The almighty pyramids of Egypt have fascinated the world for centuries. The question that still remains uncertain is how they built these immense monuments and why? It is said that each one is a tomb, built by a pharaoh as their final resting place for their body. The pyramids were a supposed way to help a deceased pharaoh attain eternal life. It may always remain a mystery why the Egyptians chose to build the pyramids in the shape they did. There are theories such as it was a symbol of the suns rays or that it resembled a stairway to heaven, but none have been assured.
The Great Step Pyramid is considered to be one of the first large stone structures built in human history. It was built for the pharaoh Djoser at Saqqara around 2680 B.C. It was designed by an architect by the name of Imhotep, who became more famous than the pharaoh he worked for. The step pyramid in fact is actually a series of six rectangular structures, one set on top of another. In the building process Imhotep changed his mind at least five times about the structure. When finally completed it was faced with polished limestone to give it a smooth finish.
In realism the Great Step Pyramid was just one large building in a large complex. Between the pyramid and its massive enclosure wall there is a series of courtyards and ceremonial buildings. Along with the pyramid these are most likely the first large stone buildings ever made. Many are shaped and decorated like earlier structures made from mud bricks, rushes, reeds or wood. Although they are carved to look like real buildings, most of them are dummies, complete with fake doors.
One of the courtyards was used for the special Sed festival, held after Djoser had been king for many years. Crowds from all over Egypt came to watch the pharaoh run a course in the Sed court. Djoser ran the course because the Egyptians believed if he completed it, he would have proved to them that he was still fit to be King. This makes the Step Pyramid the world’s first sporting arena.
The Bent Pyramid was built by the pharaoh Sneferu, and is situated Dahshur. It is now impossible to visit it because it is situated in a military zone. The bent pyramid is what the Egyptians called the ‘Gleaming pyramid of the South’. It has more of its fine stone facing than any other pyramid. The builders started at a very steep pitch, but changed angles half way up, most probably because cracks appeared. The Bent pyramid is also unusual because it has two entrances and two burial chambers that both remained empty.
I’m sure just one of the many questions people have about the pyramids, is what wonders are hidden inside. The early Christians assumed the pharaohs used the pyramids as a place to store grain, but they were actually royal tombs. Somewhere inside or beneath a huge mass of stone was a burial chamber where the dead king was laid to rest. Since the earliest times, there have been incredible rumours about the treasures that were buried with the pharaoh. To help prevent robbers, the pyramid builders hid entrances and sealed internal passages with vast plugs of stone. The middle kingdom kings created extra passages and false shafts to try and fool robbers. Despite all their efforts, every known pyramid had been looted by 1000B.C. The only integral king’s burial ever found, belonged to Tutankhamun, who had been buried in a rock-cut tomb in the Valley of the Kings.
The three most famous pyramids are those that are situated at Giza, near modern Cairo. An old Arab proverb quotes that ‘time laughs at all things, but pyramids laugh at time’, this is certainly true as these great structures have sat on a high plateau by the Nile for more than 4,500 years. The largest of the three is the pyramid of King Khufu. His pyramid was built around 2550 B.C, consists of around 2,300,000 limestone blocks, at stands at an enormous 481 ft tall. Many believe that it is the greatest monument ever built.
The other two pyramids are those of King Khafra and King Menkaura. Khafra built his pyramid around 70 years after Khufu. Khafra’s pyramid is slightly smaller standing just 9 ft shorter than Khufu’s, and Menaura’s the smallest standing at just 218 ft high and it was built approximately 2490 B.C.
For more than 4,500 years the great Sphinx has guarded Khafra’s pyramid at Giza. Carved from a huge outcrop of limestone, it is the largest freestanding sculpture to survive from the ancient times. It has the body of a lion and the head of a king. Statues of lions often symbolise that they are guarding something. The purpose of the Sphinx was probably meant to protect the pyramid complex of Khafra. There is no evidence that it was worshipped in its own right when the pyramids were built but in later times the Sphinx was identified with Horemakhet, which means ‘Horus in the horizon’, a form of the sun god.
The drifting sands had buried it up to its neck for most of its history. Thutmose IV made an attempt to clear the sand around 1400 B.C because of a dream he had whilst he lay asleep under the Sphinx head. In the dream the Sphinx promised to make him king if he freed it from the suffocating sand. After he dug the Sphinx out he recorded his dream on a stone tablet between one of its huge paws.
Years later an Italian sea captain tried to find a way into the Sphinx. He cleared the sand off of its chest and uncovered a chapel. This was just one of the modern attempts to free the Sphinx from the dessert sands. Finally in 1925 A.D it was dug out. Many conservationists are concerned about the effects of pollution on its crumbling body. Some suggest it may be safer buried in the sand again. You may have also noticed that the Sphinx no longer has a nose. This is because in the 15th century A.D Muslim troops smashed off the Sphinx nose because their religion forbids an image of a god.
In conclusion, four and a half thousand years after the Great pyramid rose on Egypt’s desert horizon, many different kinds of pyramids are appearing on our cities skylines. Even though the pyramids of today are not made of millions of tonnes of stone, and it does not take thousands of workers to build them, they still play a significant role in today’s society. New materials such as concrete supported by steel girders mean that huge structures and monuments can be built with a minimum of effort. Structures such as the greenhouse at the botanical gardens in Sydney proves that the eternal magic of the pyramid is destined to live on.
Registered Members, login
Join now, it's free
Property of EssaySwap.com
