What were the Pyramids for?
Pyramids are tombs. Large pyramids were used as royal tombs from about 2680 BC, when the first pyramid was built at Saqqara for King Djoser of the Third Dynasty. This was a pyramid in six steps, and stepped pyramids continued to be used until the beginning of the Fourth Dynasty in about 2600 BC.
At the site of Meidum, about 90 km south of modern Cairo, is a pyramid which was built (perhaps by Sneferu) as a stepped structure with six steps, later enlarged to eight, and finally converted into a true pyramid with straight sides. The first pyramid to be built from the outset in the true form is the northern or ‘red’ pyramid of King Sneferu at Dahshur.
The pyramid remained the standard form of royal tomb from its beginnings in 2680 BC to about 1550 BC, but the pyramids at the end of this long sequence were very much smaller than the earlier ones. From the reign of King Senwosret II of the Twelfth Dynasty (1880-1874 BC), pyramids were built of sun-dried mud bricks instead of stone, although the exterior was still covered by a limestone casing.
Remains of over a hundred royal pyramids have been found in Egypt, although the most famous examples are those at the site of Giza near modern Cairo, where the largest pyramid of all stands: that of King Khufu (about 2570 BC). This monument (The Great Pyramid), and the nearby pyramids of Kings Khafre and Menkaure, have attracted most attention owing to their large size, good state of preservation, and ease of access from Cairo.
The pyramid is a solar symbol, perhaps associated with the shape of the benben stone which was at the centre of the solar cult at Heliopolis. The main aspect of the afterlife of the king was that he passed into the realm of the sun-god, and the shape of the pyramid perhaps stressed this.
Pyramids are not confined to Egypt, as there are more than 200 of them in the Sudan, at the various burial sites of the Kushite and Meroitic rulers. These pyramids are smaller than most of their Egyptian counterparts, and have much steeper sides. They show how Egyptian traditions were perpetuated for more than 1000 years after the last royal pyramid was built in Egypt.
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The pyramids are not tombs, no one was buried in the 3 great pyramids.
Dear Jojo…..
Please refer to:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Pyramid_of_Giza
Section:Wonder of the Ancient World(Specially)…
God Bless…
i agree with Ambarish
Stepped pyramids are known to be found in South America, Mexico as well as nortern Africa. Is it true that Pyramids in one form or another have also been found in western China? And f so, do you know from what perod they were built and what form they took. Also were they also used as tombs? because I’m pretty sure the ones in South America were used for ritual/religous purposes.
Hi Gipsie Siks and all,
First of all let me apologize for a late reply.However, i will try to answer your question as far as possible.Should you have any query don’t hesitate to contact me further.
The Chinese pyramids are actually mounds, most of which are used for the burial. It was developed in the period of Shang-Zhou (ca. 1766 BCE – ca. 1122 BCE),though it is controversial.
Most of them are located within 100 kilometers of the city of Xi’an, on the Qin Chuan Plains in Shaanxi Province, central China.
Talking about the shapes: The Inner Mongolian Pyramid located within 1 kilometer north of Sijiazi Town, Aohan County has a pyramidal structure.
Niuheliang, another famous structure in China has a pyramidal shape.
Other famous Pyramids includes Maoling, the pyramid of Wudi, the emperor of Han Dynasty.Yangling contains the tomb of Jingdi,father of Wudi.
Apart from pyramidal structure there are Step Pyramids also.Example of which is Janggun-chong.It is located in Jilin and is also known by the name of “Tomb of the General”.It is assumed as the tomb of King Jangsu,King of Goguryeo.
Approval of this structures in the West has been in existence for at least a century. But has been made controversial due to sensationalist publicity and the problems of Chinese archeology under some regimes.
Giza pyramids is an excellent place to travel to. Sunset in the sands is something you should definitely see live.
[...] architect unveiled in Paris on Thursday the existence of two hidden and so far unknown rooms in Egypt’s Great Pyramid. In his many visits to the Khufu chamber, French architect Jean-Pierre Houdin noticed that one stone [...]