Interesting facts about the ancient Egyptian pyramids. Ancient pyramids of Egypt: history, description and secrets
The most famous pyramids are located in Cairo (there are also Saqqara, Dahur, Medum), they are considered the only surviving of the seven ancient wonders of the world. Here was the ancient Egyptian capital Memphis, and the powerful kings of Egypt, the pharaohs, built huge pyramids, which for two millennia were the tallest buildings in the world. The Egyptian civilization did not know iron; from the engines there was only the pulling power of people and animals. The biggest mystery of civilization was how people in ancient times were able to build huge structures from blocks weighing several tons. These buildings are not just large - they are precisely oriented to the sides of the world, inside there are passages with traps for robbers and with large cameras. They were probably filled with treasures in antiquity, but were robbed in ancient times. How these monsters were robbed is also a mystery, since the protection of these tombs was very good.
History
Egyptian pyramids - Interesting Facts about the history of construction. More than a hundred pyramids have survived in Egypt. They are of different varieties - stepped, as well as stepped, converted to be flat, with a broken surface (the angle of inclination changed during the construction process). Archaeologists find new pyramids almost every year - both small, covered with sand, and unfinished, or in general, which have survived at the level of the foundation.
The oldest pyramid belonged to Pharaoh Djoser and was built around 2650 BC. Before Djoser, mastabs were built - rectangles one floor apart. Djoser began to build on floor by floor, and it turned out a pyramid. It was the first monumental structure in Egypt made of stone - before that, it was built mainly from adobe bricks. Brick, even unbaked, was kept under open air good, as it almost never rains in this country, especially in areas remote from the Mediterranean Sea.
Pharaoh Sneferu built a stepped pyramid in Medum, its peculiarity - it was stepped, but the Egyptian king ordered to make the walls smooth, filling the steps with masonry. After a while, the stones that filled the steps fell, and in our time this structure again has a stepped appearance. After Sneferu, the construction of stepped pyramids ceased, they were with smooth walls and slab cladding.
V medieval Europe the pyramids were considered the granaries of Joseph, who ordered the storage of grain in them from the harvest years in order to ensure the seven hungry years, which Pharaoh dreamed of in the form of thin cattle. The Europeans did not know that the inner space of the buildings is about 1 percent hollow; it would be impossible to store anything here in large quantities.
In Dakhshur there is a "pink" pyramid of Pharaoh Sneferu (the walls in the rays of the Sun turn pink), its edges up to half height - at one angle, and then the angle of inclination of the walls decreases, therefore the pyramid is called "broken". This could be done for two reasons: either they wanted to finish building the tomb faster, or the load on the base became too great and they wanted to reduce it by changing the angle of the walls. Also in Dakhshur there is a pyramid of Amenemkhet I built of mud bricks, it is called "dark", apparently because of the color, which contrasted with the light limestone and sandstone of other pyramids.
The pyramids were surrounded by temples as well as smaller pyramids that belonged to the relatives of the pharaoh. Near the Khafra pyramid in Giza there is a statue of the Sphinx - a lion with a human head. Its length is 72 meters, its height is 20 meters, which is almost equal to the height of a nine-storey building.
Construction
Interesting facts - Egyptian pyramids and peculiarities of their construction. Proponents of different conspiracy theories and overly thoughtful and impressionable people have versions that the pyramids have a connection with alien civilizations, as if people could not build such large structures with ancient technologies. But everything is very simple - the pyramids are just tombs of the rulers. And they were made so big for a number of reasons:
- it was not slaves, but free citizens who built, thus solving the problem of employment of the Egyptian male population during the period when the Nile flooded and people could not engage in agriculture;
- the problem of stability of society was solved, because working people did not have the opportunity to organize riots;
- social function - they gave plenty of water and beer on the pyramids, so the poor could feed themselves and their families;
- investments - a rich state did not have the opportunity to invest in something important, except for grandiose buildings;
- prestige - the rulers of neighboring states could not build anything like this, they thought carefully before attacking a powerful state that could build real mountains, and even completely lined with polished slabs (now part of the facing has survived only at the top of the Khafr pyramid);
- preserving the body of the pharaoh and the treasures that were laid near him is already a function of the Egyptian pagan religion, but it is not so important, because the pharaohs were buried in deep mountain mines, without making grandiose buildings.
