Elliniko are the remains of the mythological pyramids of Elliniko, an ancient city in Greece. At that time they were considered military installations. Although there is a theory that they were built in honor of those who died in battle. The pyramid is completely stone, not polished. They date back to the Mycenaean era (1600 - 1000 BC).
The Pyramids of Guimar are a complex of 6 structures located in the Chaconne region on canary islands. They are rectangular in shape, have terraces and are built of volcanic stones without the use of mortar. There were 9 pyramids in total, but only 6 of them have survived to this day. The appearance of terraces during the construction of the pyramids testify to the agricultural culture of that period, which was reflected in architecture.
The pyramid, located in the former Indian city of Cholula, Mexico, is known as Tlachihualtepetl and is considered an artificial mountain. The majestic building was a temple complex dedicated to the god Quetzalcoatl. By its type, the pyramid architecture belongs to the Teotihuacan style.
This is one of the largest structures in the Yucatan Peninsula and the largest structure in Teotihuacan. stone pyramid is located in the center of a large cult complex, on Death Avenue, between the pyramid of the Moon and Cuidadela, in the shadow of the majestic mountain Cerro Gordo. It is valuable not only for its antiquity or architecture, but also for its location to the northwest, relative to the sunset. At the top of the pyramid was a temple.
This is the pyramid of ancient Rome. It is located near the Protestant cemetery and St. Paul's Gate. The pyramid, the tomb of Gaius Cestius, a member of one of the priestly colleges of Epulona, dates from 18-12 AD. BC. As one of the greatest buildings of Rome, it was included in the fortification complex of the city.
In South India, archaeologists have unearthed a series of pyramids that today are cult objects of pilgrims. Srirangam, built in honor of the god Ranganath, is the largest temple in India and is located in the Tiruchirappalli district, Tamilnadu city. There are 21 gopuras in the stepped temple. Another majestic building in India is the Brihadishwar Temple, a site built of granite and listed as a Historic and cultural heritage UNESCO.
However, modern architects decided that pyramids can be built not only for pharaohs or kings, but also for ordinary deaths, and therefore they proposed
The most ancient wonder of the world that we can admire even now is the pyramid of Cheops. Shrouded in myths and legends, the Egyptian pyramid was the largest and high structure over many millennia. Khufu (another name for the pyramid) is located in Giza - the most popular tourist attraction.
History of the pyramids
The pyramids in Egypt are practically the main attraction of the country. There are many hypotheses related to their origin and construction. But they all agree on one important conclusion of the pyramids in Egypt - these are impressive tombs for the great inhabitants of the country (in those days they were pharaohs). The Egyptians believed in the afterlife and life after death. It was believed that only a few were worthy of continuing their life path after death - these are the pharaohs themselves of their families and the slaves who were constantly next to the lords. The images of slaves and servants were painted on the walls of the tombs so that after their death they could continue to serve their king. According to the ancient religion of the Egyptians, a person had two inner souls Ba and Ka. Ba - left the Egyptian after his death, and Ka always acted as a virtual double and waited for him in the world of the dead.
So that the pharaoh did not need anything in the afterlife, food, weapons, kitchen utensils, gold and much more were left in the tomb of the pyramid. In order for the body to remain unchanged and wait for the second soul of Ba, it was necessary to preserve it. This is how the birth of embalming the body and the need to create pyramids arose.
The emergence of the pyramids in Egypt originates from the construction of the pyramid of Pharaoh Djoser 5 thousand years ago. The outer walls of the first pyramid were in the form of steps, which symbolized the ascent to heaven. The height of the structure was 60 meters with many corridors and several tombs. Djoser's chamber was located in the underground part of the pyramid. Several more passages leading to small chambers were made from the royal tomb. They contained all the accessories for the further afterlife of the Egyptians. Closer to the east, chambers for the entire family of the pharaoh were found. The building itself was not so huge compared to the pyramid of Pharaoh Cheops, whose height is almost 3 times greater. But it is with the pyramid of Djoser that the history of the emergence of all Egyptian pyramids begins.
Very often in the photo of the pyramid of Cheops you can see two more adjacent pyramids. This is famous pyramids Herfen and Mekerin. It is these three pyramids that are considered the most important assets of the country. The height of the pyramid of Cheops significantly distinguishes it from the rest of the standing and other pyramids of Egypt. Initially, the walls of the structure were smooth, but after a long period of years they began to crumble. If you look at modern photos of the Cheops pyramid, you can see the relief of the facade and its unevenness, formed over millennia.
