This text is about constructions that do not leave anyone who sees them indifferent (live or in image): the pyramids of Egypt.
Through the following paragraphs we are going to discover what they are, why they were built, how they were built… and many more things that you may not know. All this, without forgetting to see a few brushstrokes of those that are best known.
What are the pyramids of Egypt?
The pyramids are the crypts or underground spaces that were created to bury the pharaohs. The idea was to facilitate the transition between the world of the living and the world of the dead.
Today, some of them are considered wonders of humanity.
Cheops Pyramid in Giza.
The location of the pyramids that are the protagonists of this text is Egypt, the place where one of the great civilizations of ancient times emerged that developed the first writing systems.
As expected, the people who lived in this part of the world had to adapt to the changes that they themselves brought about and, based on effort, work and dedication, they achieved great advances that have had a high impact on history. Among them are the pyramids.
When were the pyramids built?
The Egyptian pyramids are the oldest known constructions, remaining standing after about 4,000 years. During this time, Egypt was in the Old Kingdom stage between 2635 and 2155 BC. C. In fact, this stage of Egyptian civilization is called “the age of the pyramids.”
During this first stage of Egyptian civilization, there were no wars and everyone had as one of their main objectives to please the pharaoh who was the sole ruler of the entire empire and, therefore, had absolute power. Hence, the fact of raising monuments to him and building these true works of art for when he died.
What were they built for?
At the end of the previous section, the purpose of the pyramids was mentioned: to serve as a perpetual sanctuary for deceased monarchs. The question that may arise is why build such constructions to serve as a tomb.
The answer lies in their religious beliefs:
The Egyptian population was polytheistic, that is, they believed in the existence of several gods and, among them, was the pharaoh who, in turn and together with the priests, was the link between the gods and humans.
The Egyptians believed that deities had power over the elements and forces of nature. In fact, they were convinced that they had been responsible for the creation of the universe and had a rich mythology full of stories to explain all the phenomena that occurred on Earth and in the sky and in which the goddesses and gods were their protagonists. .
Likewise, they defended the existence of life after death. Due to this belief, it was necessary to keep the body of the deceased and his organs in good condition for when he needed them upon arriving in the “Other World.” To do this, the corpses were mummified and buried in sarcophagi along with other material and personal possessions in case they were necessary. The invention of this process was attributed to the god Anubis.
The temptation for some to get hold of the locked treasures or to take revenge for some reason on the deceased person could be stronger than the fear of punishment from the gods, so the pyramids were built with secret passages, narrow corridors and, in some cases, no way out… Not everyone had access to the main areas or chambers. In this way, they ensured the absence of divine retaliation and offending the pharaoh’s family. They always kept in mind that the god Horus, son of Osiris (god of resurrection), was in charge of ensuring the maintenance of the tombs.
Let’s stop for a few minutes to compile the information obtained up to this point in a downloadable note.
How were they built?
These works were built at the beginning of human history. Something that adds merit to them because, at that time, the wheel was not used as it is today, there were no cranes, nor did they have the materials and techniques that have been developed later. Furthermore, there was no mention of occupational hazards or university courses that would teach them how to design and build stone giants such as pyramids.
In any case, will is important and they managed to achieve what they wanted to do with the things they knew and had. However, the absence of written documents has made it impossible for us to know what their tricks and their planning and development were. For this reason, hypotheses are used that try to be tested.
The enormous stones, which are the basis of the materials used, were extracted from quarries close to the construction area and for centuries and centuries the way in which such stones were transported has been a mystery. Although the most widely accepted hypothesis is that the key was in the water: the Egyptians paved the way and even built canals to fill them with water so that this would facilitate their movement. Once the blocks reached their destination, they were loaded onto some kind of sleds and dragged to their exact location.
More than a hundred pyramids were built, placing them along the Nile River. The number of people dedicated to it could be counted in the millions and the number of years it took to build each pyramid was counted in decades.