It is not known exactly how the pyramids were built. The main difficulties were associated with the rise of stone blocks to great heights. There are two versions - either they made a large inclined road, which was extended and raised as the tomb grew, or the road was made along the perimeter in the form of a spiral, completely covering the pyramid with earth, and clearing it after the completion of construction. The first version is more convincing, since archaeologists have found the remains of the beginning of the platform of one large inclined road away from the pyramid. Scenes of the construction itself are depicted in the corridors leading to the burial chamber. The village where the builders lived was found, archaeologists discovered a bakery and a brewery in it.
Peculiarities
Interesting Pyramid Facts - Features. All pyramids in the past looked different than they do today. They were lined with smooth limestone slabs that shone in the sun. At the top was a granite pyramidon, which in antiquity may have been gilded. The appearance of the tombs was changed by the locals, who stretched facing from flat slabs onto building material, and stone blocks are also stretched. Several pyramids have been found and are now on display in the Cairo Museum.
The blocks of the pyramids are very precisely fitted to each other; even after four thousand years you cannot insert the tip of a knife between them.
The buildings are strictly oriented to the cardinal points. An even foundation is made under the pyramid. The sides of the pyramid differ in length by only a few centimeters. All this speaks of the development of science and construction technology in ancient Egypt.
The Pyramid of Cheops is 146 meters high, the weight of 2.3 million stone blocks is more than 6 million tons.
There were Nubian kingdoms on the territory of Sudan. Local kings, in imitation of the pharaohs, built pyramids for themselves, and eight centuries later, the last Egyptian pyramidal tomb was built. They are distinguished by a large slope of the sides, a lower height (up to 30 meters), and a visible entrance to the tomb, over which there was a pagan temple. In the 19th century, the Italian explorer Fellini blew up the tops of 40 pyramids to find treasures. He managed to find only one cache of gold, he brought the products to Europe, and they did not want to buy from him, considering it a fake.
Why did the ancient Egyptians build the pyramids, how these grandiose and mysterious creations of human hands were created. Many secrets have not yet been revealed, there are more questions than answers. Perhaps the rulers of those times wanted to emphasize the majesty of the era, to confirm the constancy of their power, to show closeness to the gods.
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The first buildings
From the end of the 4th millennium BC. Pharaohs were buried in truncated buildings - medium-sized stone buildings (mastabah), for which a solution of clay was used. Today, such structures look like shapeless piles of stones, bearing no architectural value.
The history of the pyramids - the most unusual buildings of ancient Egypt - began in 2780-2760 BC, during the reign of Pharaoh Djoser, who completely changed the architectural style of the tombs. His new tomb consisted of as many as 6 mastabs erected on top of each other. The narrowest was at the top, the widest at the bottom. Such a building was a stepped building. Its height was just over 60 meters, and the perimeter was 115 x 125 m.
The construction of the pyramids in ancient Egypt was carried out in a special architectural style who reigned for two hundred years. The famous vizier Imhotep became its developer and designer. They built pyramids in a different form. For example, the period of the reign of Pharaoh Sneferu was marked by the creation of two unique pyramids of ancient Egypt - broken and pink:
- In the first, the angle of inclination of the walls from the base of the building to its middle is 54 ° 31 ′, and then it changes to 43 ° 21 ′. There are many versions explaining this strange shape of the building. The main one is that the death of the pharaoh was sudden, so the workers made the slope more steep in order to speed up the construction process. There are also other opinions on this matter. For example, that it was a trial version, created for the sake of "experiment."
- The second got its name from the color of the blocks that were used for the construction. The stone was a pale pink hue, and at sunset it turned bright pink. Initially, the outer cladding was white, but over time, the coating gradually peeled off, and pink limestone, the material from which the structure was laid, came out.
But still the most famous are those structures that proudly rise on the Giza plateau. These three majestic pyramids of impressive size are known all over the world.
The largest pyramid
Its other name is the Khufu pyramid. This is one of the most famous and largest buildings in the world. Let's make it short description... When the pyramid of Cheops was built. It was erected near the city of Giza (on this moment- a suburb of Cairo). The construction of the largest pyramid began on 23 August 2480 BC. For its construction, the forces of 100 thousand people were used. It took the first 10 years to build a road that would carry giant blocks of stones. It took another 20 years to build the structure itself.
Attention! The pyramid of Cheops is striking in its scale. Today its height is 137 meters, but this was not always the case, since over time the cladding has worn off and part of the base was covered with sand. It was originally 10 meters taller.
147 meters is equal to the length of the side of the base, made in the form of a square. According to research, more than 2 million lime blocks were used for construction, the average weight of one of them is 2.5 tons. Each block fits perfectly to the adjacent one and is raised to a certain height. The entrance can be found on the north side of the building, at a height of just over 15 meters. Stone slabs are laid around, resembling an arch.
