The mystery of the Egyptian pyramids. Construction of the Great Pyramid

Most people simply know that the Egyptian pyramids are large, impressive structures built a long time ago in ancient Egypt. It is also widely known that the pyramids served as monumental tombs in which pharaohs, rulers ancient egypt. However, there are actually many more interesting things and little-known facts that many do not know about these fascinating structures. To expand your knowledge about Egyptian pyramids ah, check out the twenty-five facts below that you quite possibly don't know.

25. The three most famous Egyptian pyramids are those at the Giza Necropolis, but in fact approximately 140 pyramids have been discovered in the area of ​​ancient Egypt.

24. The most ancient Egyptian pyramid is considered to be the Pyramid of Djoser, which was built in the Saqqara Necropolis in the 27th century BC.

23. While the Pyramid of Djoser is considered the oldest, the Pyramid of Khufu (also known as the Great Pyramid of Giza) is the largest. The original height of the pyramid was 146.5 meters, and the current height is 138.8 meters.

22. Until the Lincoln Cathedral was built in England in 1311, the Great Pyramid of Giza held the title of the tallest man-made structure in the world. She held the record for at least 3,871 years!

21. The Great Pyramid of Giza is the oldest of the Seven Wonders Ancient World(Seven Wonders of the Ancient World) and the last one currently existing.

20. Estimates of the number of workers involved in the construction of the pyramids vary greatly, however, it is likely that at least 100,000 people built them.

19. The Pyramids of Giza are guarded by the Great Sphinx, the largest monolithic sculpture in the world. It is believed that the face of the sphinx was given a resemblance to the face of Pharaoh Khafra.

18. All Egyptian pyramids were built on west bank the Nile River, which is the place of sunset and was associated with the kingdom of the dead in Egyptian mythology.

17. The ancient Egyptians buried their noble citizens in pyramids with funeral gifts that ranged from household items to the most expensive items such as jewelry. They believed that the dead would use them in the afterlife.

16. The earliest known architect of the pyramids was Imhotep, an ancient Egyptian polymath, engineer and physician. He is considered the author of the first major pyramid - the Pyramid of Djoser.

15. While experts generally agree on the hypothesis that the pyramids were built from huge stones cut with copper chisels in quarries, the methods used to move and stack them are still the subject of heated debate and speculation.

14. Another relatively obvious fact is that the methods used to build the pyramids evolved over time. Later pyramids are built differently from the earliest pyramids.

13. After the end of the period of pyramid construction in Ancient Egypt, an outbreak of pyramid construction began in the territory of modern Sudan.

12. In the 12th century, an attempt was made to destroy the pyramids of Giza. Al-Aziz, the Kurdish ruler and second Ayyubid Sultan of Egypt, attempted to demolish them, but had to give up because the task was too large-scale. However, he managed to damage Menkaure's Pyramid, where his attempts left a vertical gaping hole in its northern slope.

11. The three pyramids of Giza are precisely aligned with the Constellation of Orion, which may well have been the builders' intention, since the stars of Orion were associated with Osiris, the god of rebirth and the underworld in ancient Egyptian mythology.

10. According to estimates, the Great Pyramid of Giza consists of 2,300,000 stone blocks that weigh from 2 to 30 tons, and some of them even weigh more than 50 tons.

9. The pyramids were originally covered with casing stones made of well-polished white limestone. These stones reflected the light of the sun and made the pyramids shine like precious stones.

8. When the casing stones covered the pyramids, they could be seen from the mountains in Israel and maybe even from the moon.

7. Despite the wild heat around the pyramids, the temperature in the pyramids themselves actually remains relatively constant and stays around 20 degrees Celsius.

6. It is quite difficult to calculate exactly, but the weight of the Cheops Pyramid may well be approximately 6 million tons.

5. The Pyramid of Cheops was built facing north. In fact, it is the most carefully north-aligned structure in the world. Despite the fact that it was built thousands of years ago, it still faces north, with only a slight error. However, the error occurred because the North Pole is gradually shifting, meaning that the pyramid was once pointing due north.

4. On average, it took 200 years to build each pyramid. This means that often several pyramids were built at once, rather than just one.

3. One of the reasons why the pyramids are so well preserved is the unique cement mortar used in them. It is stronger than real stone, but we still don't know how they prepared it.

