The Idea behind the Pyramids.

Pyramids today stand as a reminder of the ancient Egyptian glorification of life after death, and in fact, the pyramids were built as monuments to house the tombs of the pharaohs. Death was seen as merely the beginning of a journey to the other world. In this society, each individual's eternal life was dependent on the continued existence of their king, a belief that made the pharaoh's tomb the concern of the entire kingdom.

Furniture and riches were buried with the king so he would have the familiar comforts of his lifetime buried near him. Attendants and wives who died after the king were also buried close to him. These graves of relatives and courtiers can be found on the outskirts of kings' tombs, lying beside the pyramids. Whole subdivisions of tombs of those in high positions in the court of a king can be found surrounding the pyramids of Giza. These are primarily mastabas, or covered rectangular tombs that consist of a deep burial shaft, made of mud brick and half-buried by the drifts of sand on the plateau.

The main reason the kings of Egypt built the pyramids was due to what they believed about the afterlife. Ancient Egyptian society believed that when the pharaohs died, they became the god Osiris. But, for the king to survive in the afterlife, it was vital that his ka (which was similar to a soul or spirit) survived.

In order for the ka to survive, it needed food in the form of offerings from the living, and it needed a physical place to rest with the body of the king during the day. This is what the pyramids were for: a place for the pharaoh's ka to live.

That is also why the Egyptians practised mummification: to help the body remain for the ka to dwell in it. They also believed the ka needed all of the tools and equipment from the king's earthly life in the afterlife, and so they buried the pharaohs with as many treasures as they thought necessary.

Building a pyramid was a significant project and the pharaohs commissioned them years in advance of their death. The people who actually did the arduous work of chiseling the stones, moving them to the building site and putting them in place, were carried out by a vast workforce of skilled workers. Mostly, this was done by peasant farmers who did it when they weren't busy harvesting their crops.

Once the first pyramid was built, other pharaohs tried to improve upon the idea and make them bigger and better than before.

Most pyramids have a similar design. Inside, there is a room where the pharaoh's body was placed, along with all the treasure, which is known as the 'burial chamber'. Sometimes, there is also a second room, where other treasures were stored, called an 'ante chamber'.

The pyramids usually had a second building attached nearby, called a memorial temple, which is where the Egyptians would have visited to make offerings to the king's ka to keep him alive in the afterlife.

The Great Pyramids of Egypt are one of the most iconic and enigmatic structures in the world. Built more than 4,500 years ago, these monumental tombs continue to awe and inspire people from all over the world. But how were these massive structures constructed, without the aid of modern technology? In this blog post, we'll explore the fascinating history of the Great Pyramids and shed some light on how they were built.

First and foremost, it's important to acknowledge the hard work and ingenuity of the ancient Egyptians who built the pyramids. The process of building a pyramid was no small feat, requiring a significant amount of planning, resources, and manpower. It's estimated that it took over 20 years and around 100,000 workers to build the Great Pyramid of Giza, the largest and most well-known of the pyramids.

The pyramids were constructed using a variety of tools, including copper chisels, stone hammers, and wooden levers. While these tools may seem primitive by modern standards, they were effective in shaping and moving the massive stones used in the construction of the pyramids. The stones themselves were quarried from nearby sites and transported to the pyramid site using sledges and ramps.

One of the most impressive aspects of pyramid construction was the precision with which the stones were cut and placed. The stones were carefully shaped and polished to fit together tightly, with no mortar or adhesive used. This precision is especially impressive considering the sheer size of the stones used in the construction, some of which weighed more than 80 tons.

To move the stones into place, the workers used a system of ramps and pulleys. The ramps were used to transport the stones up the sides of the pyramid, while the pulleys were used to lift the stones into place. It's important to note that the ramps were not built all at once, but were gradually added as the pyramid grew in size.

Finally, the workers used a process known as casing to give the pyramids their distinctive smooth outer surface. The outer casing was made of highly polished limestone, which was quarried from further away than the stones used for the inner parts of the pyramid. The limestone blocks were cut to fit the pyramid precisely, and were then lifted into place using the same ramps and pulleys as the rest of the stones.

In conclusion, the construction of the Great Pyramids of Egypt is a testament to the skill, ingenuity, and hard work of the ancient Egyptians. Despite the lack of modern technology, they were able to build structures that continue to inspire wonder and awe to this day. While the process of pyramid construction may seem mysterious and exotic, it's important to remember that it was ultimately the result of the hard work and determination of thousands of people.