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] from the plateau to the south of the complex. From right to left are the ], the ] and the ]. The three smaller pyramids in the foreground are associated with Menkaure's pyramid.]] ] from the plateau to the south of the complex. From right to left are the ], the ] and the ]. The three smaller pyramids in the foreground are associated with Menkaure's pyramid.]]
{{Hiero|Pyramid|<hiero>U23-G17:r-O24</hiero>|align=right|era=egypt}} {{Hiero|Pyramid|<hiero>U23-G17:r-O24</hiero>|align=right|era=egypt}}

The '''] of Egypt''' are among the largest structures ever built<ref>. Retrieved ], ]. ''"The Great Pyramid of Khufu is the largest pyramid in Egypt and was the tallest man-made structure in the world until 1888."''</ref> and constitute one of the most potent and enduring symbols of ]ian civilization. Most were built during the ] and ] periods.<ref name="Ritter2003">Michael Ritter (2003) Dating the Pyramids. Retrieved ], ]</ref>

==Historic development==
By the time of the early dynastic period of Egyptian history, those with sufficient means were buried in bench-like structures known as ].<ref> Burial customs: mastabas. University College London (2001) Retrieved ], ]</ref><ref> Burial customs in Early Dynastic Egypt. University College London (2001). Retrieved ], ]</ref>

The first historically documented Egyptian is a pyramid and is attributed to the architect ], who planned what Egyptologists believe to be a tomb for the pharaoh ]. Imhotep may have been the first to conceive the notion of stacking mastabas on top of each other &mdash; creating an edifice comprised of a number of "steps" that decreased in size towards its apex. The result was the ] &mdash; which was designed to serve as a gigantic stairway by which the soul of the deceased pharaoh could ascend to the heavens. Such was the importance of Imhotep's achievement that he was deified by later Egyptians.<ref> Imhotep, Doctor, Architect, High Priest, Scribe and Vizier to King Djoser (Jimmy Dunn). Retrieved ], ]</ref>

The most prolific pyramid-building phase coincided with the greatest degree of absolutist ] rule. It was during this time that the most famous pyramids, those near ], were built. Over time, as authority became less centralized, the ability and willingness to harness the resources required for ] decreased, and later pyramids were smaller, less well-built and often hastily constructed.

Long after the end of Sudan's own pyramid-building period, a burst of pyramid-building occurred in what is present-day ], after much of Egypt came under the rule of the Kings of ]. While Napatan rule was brief and ceased in 661 BCE, the Egyptian influence made an indelible impression, and during the later Sudanese Kingdom of ] (approximately in the period between 300 BCE&ndash;300 CE) this flowered into a full-blown ], which saw more than two hundred indigenous, but sudanese-inspired royal pyramid-tombs constructed in the vicinity of the kingdom's capital city. A new discovery has been made in the depths of Egypt on the 30th of April 2008.

==Pyramid symbolism==
While it is generally agreed that pyramids were burial monuments, there is continued disagreement on the particular theological principles that might have given rise to them. One theory is that they were designed as a type of "resurrection machine"<ref> The Pyramids: "Resurrection Machines". (Houghton Mifflin College) Retrieved ], ]</ref>

The Egyptians believed the dark area of the night sky around which the stars appear to revolve was the physical gateway into the heavens. One of the narrow shafts that extends from the main burial chamber through the entire body of the Great Pyramid points directly towards the center of this part of the sky. This suggests the pyramid may have been designed to serve as a means to magically launch the deceased pharaoh's soul directly into the abode of the gods.

All Egyptian pyramids were built on the west bank of the Nile, which as the site of the ] was associated with the realm of the dead in Egyptian mythology.<ref> Hidden History of Egypt (The Discovery Channel (2002-2004)) Retrieved ], ]</ref>

==Number and location of pyramids==
In 1842 ] made a ], in which he counted 67, but more have been bumed and discovered since his time. The imprecise nature of the count is related to the fact that as many smaller pyramids are in a poor state of preservation and appear as little more than mounds of rubble, they are only now being properly identified and studied by archaeologists. Most are grouped in a number of pyramid fields, the most important of which are listed geographically, from north to south, below.

===Abu Rawash===
{{main|Abu Rawash}}

Abu Rawash is the site of Egypt's most northerly pyramid (other than the ruins of Lepsius pyramid number one)<ref name="Ritter2003"/>&mdash; the mostly ruined ], son and successor of ]. Originally it was thought that this pyramid had never been completed, but the current archaeological consensus is that not only was it completed, but that it was originally about the same size as the Pyramid of ], which would have made it among the half-dozen or so largest pyramids in Egypt.