In the suburbs of Cairo, where the Nile Valley smoothly turns into the Libyan Desert, the Great Pyramids of Egypt stand on the Giza Plateau. They are like a mirage, they appear from the hot sands of the desert. In ancient times, these amazing structures were. Centuries have passed, but they are impressive in their size, and their secrets still excite the minds of scientists and researchers.

Pyramids of Giza in Egypt

The Egyptian pyramids are the most famous and tallest in the world. This is the only surviving ancient wonder of the world. They aroused the admiration of great men and mere mortals. The pyramid complex at Giza, which is guarded by Great Sphinx, is part of the huge necropolis of this city.

They were built during the time of the Egyptian pharaohs of the IV dynasty, which ruled the ancient state in 2639-2506 BC. Next to the huge structures there are small temples and pyramids in which the wives of the pharaohs, their officials and priests are buried. Scientists are still studying these burials.

Until now, researchers continue to argue about the purpose of these structures. There is a traditional version that says that the huge mounds that rise above the mortal world are the tombs of the pharaohs. Their ashes in such burials were closer to the sky and the sun. Some scientists believe that the Egyptian pyramids are temples where ministers of the cult of the Sun performed religious ceremonies. Other researchers suggest that these were scientific laboratories created for astronomical observations. German archaeologists have put forward another interesting hypothesis. They believe that the pyramids are natural generators of earth energy. Thanks to her, the pharaohs were “charged” and rejuvenated. Pharaohs visited the pyramids as regularly as a modern person goes to a psychologist or massage therapist. Most scientists believe that they were on Earth before the biblical flood. Therefore, all their secrets will have to be unraveled for more than one generation.

Egyptian pyramids: interesting facts

The great ones were erected at different times under several pharaohs, who created tombs and monuments for themselves for centuries. The oldest of them is the Pyramid of Djoser. Its construction dates back to 2670. It is located in the city of Saqqara. Its height is 62 meters. The name of the author of this pyramid is known - he was the ancient Egyptian architect Imhotep. He was highly revered in Ancient Egypt, and later, even in myths, he became the main patron of crafts and arts - the son of the god Ptah.

The second largest ancient Egyptian pyramid was built by the son of Cheops, Pharaoh Khafre. It is lower than the nearby tomb of Cheops, its height is 136.4 meters, but since it is located at a higher high point plateau, it competes worthy with the Great Pyramid. At its top, a white basalt lining still remains, which is very reminiscent of a glacier. The internal structure of the pyramid is quite simple - two chambers, two entrances, located on the north side. One of them is located at a height of fifteen meters, and the second is directly below it, at the base of the building.

The Pyramid of Mikerin was built in 2504 BC. It is much smaller than the two great pyramids. Height - 66 meters. Scientists believe that the small size is due to the fact that Mikerin was not the legal heir to the throne. However, when he finally gained power, the structure began to have a more monumental appearance. Unlike the pyramids of Cheops and Khafre, its cladding was made of huge blocks of pink granite, which were brought to Giza from Aswan along the Nile. And downstream it was built. According to the surviving records of contemporaries, despite its more modest size, this structure was considered the most beautiful in Egypt.

Pyramid of Cheops in Egypt

Much later, similar structures were built in other areas of the country, which Egypt is proud of today. Giza, whose pyramids are known all over the world, gained great fame thanks to one of them - Cheops. It has become a real wonder of the world, which can still be seen in our time. The three tallest structures are rightfully considered the great Egyptian pyramids - the pyramids of Cheops, Mikerin and Khafre. But do not forget that in this ancient city there are many small buildings that keep no less secrets than the more monumental ones.

The Pyramid of Cheops in Giza was built a long time ago. It is still unknown exactly how long it took to build it. This great pyramid of Giza is believed to have stood since the time when the country was ruled by Cheops, the pharaoh of the 4th dynasty. The enormous interest in the history of its construction continues today. Myths about the pyramid There are many theories about the origin of this grandiose structure. Some of them are based on information received from Egyptologists, others have a somewhat exotic, fairy-tale touch. There is even a version that this structure was erected by aliens or some vanished civilization that lived in these places even before the appearance of the pharaohs. And they built it using unknown technical capabilities. According to such theories, the age of this pyramid at Giza is significantly higher than that indicated by modern scientists.