All of them had decorations on the walls, either with paintings or with carved reliefs, and they preserved the sarcophagi of the deceased with the mummified bodies and the remains of their organs; as well as they had rooms with trousseau (goods, personal objects and treasures) and food.
TYPES OF PYRAMIDS:
At first, for the first pharaohs, the mastabas which were shaped like a truncated pyramid with a quadrangular base and in which two levels were differentiated:
The underground level: where the chamber or room where the mummified person was left was located. To access it, you had to go down an excavated hole, similar to a well. The upper level: where the chapel was so that the family and other people could go to leave the offerings managed by the god Horus.
Then came the step pyramids, you consider them the first real pyramids. They are called that because they are built in such a way that the different terraces (levels or floors) can be seen. These pyramids were also built by other civilizations such as the Mayans. It was about adding other floors to the mastabas, in some cases even auxiliary chambers to the sepulchral one. In addition, they began to have a different exterior appearance and included new areas such as patios and corridors to reach the building.
Likewise, other pyramids were built with their peculiarities: the provincial pyramids. These were not used as burial places, but most likely their function was worship of some god or simple monuments that served as a reminder of the power of the pharaoh. The point is that its true purpose is not known for sure.
They were called that because they were built in the provinces of ancient Egypt and there were a total of eight, but one of them disappeared: the pyramid of Athribis. The following map shows the location of the other seven:
Next, we find the perfect or classic pyramids. These are the ones that we all associate with Egypt and are the first that come to mind when asking for an example of a pyramidal geometric body. The characteristic that most identifies them is that their faces are triangular and smooth.
Its interior is also somewhat more complex than that of the predecessor pyramids and could have more than one entrance. A classic pyramid had several differentiated spaces as seen in the example presented below:
In addition to these areas, it is said that they had more entrances and exits, passageways and empty chambers. The reason for doing them this way, as previously mentioned, was to deter looters thanks to the complexity of finding the exact place to find the most valuable objects.
Finally, we will comment rhomboidal or layered pyramids: more complicated than the previous ones because, towards the middle of the construction, the inclination of its faces changes. In this way, his vision is completely different.
In the following image, you can see this change in inclination:
OTHER ELEMENTS IN THE PYRAMIDS ENCLOSURE:
There was never a single pyramid in the middle of the desert or a significant area of land, they were always surrounded by other elements.
Every time a king died and the next one succeeded him, he had to begin building his own pyramid for when he had to stand before Osiris and be resurrected for eternal life. To do this, as we have also indicated previously, a lot of labor was required and it took many years to complete the construction. Thus, small cities were created around the area where everything necessary for daily life was found: houses of various types, shops, gardens, orchards…
In the same area where the pyramid was located, other elements were also built:
The pyramid itself where the pharaoh would be buried, whose access depended directly on the chief architect (to avoid looting).
The auxiliary pyramids which, sometimes, served only as decoration and, on other occasions, as a burial place for the pharaoh’s relatives, the architect who created the complex, or even other nobles.
The access ramp which was very important and necessary, above all, in the burial ritual. When the body was already mummified, it was put on a boat that would take it to the pyramid through the Nile. Once the boat arrived at the place, it was disembarked directly here to be introduced into the pyramid.
The walls around the pyramid to turn the space into a fortress with a single entrance.
In addition, protective or representative sculptures, patios, warehouses, temples, pavilions, colonnades… could be placed.
Some examples in images of real places
Thus, the pyramids used to be part of the necropolises in which temples were built to bring offerings and carry out rituals and walks along which to transport the deceased.
What are the most famous pyramids?
Throughout the previous section we have taken a tour of the classification of pyramids in general, in this section we will have the opportunity to recreate ourselves in the most famous pyramids that are preserved and, in some cases, the only ones left standing.
Anubis before the pyramids
MASTABAS:
It is located within the Saqqara necropolis, in the city of Memphis. Pharaoh Shepseskaf rejected the cult of the sun and the form of burial that was done to monarchs and…