The pyramid is the most famous emblem of Egypt throughout history. The brick constructions with a pyramid pattern are iconic and essential in Egyptian culture, and they are now among the country’s top attractions. Historians have identified approximately 100 pyramids in Egypt, the majority of which comes from the Old Kingdom and Middle Kingdom eras of Egyptian history.
The biggest and best-known Egyptian pyramids may be seen at Giza, which lies just outside Cairo, Egypt’s capital city. The Giza Plateau, however, is not the only location where you may see ancient pyramids. These ancient buildings may be present all around Egypt, and many travelers try to see as many as they can during their visit.
Along with the well-known Pyramids of Ahmose and the Pyramid of Khufu, which most visitors will photograph while in Egypt, take a closer look at some of the country’s lesser-known, but no less fascinating, pyramids.
Pyramid Of Teti:
Among Saqqara’s pyramids, there is also the Pyramid of Teti. Teti, built between 2345 and 2333 BC during the Sixth Dynasty, was only the second Egyptian pyramid to contain Pyramid Texts, or magical spells etched or carved into the tomb walls.
Excavation and investigation in the late nineteenth century showed that the Pyramid of Teti is composed of one primary pyramid for the monarch’s burial, a funeral temple, and two smaller pyramids possibly meant for Pharaoh Teti’s queens.
The Pyramid of Teti seems to damage from above ground, and it may easily be mistaken for a tiny hill rather than a pyramid building. Fortunately, the underwater corridors and rooms are in considerably better shape and have been remarkably conserved throughout time.
Although the valley temple destroys, you may still view Teti’s Room of the Greats, the internal chapel with five statues of Pharaoh Teti, the lengthy descending staircase that leads to the burial chamber, the pharaoh’s funerary apartments, and the Pyramid Texts on the walls.
Pyramid Of Ahmose:
The Pyramid of Ahmose, situated in the Abydos necropolis in Egypt, was the final Egyptian pyramid found by archaeologists. It was built with mud bricks over stones because Egyptian Pharaohs from the 12th Dynasty were buried in hidden secret tombs in places like The Valley of the Kings.
The Ahmose Pyramid complex in Abydos comprises a temple and a large – unfinished – desert rock-cut tomb. A stone and brick-walled platform at the foot of the cliffs seems to have never been built.
Tetisheri’s brick temple is situated halfway between the pyramid and the tomb. It also has a stela commemorating Ahmose’s decision to build a shrine for her.
The fascinating aspect of Ahmose is that it marked the end of Egypt’s Pyramid period and, to some measure, a changing of the guards in burial traditions.
The early pyramids were devoted to the sun goddess Re, but even before Ahmose, the mythology surrounding the funerary god Osiris had intertwined into the later pyramids’ substructures.
The Pyramid Of Khufu:
The Great Pyramid is the biggest of three pyramids found on the outskirts of modern-day Cairo in the ancient Giza necropolis. It is the oldest of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World and the only one that is still standing and mostly undamaged.
The Great Pyramid, also known as the Pyramid of Khufu or the Pyramid of Cheops, is said to have been erected as a burial tomb for king Khufu, a Fourth Dynasty Egyptian pharaoh. Experts believe the pyramid had constructed 27 years in the 26th century BC.
This Great Pyramid was formerly encased in polished white limestone, almost all of which has since been removed. The visible core structure is made up of around 2.3 million stone blocks. These would weigh nearly 6 million tonnes when combined. The first pyramid was 146.5 meters (481 feet) tall, making it the largest man-made building on the planet for the next 3,800 years.
Like all other notable Egyptian pyramids, the Great Pyramid was stolen and looted in antiquity. The pyramid is available to the public. Almost all of our Egypt vacation packages include visiting the Giza Pyramids. Visitors who intend to enter the pyramid must. However, acquire an entry ticket at the site.
Pyramid Of Hawara:
The Pyramid of Hawara, located three hours south of Cairo, was built by Amenmehat III, the sixth Pharaoh of the 12th Dynasty. Historians believe the Pyramid of Hawara was built about 1850 BC, making it around 3,865 years old now.