It is quite difficult to accurately measure the parameters of the Cheops pyramid in our time, since it has suffered greatly over its long history. Today, for example, the stone that crowned the structure is no longer there, the facing slabs have been destroyed. According to data obtained using modern measuring instruments, initially great pyramid of giza had a height of 146.5 meters. The length of one side is 232.5 meters. The sides have a slope of 51 degrees 50 minutes. Weight - 6,400,000 tons. The internal structure of the famous one is quite interesting.

Anyone who enters this majestic structure can visit four spacious rooms. These are the chambers of the king and queen, a large gallery and an underground chamber. Researchers discovered four shafts inside the pyramid. At first there was an assumption that they were necessary for ventilation of rooms, but later a bolder version arose, according to which the mines are channels to the stars.

Two of them are aimed at the North Star, the third - at the star Sirius, the fourth - at Orion. Since ancient times, people have sought to climb to the top of the Cheops pyramid, where there is a small area measuring ten square meters. There was a belief that there you could come into contact with eternity. Many famous Russians visited this mysterious place. Among them is Emperor Nicholas II. And today many tourists come to Giza who want to see this miracle with their own eyes. Those who are interested in the history of Egypt can read about.

Sphinx - guardian of the pyramids of Giza

The Pyramids of Giza are guarded by the Great Sphinx, the oldest sculpture that has survived to this day. This is a lion with the head of a man. The history of the creation of this figure is no less mysterious than the history of the pyramids. There are many versions of the appearance of the Sphinx, but the most common of them says that the sculpture was built by Khafre in memory of his father, Pharaoh Cheops.

It is believed that the Sphinx was created much earlier, and under the pharaoh it was dug out of the sand during the construction of the great pyramid. Some discrepancy with the first version is that the face of the Sphinx has Negroid features, while all images of Cheops that have survived to this day do not have such features.

Many legends are associated with the Sphinx's lack of a nose. The most common theory is that this mythical animal lost its nose to Napoleon's cannons during the battle between the Turks and the French in 1798. But this is fiction, because there are images from 1737 in which the Sphinx no longer had a nose. Therefore, this sculpture is a big mystery for scientists around the world who study the civilization of Ancient Egypt. Many of the finds are stored in.
Nowadays, the pyramids in Giza are one of the world's main attractions, which are fraught with a great many secrets and mysteries. It is not at all surprising that the Egyptian pyramids are under the protection of UNESCO. Every year millions of tourists come to Egypt to see them and feel the extraordinary spirit of ancient times.

The magic of mysterious countries still exists. Palm trees sway in the warm wind, the Nile floats through the desert, surrounded by a green valley, the sun illuminates the Karnak temple and mysterious pyramids Egypt, and bright schools of fish flash in the Red Sea.

Funerary culture of Ancient Egypt

Pyramids are grandiose structures in the form of a regular geometric polyhedron. In the construction of funerary buildings or mastabas, this form, according to Egyptologists, began to be used because of its resemblance to a funeral cake. If you ask about how many pyramids there are in Egypt, you can hear the answer that to date about 120 buildings have been found and described, which are located in different areas along the banks of the Nile.

The first mastabas can be seen in Saqqara, Upper Egypt, Memphis, Abusir, El Lahun, Giza, Hawar, Abu Rawash, Meidum. They were built from clay bricks with river silt - adobe, in a traditional architectural form. The pyramid housed a prayer room and a funeral “dowry” for traveling in the afterlife. The underground part stored the remains. The pyramids had different appearances. They evolved from a stepped form to a true, geometrically correct form.

Evolution of the shape of the pyramids

Tourists are often interested in how to see all the pyramids of Egypt and in which city they are located. There are many such places. For example, Meiduma is the most mysterious point, where the oldest of all the great funerary buildings are located. When Sneferu came to the throne (c. 2575 BC), Saqqara had the only large, fully completed royal pyramid of Djoser.

Ancients local residents They called it "el-haram-el-kaddab", which means "false pyramid". Because of its shape, it attracted the attention of travelers back in the Middle Ages.

The step pyramid of Djoser at Saqqara is known as the earliest form of funerary building in Egypt. Its appearance dates back to the period of the third dynasty. Narrowing passages from the north lead to the burial chamber. Underground galleries surround the pyramid on all sides except the south. This is the only completed building with huge steps that were lined with stone. But her form was different from the ideal. First regular pyramids appeared at the beginning of the reign of the 4th dynasty of the pharaohs. The true form arose as a result of the natural development and improvement of the architectural design of the stepped building. The structure of a real pyramid is almost the same. The building blocks were laid to the required shapes and sizes of the object, and then they were finished with limestone or stone.