It is still unknown how exactly the Egyptians managed to cope not only with the lifting of the blocks, but also with their impeccable fit to each other. There are no even the slightest gaps between the blocks. Some are sure that they did not raise the blocks - they just pounded the limestone, brought it to a powdery state, and then removed the moisture, and so it turned into cement, which was poured into the previously created formwork. After that, water, crushed stone and stone were added - in this way, monolithic lumps appeared.
The stepped structure served several purposes: it was used as sundial, a seasonal calendar and a reference point for carrying out geodetic measurements.
Little is known about who built the largest Egyptian pyramid. The architect was the pharaoh's vizier named Cheops Khemiun. He was engaged in design, was the head of work, but did not have time to see his brainchild, as he died shortly before the end of construction.
Attention! Today there is no exact information that the tomb of Cheops is located inside. However, it is believed that such buildings were part of ritual burial complexes.
Camera inside the pyramid of Khufu
There are three chambers inside: the upper one is a royal burial and is lined with granite blocks, the whole of each - 60 tons. This camera is located at a height of 43 meters from the base. There is also an ascending corridor and the queen's chambers. In the burial pit at the beginning of the 20th century, two engineers dug a well, where, in their opinion, a hidden burial room should have been located.
However, their efforts were in vain: it later turned out that the construction of the chamber had not been completed. Instead, the burial chambers are located in the center, they are located one above the other.
Quite recently, using the technology of muon radiography, it was possible to find a room that was not previously known.... It was calculated that it is 30 meters long and 2 meters wide, and it is located right in the center of the building. Scientists aim to drill a small 3-centimeter hole to launch a mini-robot inside and explore the found room, since it is not yet known what is in it and for what purpose it serves.
Today, almost nothing was left of the cladding - the inhabitants of Cairo decided that it would be "more necessary" for the construction of their houses, and took it away to their homes. However, there are remains of white limestone on the neighboring Khafre pyramid, which is slightly smaller in size.
Second largest building
Its height is 143.5 meters. If you believe the legends, then it was crowned with a granite pyramidion, decorated with gold. There is no data on why which no longer exists, and where he is now. Khefren has been creating a tomb for himself for 40 years. It was built using the same technology as the previous one, but it is located on a higher hill, and its slope is steeper, which makes the structure inaccessible and difficult even for professional climbers. At the moment, climbing to the top is prohibited in order to preserve the remains of the old cladding.
The protective material granite was used inside and outside the pyramid, but it was not used in the burial chamber. At the moment, the condition of the building is assessed as good, despite the fact that its dimensions have slightly decreased. The blocks, made of limestone and weighing a couple of tons each, are attached to each other so tightly that it will not be possible to slip a sheet of paper or even hair between them.
The youngest of the three, the height is 62 meters. At the same time, in some pictures, tourists manage to choose an angle so that it looks the highest. The ancient building has been preserved in good condition and is open to the public. Starting from this building, the construction of large tombs ceased. Scientists believe that by that time the decline of the era of great structures began.
Attention! An interesting feature of the Mikerin pyramid is that the largest stone block in it weighs at least 200 tons.
Other architectural elements
Later, the pharaohs stopped creating grandiose structures. So, Pharaoh Userkaf ordered the construction of a building in Sakkara, the height of which is 44.5 meters. At the moment, it looks like a pile of stones that has nothing to do with an architectural structure. The same goes for the rest of the buildings. In total, about 100 pyramids were erected in Egypt. Their appearance is the same - only the height and volume change.
Great sphinx
To make this famous sculpture a monolithic limestone rock was used. The Great Sphinx is considered one of the elements architectural complex in Giza. The sphinx is 73 meters long, and it "stretches" up to 20 meters in height. Throughout its existence, the sculpture turned out to be almost completely covered with sand. They cleared it only in 1925 - then they learned about the actual dimensions of the architectural object.
Output
Some believe that the multi-stage pyramids in ancient Egypt were born as a result of the actions of a mysterious and powerful civilization or alien creatures. Different concepts about how the ancient Egyptians built their structures are attractive and have often formed the basis of works of literature and cinema.
The pyramids are undoubtedly the silent witnesses of the thousands of years of human history. What makes them unique structures for tourists and mythologists is the fact that they were built at a time when there were no construction equipment and perfect technologies. They are interesting both from the point of view of architecture and culture of that period of human history. We offer an overview of the main pyramids Of the ancient world revealing the secrets and traditions of that time.