The Pyramid of Hawara is commonly referred to as the “Black Pyramid” because it seems significantly darker than other Egyptian pyramids from the same era. The pyramid was constructed of brick stones and then coated with limestone to give it a gloomy aspect.
The Pyramid of Hawara was approximately 60 meters (200 feet) tall when it had erected, yet erosion and desert sands have diminished its height significantly over time. Pharaoh Amenmehat III did not build the first pyramid, Hawara.
His first, Dashur, was a failure and collapsed soon after completion. Consequently, the Pyramid of Hawara is constructed at a lower angle to avoid collapse. Even this second pyramid, however, is now nothing more than an eroded, vaguely pyramidal mound of mud brick.
Fascinating detail about the Pyramid of Hawara, which still exists but no longer has a sharp top, is how it started to recognize and attempt to trick tomb robbers. The Pyramid of Hawara used a labyrinth network of tunnels to confound and frustrate prospective thieves in ancient Egypt.
Pyramid Of Djoser:
The Djoser Pyramid at Saqqara necropolis had constructed between 2630 and 2611 BC. It had been constructed as a tomb for King Djoser at Saqqara.
The Djoser Pyramid is 197 feet tall and was built using 11.6 million cubic feet of stone and clay. The pyramid had designed by Imhotep, a doctor, priest, and sculptor, among other things. The tower had been planned to be a conventional mastaba, a flat-roofed tomb, but Djoser wanted something more majestic.
The pyramid is made up of six large layers of mastabas that grow smaller as you approach the summit. This design reflects Djoser’s ascent to godhood. The interior decorations reflect the Pharaoh’s grandeur and significance.
Many of the interior walls had adorned with superb and massive sculptures, while the burial chamber’s walls cover with rare blue glazed tiles.
Pyramid Of Menkaure:
There are three prominent pyramids in the ancient Giza necropolis, one of which is the Menkaure Pyramid, located on the outskirts of modern-day Cairo. It is said to have been erected as a tomb for Menkaure, a Fourth Dynasty Egyptian pharaoh.
Because Pharaoh Menkaure’s reign was never precisely defined, it is unknown when his pyramid was built. Menkaure’s pyramid, like the other two Giza pyramids, was raided and looted in antiquity.
A casket containing human bones was uncovered after Menkaure’s pyramid was thoroughly examined in contemporary times. Radiocarbon dating, however, revealed that the bones were less than 2,000 years old, indicating that they did not belong to the king. Deep inside the pyramid, a stone sarcophagus holding lady’s bones were also discovered.
Today, visitors to the Pyramid of Menkaure will see a vertical gash on the northern face. An effort to dismantle the pyramid produced this. The Sultan of Egypt requested the destruction of Egypt’s iconic pyramids in 1196 AD. However, labor could remove two stones each day, and the demolition effort had abandoned after eight months of labor.
Pyramid Of Khafre:
The Pyramid of Khafre is the highest of Giza’s three iconic pyramids. Pharaoh Khafre, a Fourth Dynasty pharaoh who governed Egypt from 2558 to 2532 BC, had it erected as a burial tomb. The Pyramid of Khafre, like the other Giza pyramids, had all of its contents taken in antiquity, including the pharaoh’s mummy.
When the Pyramid of Khafre had first examined in contemporary times (1818), the burial chamber was anticipated to be discovered locked and undamaged. However, this was not to be. The only thing that remained in the burial room was an empty tomb with a cracked lid.
Experts think that the Pyramid of Khafre was first opened during the 19th Dynasty time to remove part of the casing stones used in Ramses II’s order to build a temple at Heliopolis. When the other casing stones had removed is unknown.
The Pyramid of Khafre looks to be the highest of the three pyramids upon arriving at the Giza necropolis. However, this is an illusion induced by the pyramid’s construction atop a higher portion of bedrock, and its steeper sides.
Khafre’s pyramid is generally available to the public. If you wish to view inside the pyramid, you must acquire an entry ticket at the site.
Conclusion:
Aside from the aforementioned pyramid, other important pyramids in Egypt with greater Egyptian religious importance include the Pyramid of Khafre, Pyramid of Teti, Pyramid of Menkaure, and many more.
It is associated with power, achievement, authority, and privilege. Individuality and the person’s function in society are the reverses of this symbolism.