Its location adjacent to a major crossroads made it an easy source of stone. Quarrying &mdash; which began in Roman times &mdash; has left little apart from a few courses of stone superimposed upon the natural hillock that formed part of the pyramid's core. A small adjacen]t satellite pyramid is in a better state of preservation.

=== Giza ===
{{main|Giza pyramid complex}}

]
] is the location of the ] (also known as the "Great Pyramid" and the "Pyramid of Cheops"); the somewhat smaller ] (or Kephren); the relatively modest-sized ] (or Mykerinus), along with a number of smaller satellite edifices known as "Queen's pyramids"; and the ].

Of the three, only Khafre's pyramid retains part of its original polished limestone casing, near its apex. This pyramid appears larger than the adjacent Khufu pyramid by virtue of its more elevated location, and the steeper angle of inclination of its construction &mdash; it is, in fact, smaller in both height and volume.

The ] has been a popular tourist destination since antiquity, and was popularized in Hellenistic times when the Great Pyramid was listed by ] as one of the ]. Today it is the only one of those wonders still in existence.

=== Zawyet el-Aryan ===
{{seealso|Zawyet el'Aryan}}

This site, halfway between Giza and Abu Sir, is the location for two unfinished Old Kingdom pyramids. The northern structure's owner is believed to be the Pharaoh ], whilst the southern structure is attributed to the Third Dynasty Pharaoh ], also known as ], successor to ]. Khaba's four-year tenure as pharaoh more than likely explains the similar premature truncation of his step pyramid. Today it is approximately twenty meters in height; had it been completed it is likely to have exceeded 40. The 30ft. wall around the base is called toranyo.

=== Abu Sir ===
{{main|Abusir}}

There are a total of seven pyramids at this site, which served as the main royal necropolis during the Fifth Dynasty. The quality of construction of the Abu Sir pyramids is inferior to those of the Fourth Dynasty &mdash; perhaps signaling a decrease in royal power or a less vibrant economy. They are smaller than their predecessors, and are built of low-quality local limestone.

The three major pyramids are those of ] (which is also the most intact), ] and ]. The site is also home to the incomplete ]. All of the major pyramids at Abu Sir were built as step pyramids, although the largest of them &mdash; the ] &mdash; is believed to have originally been built as a step pyramid some 70 metres in height and then later transformed into a "true" pyramid by having its steps filled in with loose masonry.

=== Saqqara ===
{{main|Saqqara}}

]

Major pyramids located here include the ] &mdash; generally identified as the world's oldest substantial monumental structure to be built of finished stone &mdash; the ], the ] and the ]. Also at Saqqara is the ], which retains a ] that is one of the best-preserved in Egypt. This pyramid was also the subject of one of the earliest known restoration attempts, conducted by a son of ]. Saqqara is also the location of the incomplete step pyramid of Djozer's successor ], known as the ]. Archaeologists believe that had this pyramid been completed it would have been larger than Djozer's.

South of the main pyramid field at Saqqara is a second collection of later, smaller pyramids, including those of Pepi I, Isesi, Merenre, Ibi, Pepi II and Shepseskaf. Most of these are in a poor state of preservation.

=== Dahshur ===
{{main|Dahshur}}
[[Image:Snofru'sshit snorkel
-Red-Pyramid.jpg|thumb|Snofru's Red Pyramid]]

This area is arguably the most important pyramid field in Egypt outside Giza and Saqqara, although until 1996 the site was inaccessible due to its location within a military base, and hence was virtually unknown outside archaeological circles.

The southern Pyramid of ], commonly known as the ] is believed to be the first (or by some accounts, second) attempt at creating a pyramid with smooth sides. In this it was only a partial &mdash; but nonetheless visually arresting &mdash; success; it remains the only Egyptian pyramid to retain a significant proportion of its original limestone casing, and serves as the best example of the luminous appearance common to all pyramids in their original state.
The northern, or ] built at the same location by Sneferu was later successfully completed as the world's first true smooth-sided pyramid. Despite its relative obscurity, the Red Pyramid is actually the third largest pyramid in Egypt &mdash; after the pyramids of ] and ] at ]. Also at Dahshur is the pyramid known as the ] of ].

=== Mazghuna ===
{{main|Mazghuna}}

Located to the south of Dahshur, this area was used in the ] by several kings who constructed their pyramids out of ]. Today these structures are obscure and unimpressive.