Majestic structures in different parts of the world have been built in a variety of intricate shapes, types, and sizes for a variety of reasons. In the history of Egypt and China, the pyramids played the role of burial chambers and monuments dedicated to the emperors and leaders of the country. The pyramids of ancient American tribes and Hindus were built like religious buildings and tombs. Almost each one is unique, has its place in history and is a popular tourist destination.
On the list of the Seven Wonders of the World, the majestic Pyramid of Giza is the oldest structure on the planet. Everyone knows that the pyramid of Cheops is a tomb built in 2560 BC. There are many scientific theories regarding the principles and methods of its construction. There are three rooms inside the structure, the tomb is located in the lowest of them. The other two are called the halls of the pharaoh and the queen. It is the only Egyptian pyramid containing both descending and ascending galleries.
Nubia is located in the Nile Plain, so the structures that have been found here are known as the Pyramids of Nubia. They were built by the kings of the ancient Kushite dynasty. A total of 255 pyramids were found, including el-Kurra, Nuri, Meroe. These are examples of stepped structures ranging in height from 6 to 30 meters, the stone blocks of which were placed horizontally. Many of them were places of worship.
The pyramids of Elliniko are the remains of the mythological pyramids of Elliniko, ancient city Greece. At that time they were considered military installations. Although there is a theory that they were built in honor of those killed in battle. The pyramid is completely stone, not polished. They date from the Mycenaean era (1600 - 1000 BC).
The Pyramids of Guimar are a complex of 6 structures located in the Chaconne area on Canary Islands... They have a rectangular shape, have terraces and are built of stones of volcanic origin, without the use of mortars. There were 9 pyramids in total, but only 6 of them have survived to this day. The appearance of terraces during the construction of the pyramids testifies to the agricultural culture of that period, which was reflected in the architecture.
The pyramid, located in the former Indian city of Cholula, Mexico, is known as Tlachihualtepetl and is considered an artificial mountain. The majestic structure was a temple complex dedicated to the god Quetzalcoatl. By its type, the architecture of the pyramid belongs to the Teotihuacan style.
It is one of the largest structures in the Yucatan Peninsula and the largest structure in Teotihuacan. The stone pyramid is located in the center of a large cult complex, on Death Avenue, between the pyramid of the Moon and Cuidadela, in the shadow majestic mountain Cerro Gordo. It is valuable not only for its antiquity or architecture, but also for its location to the northwest, relative to sunset. At the top of the pyramid was a temple.
This is a pyramid Ancient rome... It is located near the Protestant Cemetery and St. Paul's Gate. The pyramid, the tomb of Caius Cestius, a member of one of the priestly colleges of Epulona, dates from 18-12. BC. As one of the greatest buildings in Rome, it was included in the city's fortification complex.
In South India, archaeologists have discovered a number of pyramids that are now cult sites of pilgrims. Srirangam, built in honor of the god Ranganatha, is the most big temple India and is located in the Tiruchirappalli region, Tamil Nadu city. There are 21 gopur in the stepped temple. Another majestic structure in India is the Brihadishwar Temple, an object built of granite and listed as a historical and cultural heritage UNESCO.
However, modern architects decided that pyramids can be built not only for pharaohs or kings, but also for ordinary deaths, therefore they suggested
Everyone knows how many interesting, sometimes amazing scientific discoveries were made by scientists on the ancient Egyptian land. Her tombs and temples gave a lot of miraculous finds. But the greatest miracle of Egypt, which amazed people even in antiquity, was the pyramids - these amazing artificial mountains - the tombs of the ancient Egyptian kings.
Huge tombs and pyramids were built, demanding an incredible price and containing priceless treasures, and difficultly embalmed mummies. The splendor of Ancient Egypt lasted over 3 thousand years.
The pyramids were imposing four-sided tombs built for the pharaohs of the Old Kingdom. All the faces, which formed a kind of triangle, converged at the top, forming a pointed apex.
Scientists note that during the entire existence of the Ancient Egyptian kingdom, more than 80 pyramids were built, but only a small part has survived to us. In total, there are three pyramids that have survived - these are the pyramids of Cheops, Khafren and Mikerin (they also have Egyptian names - Khufu, Khafra and Menkaur). Only the first of this list formally belongs to the legendary seven wonders of the world. However, they are all mysterious and majestic.
