The Architecture of Ancient Egypt: The Great Pyramid Essay

Pyramids originated from the Egyptians. They expressed a worldwide view of the Egyptians. First of all, they were symbols of the pharaoh's authority and divine status. It reflects hierarchical status. In the Egyptian society there were slaves, the commoners, the pharaohs. If you were to put them in order the top of the pyramid would the pharaohs below them the commoners, then slaves and so forth. The most important one would be on the top which is the pharaohs. Also it was a testimony of the pharaoh's ability to marshal Egypt's resources. They were also used for tombs. Their worldview was very religious too, because the pyramids were a symbol of a gateway of the next life. This is seen as inside the pyramids the Egyptians buried

The majority of ancient Egyptian structures studied by architectural historians and planners alike, were erected to honor a pharaoh or as a grand tomb for their journey through to the afterlife. Whether the structure was in the form of a temple, tomb or statue, the ritual and spiritual influence is unquestionable. The location, scale, and materials used to construct these monuments are all defining factors of how the space is used and functions.

Egypt is also known for its statues depicting various gods and tombs for its numerous pharaohs. Their architectural prowess is a feat marveled at even today. The ability to design and build such grand monuments such as the iconic pyramids of Giza, rivalling even the Mayan and Aztec temples of South and Central America, reveals the true nature of innovation in Egypt. In fact, even without modern tools of measurement, the Great Pyramid, the largest tomb in Egypt, is almost geometrically perfect. For such a large structure, the length of all four sides at its base differ by less than a foot (McKenty 1).

5. The stepped pyramid of Djoser forms a three-dimensional structure. The bottom platform is shaped as a rectangle. The texture of the pyramid looks kind of rough. The color used is brown from the bricks giving it a plain appearance and makes me think of a desert. The outlines of the step are geometric forming rectangle on top of each other and as it is going inwards. It has a flat roof structure as the sides slope diagonally. The steps also give a horizontal line. The pyramid contains mass and volume as it reach's about 204 feet in height and it appears to be very wide at the

Throughout the thousands of years that the Great Pyramid has been standing, there have been many myths and legends that sprung up. Among them was a landing site for alien spacecraft, a spacecraft itself, or the means to predict the future. This report is going to explain the actual reason the Great Pyramid of Giza exists, how and why it has existed for so long, and the story of its construction.

There is much debate on how the Ancient Egyptian Pyramids in Giza were built. King Khufu’s pyramid, from the Old Kingdom, stands at 146 meters high, has a base of 230 meters, while using 2.4 million stone blocks; each block averaging between 2.5 to 15 tons (Van Der Mieroop). These extreme numbers force researchers to try and create hypotheses on how the Ancient Egyptians were able to construct such colossal monuments. Although we have an idea of where and how the Egyptians obtained the materials used for their creation, it is still unclear how they were able to take stone blocks that weighted several tons so high up, have such precision that not even a credit card could slip through the blocks, and was capable of pointing the pyramids

The Great Pyramids of Giza are considered to be three of the world’s most fascinating and astonishing archaeological marvels. On the edge of modern-day Cairo stands the plateau of Giza, on which these extraordinary pyramids were constructed approximately 4,500 years ago, yet to this day, they are regarded as three of the world’s largest human-made structures, standing, collectively, at 1116 feet tall. However, the Pyramid of Khufu, is by far the most captivating. As the biggest pyramid of the three (despite Khafre’s Pyramid being mistaken as the larger one as it was built on higher ground), Khufu’s Pyramid (more commonly referred to as the Great Pyramid) once stood at a towering 481 feet tall, however, over the centuries it has been affected by erosion, and combined with the absence of its pyramidion, its present height reaches 455 feet, with it’s base covering an area of 230.4 metres. The Great Pyramid was built around 2580-2650 BC, during the Fourth Dynasty, and is believed to have been constructed as a tomb for the Fourth Dynasty Egyptian pharaoh Khufu. Furthermore, many egyptologists argue the time period in which Khufu’s Pyramid was formed, with John Romer proposing a 14-year time span, and Mark Lehner

