The Ultimate Guide to Egypt’s Pyramids

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Why did the Ancient Egyptians Build Pyramids?

Years of research have concluded that the pyramids are masonry structures that were built for religious purposes. It is no secret that the Ancient Egyptians believed in the afterlife, which is why kings have prepared for their own deaths by building magnificent pyramids over their own tombs. In their tombs they placed all the materials they would need to rule as gods in the after world. The Ancient Egyptian’s firm belief in the afterlife is also the reason behind the mummification process the dead undergo in order to preserve their physical bodies for the next life.

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How did the Ancient Egyptians Build Pyramids?

To this day, there is no one clear answer as to how the pyramids were built. However, there are several theories. The most recent theories believe that instead of using many slaves to drag the heavy stones (each weighing between 2.5-15 tons) the ancient Egyptians used oxen and similar beasts. The estimated number of stones used to build Khufu, the largest and most famous pyramid, is 2.5 million stones. It is also believed that workers lived in temporary quarters near the building site, as archeologists have found remnants of a fully functioning and highly organized civilization.

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The First Pyramids

While the Giza pyramids are the most famous pyramids in Egypt, there are plenty of other pyramids which are just as important. Pyramids built before the Giza plateau show us the different stages of the design development to reach the final, smooth sided, “true pyramid” shape. Some pyramids were indeed built after the Giza plateau. However, none of them compared to the Giza pyramids’ flawless design.

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Djoser’s Step Pyramid in Saqqara

The first stone pyramid ever to be built was in the year 2448 BC. It was built for the burial of the Pharoah Djoser, and it was actually a step pyramid. Djoser’s pyramid is said to have started the age of pyramids. It is believed that after that pyramid was built, the Ancient Egyptians decided to build a pyramid with smooth sides rather than steps. This initiated the alteration of a pyramid in Dahshur, where there was a failed attempt to convert it into a smooth sided pyramid, resulting in the Bent Pyramid in Dahshur.

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Sneferu’s Bent Pyramid in Dahshur

The Bent Pyramid is located in Dahshur, around 40 kilometers south of Cairo. It was built in the year 2600 BC by the Pharoah Sneferu. Archeologists believe that this pyramid represents the transition from stepped pyramids to smooth sided pyramids. Its imperfect, seemingly hasty build is said to have been due to the Ancient Egyptians’ inexperience in the “true pyramid” structure at this time. Originally built at a 54-degree inclination, the builders had to change it to a 43-degree inclination at the top part in order for the pyramid not to collapse.

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Sneferu’s Red Pyramid in Dahshur

After the Bent Pyramid’s imperfect result, Sneferu built the first faultless smooth sided pyramid. Approximately 1 kilometer away from the Bent Pyramid is the Red Pyramid, also known as the North Pyramid. Rising from bottom to top at a 43 degree inclination, it seems to look shorter and wider when comparing it to other Egyptian pyramids of similar sizes. This pyramid is the third largest pyramid located in Egypt after the two larger Giza pyramids, Khufu and Khafre. The Red Pyramid got its name from the Red limestone used in its construction; however, it is believed that it was initially encased in white Tura limestone, which has been stripped away in the Middle Ages.

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Khufu’s Great Pyramid in Giza

After the Red Pyramid, the Great Pyramid of Giza was built. Also known as The Pyramid of Cheops or the Pyramid of Khufu, it was built around 2560 BC for the Pharoah Khufu, in the area now known as Giza. The Great Pyramid of Giza is the only one of the Seven Wonders of the World still standing today. It has been concluded that its structure took from 10 to 20 years. The Great Pyramid is 146.5 meters tall and the biggest pyramid ever built by the Ancient Egyptians. Additionally, the complex structure of this pyramid includes three smaller pyramids to one side, said to have been built for Khufu’s wives, two mortuary temples, one smaller “satellite” pyramid, and small mastaba tombs surrounding the pyramid.

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Khafre’s Pyramid in Giza

The Pyramid of Khafre, also known as The Pyramid of Chephren, is the second largest after Khufu, however it’s located on a 10-meter-high bedrock, which gives the impression that it’s bigger than Khufu. The Pyramid of Khafre is 136.4 meters high, shorter than The Pyramid of Khufu, and has less mass, as it is inclined at 53 degrees, while Khufu is inclined at 50 degrees. It was built as a tomb for Khufu’s son, Khafre, in the year 2570 BC, and is best known for its proximity to the Sphinx, which is believed to have been carved out of a stone structure used to build Khafre.

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Mankaure’s Pyramid in Giza

The Pyramid of Menkaure, the smallest of the three Pyramids of Giza, stands at 61 meters tall. It is believed to have been constructed in the year 2510 BC, for the fourth dynasty Egyptian Pharaoh Menkaure. The demolished part in the middle is due to a failed attempt to destroy The Pyramids of Giza, under the rule of al-Malek al-Aziz Othman ben Yusuf, who was the son of Saladin. Workmen were hired to start destroying Menkaure first, and they attempted this task for 8 months, before finding out that it would cost them significantly more to destroy the pyramid than to build it. Each stone removed was so heavy to remove and dispose of, as they had to pull it using wedges or ropes, and then break it down to smaller bits. These bits were carted off and then disposed of nearby.

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Mankaure’s Pyramid in Giza

The Pyramid of Menkaure, the smallest of the three Pyramids of Giza, stands at 61 meters tall. It is believed to have been constructed in the year 2510 BC, for the fourth dynasty Egyptian Pharaoh Menkaure. The demolished part in the middle is due to a failed attempt to destroy The Pyramids of Giza, under the rule of al-Malek al-Aziz Othman ben Yusuf, who was the son of Saladin. Workmen were hired to start destroying Menkaure first, and they attempted this task for 8 months, before finding out that it would cost them significantly more to destroy the pyramid than to build it. Each stone removed was so heavy to remove and dispose of, as they had to pull it using wedges or ropes, and then break it down to smaller bits. These bits were carted off and then disposed of nearby.

Courtesy of Khalid Almasoud/flickr

Booking Tours

Some tours, depending on tour length will visit some pyramids and not others. As a priority for a short visit, some tours offer only the visit to the Giza plateau as a main attraction; however, all the pyramids explored in this article are worth visiting if you’re an enthusiast. Each of them has its own unique features and story. It is best to allocate a day for the Pyramids of Giza, and another day to visit the pyramids in Dahshur and Saqqara, which is less than an hour’s drive from Cairo. A trip to Saqqara and Dahshur (only around 9 km away from each other) can be completed in one day. If you plan to visit the Giza pyramids as well, it is better to visit these first in order to witness the evolution of pyramid building yourself.