Pyramids of Dahshur

Dahshur forms the southern area of ​​the necropolis at Memphis and contains a number of pyramidal complexes and monuments. Dahshur has only recently been opened to the public. In the Nile Valley, south of Cairo, alone on the edge of the Western Desert, above the lush green fields of Meidum, lies a remarkable area where the transition from a stepped to a regular pyramid shape can be seen. The transformation occurred during the change from the third dynasty of pharaohs to the fourth. During the reign of the 3rd Dynasty, Pharaoh Huni organized the construction of the first regular pyramid in Egypt, using the stepped structures from Meidum as a base for construction. The funerary structure was intended for the son of Huni, the first pharaoh of the fourth dynasty, Snefru (2613-2589 BC). The heir completed work on his father's pyramids, then built his own - a stepped one. But the pharaoh's construction plans were scrapped because construction did not go according to plan. Reducing the angle of the side plane resulted in a diamond-shaped curved silhouette. This structure is called the Bent Pyramid, but it still has its outer shell intact.

Oldest pyramids at Saqqara

Saqqara is one of the huge necropolises ancient city, which is known today as Memphis. The ancient Egyptians called this place "White Walls". The pyramids of Egypt at Saqqara are represented by the first oldest step pyramid, Djosera. It was here that the history of the construction of these burial structures began. The first writing on the walls, known as the Pyramid Texts, was found in Saqqara. The architect of these projects is called Imhotep, who invented hewn stone masonry. Thanks to construction developments, the ancient architect was considered a deity. Imhotep is considered the son of the patron of crafts, Ptah. Saqqara is home to many tombs belonging to important ancient Egyptian officials.

A true gem represents the great pyramids of Egypt in the Sneferu complex. Dissatisfied with the Bent Pyramid, which did not allow him to go to heaven with dignity, he began construction about two kilometers to the north. This was the famous Pink Pyramid, so named because of the red limestone used in its construction. This is one of the oldest buildings in Egypt, which is created in the correct form. It has an inclination angle of 43 degrees and is the second largest, second only to the Great Pyramid of Giza. It was built by Sneferu's son in Khufu. In fact, the Great Pyramid is only 10 meters from the Pink Pyramid. Other major monuments at Dahshur date from the 12th and 13th dynasties and are not comparable in scale to the work of Huni and Sneferu.

Late pyramids in the Sneferu complex

There are later pyramids at Meidum. In Egypt, where the White Pyramid of Amenemhat II, the Black Pyramid of Amenemhat III and the structure of Senusret III are located, smaller monuments for funerary purposes for minor rulers, nobles and officials dominate.

They talk about a fairly stable and peaceful period in Egyptian history. Interestingly, the Black Pyramid and the structure of Senwosret III were built not of stone, but of brick. Why this material was used is unknown, but in those days new methods of construction penetrated into Egypt from other countries, thanks to trade and international relations. Unfortunately, although brick was much easier to work with, compared to granite blocks, which weighed many tons, this material did not stand the test of time. Although the Black Pyramid is quite well preserved, the White Pyramid is very damaged. Tourists who are little aware of the huge number of pyramidal burials are confused. They ask: "Where are the pyramids in Egypt?" While everyone knows about the great funerary structures of Egypt, there are many less significant examples of similar structures. Scattered along the Nile from Selium on the edge of the oasis to the island of Elephantine in Aswan, in the village of Naga el-Khalifa, about five miles south of Abydos, in the city of Minya and many other unexplored places.

Pyramids of Giza and necropolis

For all tourists who come to Egypt, an excursion to the pyramids becomes almost a ritual. The buildings of Giza are the only surviving of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World and are the most famous landmarks. This sacred place impresses with its antiquity, the scale of the necropolis, the unreality of the structures and the Great Sphinx. The mysteries of the construction and supposed symbolism of the Giza pyramids only add to the appeal of these ancient wonders. Many modern people still consider Giza a spiritual place. A number of fascinating theories have been proposed to explain the "mystery of the pyramids." Author of the project Great Pyramid in Egypt they call the adviser Cheops and his relative - Hemiun. Giza is the most important place on earth for many researchers who are trying to unravel the geometric perfection of funerary structures in ancient sources. But even great skeptics are in awe of the great antiquity, scale and absolute harmony of the Giza pyramids.

