|
THE PYRAMIDS
Pyramid (architecture) , ceremonial structures used as tombs or
temples that were built by the people of certain ancient
civilization , notably the ancient Egyptians , the Aztecs , and the
Maya , and certain other ancient peoples of the northern Andean
region of South America . The Pyramids of Egypt are of an exact
pyramidal form , having four triangular sides that meet at a point
at the summit . Pyramids in Central and South America by contrast
are flat-topped , and usually have steps leading to the summit.
The Egyptian pyramids were built as royal tombs , and were
designed to hold the body of the pharaon . Those in Central and
South America were temples on the summit of which religious
rituals were performed , although they sometimes also served as the
tombs of important rulers.
Pyramids in Egypt
In Egypt , the first pyramid were built in about 2700 bc .
They probably developed from the mastaba , a low , rectangular tomb
with a flat roof , originally built in mudbrick and later in
stone . These gradually increased in size and complexity until they
looked like a stepped pyramid-that is , a pyramid with sides that
rose in giant steps . The most famous example of a step pyramid
is the pyramid of Dsozer at Saqqara , which was built in about
2630 bc . It was six steps on each side , each step 60 m (200 ft )
high . Over time , the step pyramid developed into the true pyramid
with smooth sides.
The largest and most famous pyramids of ancient Egypt are
those that held the bodies of the pharaons Khufu , Khafre , and
Menkaure at Giza , near modern Cairo . The Great Pyramid of Khufu
has a volume of some 2.6 million cu m (91.8 ,million cu ft ),
and it is believed that 2.5 million blocks of stone , each
weighing an average of 2.5 tonnes , were used to built it . Each
side of the pyramide is 230m (750 ft ) long , and it is 146 m (480
ft )high.
The Pyramid Complex
The pyramids of ancient Egypt were usually planned as part
of a group of different buildings known as a pyramid complex or
mortuary complex . A typical complex consisted of the main pyramid
itself ; smaller pyramids, often built for the pharaon; a mortuary
temple ; a causeway leading to the temple where the cult of the
pharaon was honoured ; mastaba tombs for relatives of the pharaon
and important officials ; funerary pits for lesser officials ; and
an enclosure wall . The bestexample of a pyramid complex is that
at Giza where boat pits also formed part of the complex .
Building a Pyram |