The first Egyptian pyramid was built in the Saqqara Desert around 2650 BC. The most imposing pyramids, built at Giza more than 100 years later, had flat edges. The top of each pyramid was probably covered in gold. Burial chambers and secret galleries were located inside the pyramids. [Appendix 2] No one really knows why the Egyptians built these tombs in the form of pyramids, but it is possible that they saw a ladder to heaven, helping the pharaoh to find eternal life... Pharaohs were called kings in Ancient Egypt. But this is not the only version of the reasons for the construction of the Egyptian pyramids.
On March 22, 1993, news agencies around the world broadcast sensational news - an unknown German robot engineer Rudolf Gantenbrink made an outstanding discovery. A remote-controlled robot launched by him examined the Cheops pyramid from the inside. This is the discovery he made. It turned out that the pyramids are reflected in the sky, but rather are themselves a reflection of the constellation Orion. The pyramids of Giza are the belt of Orion. Thus, according to R. Gantenbrink's version, the theory of "star correspondence" was confirmed. Thanks to the star orientation, a high accuracy was achieved in the construction of the pyramids. Why is the construction of the pyramids focused specifically on the constellation Orion? The Nile was the real ruler of Egypt. The flood of the river began on the day of the summer solstice, which was accompanied by the appearance of Sirius from beyond the horizon. The rise of Sirius, in turn, was preceded by the appearance of Orion. This coincidence gave rise to the ideas on which the religious cult is based. After a period of absence of these constellations, began new season revival of life. That is why Orion was associated with the great god Osiris.
Excellent astronomers lived in Ancient Egypt. The Egyptians, as you know, to determine the exact time of crops, very closely followed the stars, compiling star maps and tables. Therefore, the pyramids are oriented strictly along the meridian, their faces look to the 4 cardinal directions, the entrance is always on the north side of the structure.
Another interesting theory is the use of pyramids as a power plant.
You can find several confirmations of this hypothesis, based on the architecture of the Cheops pyramid. Did it make sense for the ancient Egyptians to build such grandiose structure just to honor the memory of the pharaoh? The pyramid is pierced by various shafts and channels at its entire height and extent. It is scientifically proven that these channels are laid in accordance with the maps of the starry sky. A vertical channel runs along the axial line of the pyramid, which, possibly, is an energetic installation for communication with the Universal Mind or the spirits of ancestors, according to beliefs ancient people... It is interesting that inside the pyramid there are a large number of rooms that have nothing to do with the burial ceremony. It has not yet been proven whether, in fact, Pharaoh Khufu (Cheops) was buried in the burial chamber of the Great Pyramid or else in another place.
The mysteries of the pyramids of Ancient Egypt with each new discovery leave more and more questions than answers. The pyramid of Cheops is built on the basis of more ancient pyramid, the construction time of which is supposedly 14 thousand years BC. Its size is so large that it occupies about half the volume of the Great Pyramid. When arranging and painting indoor spaces special lanterns were used, possibly electric. They were discovered during excavations and still gave off a faint light, despite the thousands of years since their burial.
There is a hypothesis that the Egyptians received electricity using power plants such as the Great Gallery in the Cheops pyramid. On the faces of the pyramid, scientists have found various images made with grooves. Drawings can be seen in reflected light if desired. On south side pyramids, most likely, depicts a portrait of the ancient Egyptian god Thoth, one of the most significant gods in Egyptian mythology. Riddles in stone, the secrets of the pyramids of Ancient Egypt will excite the imagination of mankind for a long time, receiving their response in books and films. We can only hope that the technologies of the twenty-first century will still be able to reveal to people the knowledge that was buried under the thickness of sand and time.
Back in the 10th century, the historian Masudi argued that the Egyptian pyramids of Giza are not only a repository of all the knowledge of the ancient Egyptians on astronomy, art and religion, but also contain "historical and prophetic predictions." In 1865, Robert Menzies suggested that if we take the sacred inch of the Egyptians as a basis and measure the length of the inner chambers of the Egyptian pyramid, then we will find the chronological dates of the most important events of the past and future. On the basis of the discoveries made by Mr. Varil in 1948-49, Egyptologists-Symbolists believe that the architecture of most of the temples of ancient Egypt contains a number of symbols of a philosophical, historical and especially religious nature. In their opinion, the location of the foundations of the colonnades and even the superstructure of the surface structures of these monuments indicate esoteric knowledge hidden from the layman. In turn, the famous astronomer, director of the Bourgeois Observatory, Abbot More, devoted his life to solving the mysteries that the study of ancient Egyptian temples and the pyramid of Cheops in Giza brings to scientists.