History of the Pyramids of Giza

Situated on the west bank of the Nile River, approximately 12 miles southwest of downtown Cairo, Giza (el-Gizah in Arabic) is the third largest city in Egypt with a population of nearly 3 million. It is a famous necropolis on the Giza Plateau and contains the most popular monuments in Egypt. The Great Pyramids of Giza were built in 2500 BC as burial grounds for the pharaohs. Together they make up the only ancient miracle of light still existing today. Many tourists are attracted by Egypt (Hurghada). They can see the Pyramids of Giza in half an hour, which it takes to travel. You can admire this wonderful ancient sacred place to your heart's content.

The Great Pyramid of Khufu, or Cheops as the Greeks called it (it is the oldest and largest of the three pyramids at Giza), and the necropolis bordering Cairo have remained virtually untouched by time. It is believed that the pyramid was built as a tomb for the fourth dynasty of Egyptian pharaohs Khufu. The Great Pyramid was the tallest man-made structure in the world for over 3,800 years. It was originally covered with casing stones, which created a smooth outer surface. Some of them can be seen around the base and at the very top. There are various scientific and alternative theories about how the pyramids of Ancient Egypt were built, and about the construction methods of the Great Pyramid itself. Most accepted theories of construction are based on the idea that it was built by moving huge stones from a quarry and lifting them into place. It covers an area of ​​just over 5 hectares. The original height was 146 m in height, but the pyramid is still an impressive 137 m high. The main losses are due to the destruction of the smooth limestone surface.

Herodotus on Egypt

When the Greek historian Herodotus visited Giza, around 450 BC, he described the pyramids in Egypt. He learned from Egyptian priests that the Great Pyramid was built for Pharaoh Khufu, who was the second king of the Fourth Dynasty (c. 2575-2465 BC). The priests told Herodotus that it was built by 400,000 people over 20 years. The construction employed 100,000 people at a time to move the blocks. But archaeologists consider this implausible and tend to think that the labor force was more limited. Perhaps 20,000 workers with accompanying support staff of bakers, doctors, priests and others would be sufficient to complete the task.

The most famous pyramid was carefully laid out using 2.3 million processed stone blocks. These blocks had an impressive weight from two to fifteen tons. After completion of construction, the burial structure was amazing in weight, which was approximately 6 million tons. All the famous cathedrals in Europe combined have this weight! The Pyramid of Cheops has been recorded for thousands of years as the tallest structure in the world.

Only the graceful spiers of the unusually majestic Lincoln Cathedral, built in England, 160 m high, were able to break the record, but they collapsed in 1549.

Pyramid of Khafre

Among the pyramids of Giza, the second largest is the structure built for the afterlife journey of Khafre (Khefren), the son of Pharaoh Khufu. He inherited power after the death of his elder brother and was the fourth ruler in the fourth dynasty. Of his high-born relatives and predecessors on the throne, many were buried in penny tombs. But the grandeur of Khafre’s pyramid is almost as striking as the “last house” of his father.

The Pyramid of Khafre visually reaches towards the sky and seems higher than the first pyramid of Giza - the funerary building of Cheops, because it stands on a higher part of the plateau. It is characterized by a steeper slope with a preserved smooth limestone surface. The second pyramid had each side measuring 216 m and was originally 143 m high. Its limestone and granite blocks weigh about 2.5 tons each.

The ancient pyramids of Egypt, for example Cheops, like the building of Khafre, each include five burial pits connected by passages. Together with the mortuary, the Valley of the Temples and the connecting causeway, it is 430 meters long, carved into the rock. The burial chamber, which is located underground, contained a red granite sarcophagus with a lid. Nearby there is a square cavity where the chest with the entrails of the pharaoh was located. The Great Sphinx near Khafre's pyramid is considered to be his royal portrait.

Pyramid of Mikerin

The last of the pyramids of Giza is the pyramid of Mikerin, located to the south. It was intended for the son of Khafre, the fifth king of the fourth dynasty. Each side measures 109 m, and the height of the structure is 66 m. In addition to these three monuments, small pyramids were built for Khufu's three wives and a series of flat-topped pyramids for the remains of his beloved children. At the end of the long causeway, small tombs of the courtiers were lined up, the temple and morgue were built only for the mummification of the pharaoh's body.