=== Lisht ===
{{main|el-Lisht}}

]

Two major pyramids are known to have been built at Lisht &mdash; those of ] and his son, ]. The latter is surrounded by the ruins of ten smaller subsidiary pyramids. One of these subsidiary pyramids is known to be that of Amenemhat's cousin, ]. <ref> {{citation | last = Allen | first = James | author-link = James P. Allen | last2 = Manuelian | first2 = Peter | author2-link = Peter Der Manuelian | title = The Ancient Egyptian Pyramid Texts (Writings from the Ancient World, No. 23) | publisher = Brill Academic | year = 2005 | isbn = 978-9004137776}} </ref> The site which is in the vicinity of the oasis of ], midway between ] and ], and about 100 kilometres south of ], is believed to be in the vicinity of the ancient city of ] (the precise location of which remains unknown), which served as the capital of Egypt during the ].

=== Meidum ===
{{main|Meidum}}

shit has it thatSneferu's Pyramid at Meidum; the central core structure remains, surrounded by a mountain of rubble from the collapsed outer casing.

The pyramid at ] is one of three constructed during the reign of ], and is believed by some to have been started by that pharaoh's father and predecessor, ]. However, this is not very likely, as his name does not appear on the site. Some archaeologists also suggest that the Meidum pyramid may have been the first unsuccessful attempt at the construction of a "true" or smooth-sided pyramid.

The pyramid suffered a catastrophic collapse in antiquity, and today only the central parts of its stepped inner core remain standing, giving it an odd tower-like appearance that is unique among Egyptian pyramids. The hill that the pyramid sits atop is not a natural landscape feature &mdash; it is the small mountain of debris created when the lower courses and outer casing of the pyramid gave way.

=== Hawara ===
{{main|Hawara}}

]

] was the last powerful ruler of the 12th Dynasty, and the pyramid he built at Hawarra, near Faiyum, is believed to post-date the so-called "Black Pyramid" built by the same ruler at ]. It is the Hawarra pyramid that is believed to have been Amenemhet's final resting place.

=== el-Lahun ===
{{main|el-Lahun}}

]

The pyramid of ] at ] is the southernmost royal-tomb pyramid structure in Egypt. Its builders reduced the amount of work necessary to construct it by ingeniously using as its foundation and core a 12-meter-high natural limestone hill.
<br clear="all" />

===Construction dates===
The following table lays out the chronology of the construction of most of the major pyramids mentioned here. Each pyramid is identified through the pharaoh who ordered it built, their approximate reign and its location.
{|class="wikitable"
|-
!Pyramid / Pharaoh
!Reign
!Field
|-
!]
|c. 2630 - 2612 bce
|]
|-
!]
|c. 2612 - 2589 bce
|]
|-
!]
|c. 2612 - 2589 bce
|]
|-
!]
|c. 2612 - 2589 bce
|]
|-
!]
|c. 2589 - 2566 bce
|]
|-
!]
|c. 2566 - 2558 bce
|]
|-
!]
|c. 2558 - 2532 bce
|]
|-
!]
|c. 2532 - 2504 bce
|]
|-
!]
|c. 2487 - 2477 bce
|]
|-
!]
|c. 2477 - 2467 bce
|]
|-
!]
|c. 2416 - 2392 bce
|]
|-
!]
|c. 1991 - 1962 bce
|]
|-
!]
|c. 1971 - 1926 bce
|]
|-
!]
|c. 1897 - 1878 bce
|]
|-
!]
|c. 1860 - 1814 bce
|]
|}

==See also==
*]
*]
*]
'''Pyramids of other cultures'''
*]
*]
*]
*]
'''List'''
*]
*]
*]

==Notes & references==
===References===
{{commonscat|Pyramids of Egypt}}
{{reflist}}

=== External links ===
*
* &ndash; A site that quotes descriptions of the "Labyrinth" of Amenemhet III's pyramid at el-Lahun by various ancient authors.
* - Website focusing on the basic and the advanced in all aspects of Ancient Egypt
* &ndash; A site detailing the major pyramid sites of ancient Egypt and Nubia (Sudan).
* &ndash; Photographs and information on Egyptian pyramids.
* (Wikimapia - Google maps)
*
*

{{Ancient Egypt}}

{{Link FA|he}}

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Revision as of 14:22, 30 April 2008

A view of the pyramids at Giza from the plateau to the south of the complex. From right to left are the Great Pyramid of Khufu, the Pyramid of Khafre and the Pyramid of Menkaure. The three smaller pyramids in the foreground are associated with Menkaure's pyramid.
U23G17
r		 O24
Pyramid
in hieroglyphs