The birth of the pyramid of Cheops
Pyramid of Cheops official version was erected in the autumn of 2480 BC. date of origin of the first ancient miracle light, many historians and researchers dispute, arguing in favor of their arguments. The construction of the Great Pyramid lasted about 2-3 decades. More than one hundred thousand inhabitants of ancient Egypt and the best masters of that time participated in it. First of all, a large road was built for the delivery of building materials, then underground passages and mine. Most of the time was spent on the construction of the upper part of the pyramid - the walls and internal passages and tombs.
There is a very interesting feature of the building: the height of the pyramid of Cheops in its original form and the width was 147 meters each. Due to the sands that covered the base of the building and the shedding of the facing part, it decreased by 10 meters and now it is now 137 meters in height. A giant tomb was built mainly from huge blocks of limestone and granite weighing about 2.5 tons, which were carefully polished so as not to lose the ideal shape of the structure. And in the tomb of the most ancient pharaoh, granite blocks were found, the weight of which reached almost 80 tons. According to Egyptologists' calculations, it took about 2,300,000 huge stones, which cannot but impress us all.
The doubts associated with the construction of the pyramid were that in those dark times there were no special machines and devices at all capable of lifting and ideally folding heavy blocks under a certain slope. Some believed that more than a million people took part in the construction, others that the blocks were lifted by a lifting mechanism. Everything was so thought out and as perfect as possible that without the use of concrete mortar and cement, the stones were laid in such a way that it was completely impossible to insert even thin paper between them! There is an assumption that the pyramid was created not at all by people, but by aliens or another force unknown to man.
We are based specifically on the fact that the pyramids are still the creation of people. In order to quickly extract a stone of the required size and shape from the rock, its outlines were made. The conditional form was carved, and a dry tree was inserted there. It was regularly watered with water, the tree grew from moisture, and under its pressure a crack formed in the rock. Now a large block was removed and betrayed to her the required shape and size. Stones for construction were redirected along the river by huge boats.
Massive wooden sleds were used to lift the heavy boulders up. On a gentle slope, the stones were lifted one by one by teams of their hundreds of slaves.
Pyramid device
The entrance to the pyramid was originally not where it is now. It had the shape of an arch and was located on the northern side of the building with a height of more than 15 meters. In an attempt to rob the great tomb in 820, a new entrance was made, already at a height of 17 meters. But Caliph Abu Jafar, who wanted to enrich himself with the loot, did not find any jewels and valuables and left with nothing. This passage is now open to tourists.
The pyramid consists of several long corridors leading to the tombs. Immediately after the entrance there is a common corridor that diverges into 2 tunnels leading to the central and lower parts of the pyramid. For some reason, the chamber below was not completed. There is also a narrow loophole, behind which there is only a dead end and a three-meter well. Climbing up the corridor, you will find yourself in the Great Gallery. If you turn left at the first turn and walk a little, you will see the chamber of the bishop's wife. And along the corridor above there is the largest one - the tomb of the pharaoh himself.
The beginning of the gallery is interesting in that a long and narrow almost vertical grotto was built there. There is an assumption that he was there even before the foundation of the pyramid itself. From both tombs of the pharaoh and his wife, narrow passages about 20 centimeters wide were made. Presumably they were made to ventilate the wards. There is another version that these passages and corridors are pointers to the stars: Sirius, Alnitaki and Tuban, and that the pyramid served as a place for astronomical research. But there is another opinion - according to the belief in the afterlife, the Egyptians believed that the soul returns from heaven through the channels.
There is one important and interesting fact- the construction of the pyramid was carried out strictly at one angle of 26.5 degrees. There is every reason to believe that the inhabitants of antiquity were very well versed in geometry and the exact sciences. What are the proportional smooth corridors and ventilation ducts.
Not far from the pyramid itself, during the excavations, Egyptian, cedar boats were found. They were made of pure wood without a single nail. One of the boats of the ball is divided into 1224 parts. The restorer Ahamed Yussouf Mustafa managed to assemble it. For this, the architect had to spend as much as 14 years, such a high patience in the name of science can only be envied. The assembled boat can be admired today in the museum of a bizarre shape. It is located on the south side of the Great Pyramid.
Unfortunately, inside the pyramid itself, you can not shoot video and take pictures. But on the other hand, you can take many incredible pictures against the background of this creation. Various souvenirs are also sold here, in order to make an excursion to these charming places I could remember myself for a long time.
Photos of the Cheops pyramid, of course, do not reflect all the grandeur and uniqueness of this building.. With us you will plunge into history and look at the world with different eyes.!