Like all the pyramids of Egypt, created for the pharaohs, the burial chambers of these buildings were filled with everything necessary for the next life: furniture, statues of slaves, niches for canopic jars.

Theories about the construction of the Egyptian giants

The centuries-old history of Egypt conceals many mysteries. The pyramids, built without modern devices, only increase curiosity about these places. Herodotus assumed that the foundation was laid from huge blocks weighing about seven tons. And then, like children’s cubes, all 203 layers were lifted up step by step. But this cannot be done, as evidenced by the Japanese attempt in the 1980s to duplicate the actions of Egyptian builders. The most plausible explanation is that the Egyptians used ramps to tow stone blocks down a ramp using sleds, rollers, and levers. And the base was a natural plateau. The majestic structures withstood not only the crushing work of time, but also numerous attacks by grave robbers. They robbed the pyramids in ancient times. The burial chamber of Khafre, discovered by the Italians in 1818, was empty; there was no longer any gold or other treasures there.

There is a possibility that there are still undiscovered pyramids of Egypt or are now completely destroyed. Many people express fantastic theories about extraterrestrial intervention from another civilization, for which such construction is child's play. The Egyptians are only proud of the perfect knowledge of their ancestors in the field of mechanics and dynamics, thanks to which the construction business developed.

Everyone knows how many interesting, sometimes amazing scientific discoveries were made by scientists on ancient Egyptian soil. Her tombs and temples yielded a lot of wonderful finds. But the greatest miracle of Egypt, which amazed people even in ancient times, were the pyramids - these amazing artificial mountains - the tombs of the ancient Egyptian kings.

Huge tombs and pyramids were built, exacting incredible prices and containing priceless treasures, and intricately embalmed mummies. The splendor of Ancient Egypt lasted over 3 thousand years.

The pyramids were impressive tetrahedral tombs built for the pharaohs of the Old Kingdom. All the faces that formed something like a triangle converged at the top, forming a pointed top.

Scientists note that during the existence of the Ancient Egyptian kingdom, more than 80 pyramids were built, but only a small part has reached us. There are three surviving pyramids in total - these are the pyramids of Cheops, Khafre and Mikerin (they also have Egyptian names - Khufu, Khafre and Menkaure). 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 impressive pyramids built at Giza over 100 years later had flat sides. The top of each pyramid was probably covered with gold. Inside the pyramids there were burial chambers and secret galleries. [Appendix 2] No one really knows why the Egyptians built these pyramid tombs, but it is possible that they were seen as a stairway to heaven, helping the pharaoh gain eternal life. Pharaohs were the name given to 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 reported sensational news - an unknown German robotic engineer, Rudolf Gantenbrink, had made an outstanding discovery. The remote-controlled robot he launched explored the Cheops pyramid from the inside. This is the discovery he made. It turned out that the pyramids have their own reflection in the sky, but rather they themselves are a reflection of the constellation Orion. The Pyramids of Giza are Orion's Belt. Thus, according to R. Gantenbrink, the theory of “stellar correspondence” was confirmed. Thanks to the guidance of the stars, high accuracy was achieved in the construction of the pyramids. Why is the construction of the pyramids focused specifically on the constellation Orion? Nile was the real ruler of Egypt. The river began to flood on the day of the summer solstice, which was accompanied by the appearance of Sirius over 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, a new season of the rebirth of life began. That is why Orion was associated with the great god Osiris.

Ancient Egypt had excellent astronomers. The Egyptians, as you know, to determine the exact time of sowing, very carefully monitored the stars, compiling star maps and tables. Therefore, the pyramids are oriented strictly along the meridian, their faces look at 4 cardinal directions, the entrance is always located on the north side of the structure.

Another interesting theory is the use of pyramids as an energy plant.

Several confirmations of this hypothesis can be found based on the architecture of the Cheops pyramid. Did it make sense for the ancient Egyptians to build such a grandiose structure just to honor the memory of the pharaoh? The pyramid is riddled with various shafts and canals throughout its entire height and length. It has been scientifically proven that these channels are laid in accordance with star charts. A vertical channel runs along the center line of the pyramid, which may be an energy installation for communication with the Universal Mind or the spirits of ancestors, according to the beliefs of the ancient people. Interestingly, what is inside the pyramid large number premises that have nothing to do with the burial ceremony. It has not yet been proven whether Pharaoh Khufu (Cheops) was actually buried in the burial chamber of the Great Pyramid or in another place.