The results of measurements of the Egyptian pyramid of Cheops, obtained by the engineer Davidson, were amazing. The diagonal of the Egyptian pyramid of Cheops gives its absolutely exact direction along the meridian, and the accuracy of this direction to the theoretical North Pole reaches 4 minutes 30 seconds: this is more accurate than the Paris Observatory. In addition, this meridian, passing through the Egyptian pyramid of Cheops, divides the surface of the sea and land into two equal parts, counting America and the Pacific Ocean. Moreover: the latitude passing through the center of the Cheops pyramid also divides the entire globe into two equal parts, according to the amount of land and water. Thus, for 2500 years BC. the Egyptians knew the exact ratio of the surface of all continents and it was not by chance that they chose the mouth of the Nile for construction Egyptian pyramids Giza. When measuring the pyramid of Cheops itself, it turned out that the perimeter of the pyramid of Giza, divided by a double height, gives the exact number "Pi", with an accuracy of one hundred thousandth. It is interesting that the sacred measure of length of Egypt, i.e. The pyramidal inch (oddly coincidentally equal to modern English) is one billionth of the Earth's orbit traversed in 24 hours. Another linear measure of the pyramid, the cubit, equal to 25 inches, or 635.66 millimeters, is one ten millionth of the polar radius of the Earth. The sum of the two diagonals of the Egyptian pyramid, expressed in inches, gives the number of years during which the north pole of our earth makes one complete revolution. The volume of the pyramid, multiplied by the specific gravity of the stone from which it is made, gives the theoretical weight of the globe. The same measure is found once again in the king's chambers when measuring the "sarcophagus". We find its volume in relation to the volume of the globe. This volume, so to speak, the standard of weight, coincides exactly with the weight of one British pound (453.59 g). The archaic units of measures of the British exactly correspond to the “sacred” units of Ancient Egypt!
pyramid ancient egyptian pharaoh tomb
Pyramids of ancient egypt for more than one millennium they have been admiring, surprising, stirring up the imagination. Heated controversy continues about when the ancient pyramids were built in Egypt, who built them, and why they were built. Each disputing party has its own compelling arguments. This article provides a largely controversial official point of view on these issues.
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History of the construction of the tombs of the pharaohs |
| History of the pyramids of Egypt |
| Medum pyramid |
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| Great Pyramids of Giza |
| The Pyramid of Cheops |
| Pyramid of Khafre |
| Pyramid of Mikerin |
| Pyramids of the 5th and 6th dynasties |
| Pyramids of the Middle Kingdom |
| Subsequent life of the pyramids |
History of the pyramids of Egypt
The history of the pyramids of Egypt from the construction of the first pyramid of Ancient Egypt - the step pyramid of Pharaoh Djoser. It was built in Saqqara in about 2,600 BC. This was the Pharaoh of the third dynasty.
Before him, the tombs of the pharaohs were built from dried bricks. Subsequently, they received the name - mastaba. Such a mastaba was also built for Djoser.
But the pharaoh did not use this tomb, and together with his most talented architect Imhotep undertook grandiose construction mastabas in Saqqara, which is now called the Djoser pyramid or "step pyramid". Above this lower mastaba, five more mastabas were built, each smaller in size. The construction took place in six stages, according to the number of steps. As a result of superstructures, the base of the pyramid has reached dimensions of 125x115 meters, and its height is 61 meters (the height of a modern twenty-storey building).
Here, for the first time, not fired brick was used as a building material, but stone. The Pyramid of Djoser is considered the world's first stone architectural structure.
Undoubtedly, these small pyramids that adorned the upper part of the tomb were associated with the cult of the sun god. On the eastern slope of the pyramid, a small niche was arranged, in which there was a cult statue of the inhabitant of the tomb. She looks towards the rising sun. Above the burial chamber, carved into the rock, there was a small courtyard. It was surrounded by a stone wall. In its western part, a small chapel was built in the form of a terrace with columns. Above all this towered a small pyramid with a base of 3X3 m, a height of 4 m. The angle of inclination to the plane of the horizon was much more vertical than that of the huge pyramids of the Ancient and Middle Kingdom, it reached 68 °.
The pyramids were revived in the VIII-VII centuries BC. e., but no longer in Egypt, but on the territory of the Nubian kingdom of Napata and in the IV century BC. NS. in Meroe. None of these pyramids had a base length of more than 12-13 m and a height of more than 15-16 m. The angle of inclination of the faces was equal to 68 °, as on the graves of Theban masters. They were built mainly of stone, only the latest ones were built of bricks.