It has been around for centuries, and this historical legacy is truly enchanting. Its immense size, with towering peaks that seem to touch the sky, serves as a testament to the exceptional nature of human civilization at the time. An undeniable marvel of ancient architecture, this is the pyramid, a building full of history, a spectacular creation from the people of ancient Egypt…
Pyramids are pyramid-shaped structures that can be found in several places around the world, but the Egyptian pyramids are the most famous of them all. There are at least around 118 pyramids identified in Egypt, although some are buried under desert sands. Among the many pyramids discovered, the most famous Egyptian pyramids are found in Giza, on the outskirts of Cairo.
Here, three pyramids are particularly renowned: Menkaure, Khafre, and Khufu. Khufu’s pyramid, known as The Great Pyramids of Giza, is the largest of the three and is recognized as the largest pyramid ever constructed by humans in the world. The Khufu Pyramid reaches a height of 147 meters. Its size even surpasses that of the National Monument (Monas) in Jakarta, which stands at 132 meters. The Khufu Pyramid is built with a strong construction, using super-sized stone blocks, a total of 2.3 million blocks. Some of these blocks weigh as much as 15 tons. It is truly astonishing to think that thousands of years ago, an ancient civilization arranged such massive stones to form a pyramid hundreds of meters tall.
Pyramids in Egypt have existed for 4,500 years. They were constructed during a time when Egypt was one of the richest and most powerful civilizations in the world. These grand structures were intended for use as tombs or burial places for the pharaohs. The title “pharaoh” was used for the kings who ruled Egypt during that time.
Ancient Egypt practiced a polytheistic belief system, acknowledging the existence of multiple gods or deities. From a mythological perspective, Egyptian culture highly valued the afterlife. The ancient Egyptians believed that when a king died, a part of his spirit, known as the “ka,” remained in his body. To care for his spirit properly, the body was mummified, and everything the king would need in the afterlife was buried with him, including gold vessels, food, furniture, and other offerings. They also believed that when the king passed away, his spirit would transform into an inhabitant of the realm of Osiris, the God of Death, in the afterlife.
The pyramids have various complex chambers and passageways inside. Some of these rooms include the King’s Chamber, the Queen’s Chamber, the Grand Gallery, and several other underground secret chambers. The King’s Chamber is where the pharaoh’s mummy was entombed. Each room features multiple interconnected passageways, with lengths ranging from tens to up to 105 meters.
The three most famous pyramids in Egypt, located in Giza, were constructed during the reigns of three different pharaohs: Pharaoh Khufu, Pharaoh Khafre, and Pharaoh Menkaure.
Pharaoh Khufu initiated the construction of the first pyramid in Giza around 2550 BCE. The Khufu Pyramid is the largest in Giza, towering about 481 feet or 147 meters. It is estimated that 2.3 million stone blocks were used to build this pyramid, with each block averaging 2.5 to 15 tons in weight.
Pharaoh Khafre, Khufu’s son, built the second pyramid in Giza during his rule. The complex also includes the Sphinx, a mysterious limestone monument with the body of a lion and the head of a pharaoh. The Sphinx may have served as the guardian for the entire pharaoh’s burial complex.
The Menkaure Pyramid is the third and the smallest among the great pyramids in Giza. This pyramid was built by Pharaoh Menkaure. King Menkaure, like the other pharaohs with pyramids in Giza, ruled Egypt during the Fourth Dynasty of the Old Kingdom in ancient Egyptian history.
The question of how the pyramids were built remains partially unanswered. Some suggest that stone blocks were transported up the incline using special tools and then pulled by workers. According to the ancient Greek historian Herodotus, the Great Pyramid took 20 years to build and required a workforce of 100,000 people.
Today, the Egyptian pyramids are famous worldwide, making them one of the most important tourist destinations in the country. In fact, the Egyptian pyramids have been recognized as one of the Seven Wonders of the World by UNESCO.
Over 4,000 years have passed, and the Egyptian pyramids still retain much of their grandeur, offering a glimpse into the rich and glorious history of the nation. The Egyptian pyramids are a fantastic glimpse into ancient wonders. These structures ignite imagination and inspire modern archaeology, architecture, and art. The pyramids also raise questions for people worldwide about how the three kings, Khafre, Khufu, and Menkaure, managed to build such monumental structures.
While some questions have been answered, many mysteries remain unsolved to this day.