The Great Pyramids of Giza and Djoser

Built during a time when Egypt was one of the wealthiest and most powerful civilizations in the world, the pyramids, especially the Great Pyramid of Giza, are among the most spectacular man-made structures in history. Their enormous size reflects the unique role that pharaohs, or kings, played in ancient Egyptian society.

Pyramids were built from the beginning of the Old Kingdom to the end of the Ptolemaic Dynasty in the 4th century AD, but the peak of pyramid construction began in the late 3rd Dynasty and lasted until the 6th Dynasty (c. 2325 BC). More than 4,000 years later, the Egyptian pyramids still hold their majesty and offer a glimpse into the country’s rich and glorious past.

The Pharaoh in Society of Egypt

The Third and Fourth Dynasties of the Old Kingdom saw Egypt experience great economic prosperity and stability. In Egyptian civilization, kings occupied a special status. They are claimed to have been chosen by the gods themselves to serve as intermediaries on earth, somewhere between people and gods. It was in everyone’s best interest to keep the monarch in his rightful place. The falcon deity Horus, who was the protector of the sun god Ra, thereafter became the next king.

Egypt experienced great economic stability and prosperity under the Third and Fourth Dynasties of the Old Kingdom. In ancient Egypt, the role of the king was distinctive. They were allegedly chosen by the gods themselves to serve as intermediaries on earth, somewhere between people and gods. The upkeep of the king’s honour was in everyone’s best interests. The falcon god Horus, who was Ra’s protector and the new pharaoh’s successor, was then crowned.

Djoser Pyramids

Royal graves were carved into the rock at the start of the dynasty period (2950 BC) and covered with rectangular, flat-roofed buildings known as “mastabas,” which were the forerunners of the pyramids. Around 2630 BC, the earliest pyramids in Egypt were constructed. For Third Dynasty King Djoser in Saqqara. This pyramid, known as the Step Pyramid, started off as a typical mastaba but eventually developed into something more substantial.

Imhotep, a priest and healer who was worshipped as the patron saint of scribes and physicians some 1,400 years later, is said to have designed the pyramid, according to tradition. The pyramid’s function Object() { [native code] }, King Djoser, put six levels of stone together over the course of roughly 20 years of his rule (as opposed to adobe like most early tombs). At the time, it was the highest structure. Djoser might enjoy the afterlife in the complex of courtyards, temples, and shrines that surrounded the step pyramid.

The step pyramid was adopted as the norm for royal burials after King Djoser, although none of the burials intended by the dynasty’s successors were carried out (perhaps because their reign was relatively short). The Red Pyramid of Dahshur, one of the three burial grounds of Dahshur, was built for Sneferu (2613-2589 BC), the first king of the 4th Dynasty, and is the oldest tomb constructed as a “true” (smooth-faced, not stepped) pyramid. The colour of the limestone blocks used to construct the pyramid’s core inspired the name of the structure.

The Great Pyramids of Giza

The Great Pyramid of Giza, which is situated outside of modern-day Cairo on the high plateaus of the West Bank of the Nile, is the most well-known of all pyramids. The only remaining example of the renowned Seven Wonders of the Ancient World is the oldest and largest of his three pyramids at Giza, known as the Great Pyramids. It was constructed for Pharaoh (Greek: Cheops), the second of Pharaoh’s eight Fourth Dynasty kings and the successor of Sneferu.

The Pyramid of King Khufu (Cheops)

Except for the beauty of his pyramids, not much is known about Khufu’s 23-year reign (2589-2566 BC). The pyramid, which was once 481.4 feet (147 metres) tall and has an average base side length of 755.75 feet (230 metres), is the tallest pyramid in the world. His three smaller pyramids, constructed for the Queen of Cheops, stand next to the Great Pyramid, close to which his mother, Queen Hetepheresempty ,’s sarcophagus was found. Cheops’ pyramid was encircled by rows of mastaba, which were tombs where the king’s family and officials were interred to assist and accompany him in the afterlife.

The Pyramid of King Khafre

The middle pyramid at Giza was built for Khufu’s son Pharaoh Khafre (2558-2532 B.C). The Pyramid of Khafre is the second tallest pyramid at Giza and contains Pharaoh Khafre’s tomb. A unique feature built inside Khafre’s pyramid complex was the Great Sphinx, a guardian statue carved in limestone with the head of a man and the body of a lion. It was the largest statue in the ancient world, measuring 240 feet long and 66 feet high. In the 18th dynasty (c. 1500 B.C.) the Great Sphinx would come to be worshiped itself, as the image of a local form of the god Horus. The southernmost pyramid at Giza was built for Khafre’s son Menkaure (2532-2503 B.C.). It is the shortest of the three pyramids (218 feet) and is a precursor of the smaller pyramids that would be constructed during the fifth and sixth dynasties.

Who Built The Pyramids Workmen or Salves?

Human bones discovered nearby suggest that the laborer’s were compelled to work when the Nile flooded, contrary to certain popular versions of the tale that claim slaves or foreigners were used to build the pyramids. It suggests that they were most likely seasonal farmers who were native to Egypt. of the ground in the vicinity of the pyramids. To construct the Great Pyramid of Khufu, over 2.3 million stone blocks weighing an average of 2.5 tones each had to be cut, transported, and put together. Herodotus, an ancient Greek historian, said that it took 20 years and required 100,000 workers, but later archaeological research indicates that the real number of workers may have been closer to 20,000.

you can visit the Great Pyramids during your tours in Cairo with Al Sahel Travel