     According to Egyptian and Sumerian mythology, there was a battle between two families of gods for supremacy and control over the ancient lands and the pyramids of Giza were strategic strongholds for the gods. (vi) The different shafts and chambers of the great pyramids are said to point to various constellations that represent several Egyptian gods. (vii) It is also thought by some that the pyramid may have been a place where Egyptians made a pilgrimage to honor the gods or their pharaoh who, according to legend was a descendent of the gods. (viii)

Joseph Davidovits discovered a simple chemical process that turned a putty mixture into stone and argues that this method was used in the construction of the Great Pyramid. Joseph Davidovits explains that the pyramid blocks were simply stone casted instead of being cut and hauled from the quarry. This is a very probable answer because all the needed materials are available. Davidovits indicates that the use of a ramp, as Clifford Wilson suggests, must have been larger than the pyramid in order to allow a slight angle for the workers to drag the blocks up. Another problem with the use of the ramp is that three are no murals at the time showing the ramps and sleds that were supposedly used to move the blocks. Davidovits demonstrates a unique method of the construction of the pyramids, but this is not as well as Wilson’s theory because there are problems with Davidovits’ theory.

The history started in 2650 B.C.E at the death of King Djoser. His architect, Imhotep, built a design of pyramid called the Step Pyramid. This was supposed to represent a large stairway to which he would climb up to the sun-god in the sky. This sparked the interest in pyramids, which soon gave ideas to other architects.

Teotihuacan’s Pyramid of the Sun and Egypt’s Great Pyramid of Giza are almost identical when it comes to base perimeter but the Pyramid of the Sun is half the size of the Pyramid of Giza. Teotihuacan’s Pyramid of the sun was built during the Mesoamerican classic and was constructed in two phases, the first construction stage around 100 CE, brought the pyramid to nearly the size it is today and the second phase brought it to it’s completed size of 223.942 meters or 738 feet across and 75 meters or 246 feet high, making it the third largest pyramid in the world. The pyramid of Giza, however, was built over a 20-year period with its completed height at 146.7 meters and a base of 230.34 meters. Based on a mark in an interior chamber naming the work gang and a reference to fourth dynasty Egyptian Pharaoh Khufu, Egyptologists believe that the pyramid was finished around 2560 BC. The Teotihuacan are responsible for the construction of the pyramid of the Sun. It is unknown why it’s called the pyramid of the sun but scientist have been able to hypothesis as to what the purpose of this pyramid was for. An altar was built at the top of the pyramid which can lead one to believe that it was most likely used to honor a deity in some ritualistic way. As for the Great Pyramid of Giza, it is believed the pyramid was built as a tomb for Fourth Dynasty Egyptian pharaoh Khufu and the Queen. The base of this pyramid is the pharaoh Khufu’s tomb which had different archaeological objects that

The ancient Egyptian people were very religious. Their religion was very important to them; they worshiped their gods, and they glorified them. Their kings or pharaohs were also believed to be gods. The burial of their kings was a very important aspect for Egyptian life, and their belief in afterlife. This belief led to the construction of elaborate funerary architecture. These royal tomb structures were first known as mastabas,

The Egyptian pyramids have been the subject of many outlandish claims and construction theories for centuries. The Great Pyramid for example has been associated with pyramid power, curses, Atlantis, Mexican pyramids, Stonehenge, Nazca, the Bermuda Triangle, Biblical prophecy, Martian faces, advanced civilizations, space aliens, cavity resonators, and even levitation. It is not surprising that some who have proposed such theories have been dubbed "pyramidiots". This paper will attempt to give a more logical solution to the methods ancient Egyptians may have had used, and the problems they may have had, using factual information, scientific evidence and a bit of common sense.

It was achievements such as these that gained Imhotep great respect among later Egyptians who not only saw him as a great architect, but also “a magician, astronomer, and the father of the art of medicine” (Edwards 35). Step pyramids are similar to the pyramids we know today, but instead of being flat on all four sides, they have setbacks as they rise, giving the appearance of giant steps.

To understand the architecture of ancient Egypt we must first look at the culture of the people of Egypt and the influences the other civilisations in Mesopotamia had on the area.