With each new discovery, the mysteries of the pyramids of Ancient Egypt 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 the interior spaces, special lanterns, possibly electric, were used. They were discovered during excavations and still gave off a faint light, despite 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 edges of the pyramid, scientists discovered various images made using grooves. Drawings can be seen in reflected light if desired. On the southern side of the pyramid, most likely, there is 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 knowledge that was buried under a layer 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 issues of astronomy, art and religion, but also contain “historical and prophetic predictions.” In 1865, Robert Menzies suggested that if we took the sacred inch of the Egyptians as a basis and measured the length inner chambers Egyptian pyramid, then we will find the chronological dates of the most important events of the past and future. Based on the discoveries made by Mr. Varil in 1948-49, Egyptologist-symbolists believe that the architecture of most 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 superstructures of the surface structures of these monuments indicate esoteric knowledge hidden from the layman. In turn, the famous astronomer, director of the Bourges Observatory, Abbot Moret, devoted his life to uncovering 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 Cheops pyramid obtained by engineer Davidson turned out to be amazing. The diagonal of the Egyptian pyramid of Cheops gives its absolutely accurate 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 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, 2500 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 to build the Egyptian pyramids of Giza. When measuring the Cheops pyramid itself, it turned out that the perimeter of the Giza pyramid, divided by double the height, gives the exact number “Pi”, with an accuracy of one hundred thousandth. It is interesting that the sacred measure of the length of Egypt, i.e. The pyramidal inch (by a strange coincidence equal to modern English) is one billionth of the Earth's orbit traversed by it in 24 hours. Another linear measure of the pyramid is the cubit, equal to 25 inches, or 635.66 millimeters - 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 weight standard, coincides exactly with the weight of one English pound (453.59g). The archaic units of English measures exactly correspond to the “sacred” units of Ancient Egypt!

pyramid ancient egyptian pharaoh tomb

I would like to summarize all the information about the most famous Egyptian pyramids collected on LifeGlobe into a single collection. Naturally, here I will describe only the most large pyramids, with links to a separate article about each of them. In detailed topics you will find both their coordinates and more detailed description. There are a total of 118 pyramids in Egypt of different shapes, sizes and heights, but we will start, of course, with the three Great Pyramids of Giza. It is these structures on the Giza plateau that are included in the list of the seven ancient wonders of the world, although, in addition to Giza, there are many pyramids in other parts of Egypt.

The first number in our review will be the Great Pyramid of Cheops, which is known anywhere in the world. It is she who is the face of the Egyptian pyramids and the largest construction of antiquity, giving rise to many secrets and legends around her. The construction of the pyramid took two whole decades and was completed in 2560 BC.

With a height of 146.5 meters, it was the largest structure in the world for more than 4 millennia. I have been collecting material about the Great Pyramid for a long time in a separate article; using the link above you can learn more about it.

The second most important pyramid is the pyramid of Khafre, the son of Cheops. It was built on a 10-meter plateau, so it seems taller than the Cheops pyramid, but it is not. Its height is 136.4 meters, while Cheops is 146.5 meters.


Not far from the Pyramid of Khafre is the Great Sphinx - a monument carved into the rock. The facial features of the Sphinx repeat the face of Pharaoh Khafre.

The third great pyramid is the Pyramid of Mikerinus. It is the smallest of them, and was built the latest. It is only 66 meters in height, and the length of the base is 108.4 meters.

Despite its small size, it is considered to be the most beautiful of the three pyramids. In addition, the pyramid of Mykerinus marked the end of an era great pyramids. All subsequent buildings were small in size.

The Egyptian pyramids do not end there; we move from Giza to other parts of Egypt. The step pyramid of Djoser is considered one of the largest in Egypt. It is located in the village of Saqqara, and was built for Pharaoh Djoser by Imhotep himself. It occupies an area of ​​125 by 115 meters, and its height is 62 meters. This is the first pyramid of Egypt, and also very well preserved.

The most unusual in shape can be safely called the pyramid in Medum. It is located 100 kilometers south of the capital of Egypt, it was built for Pharaoh Huni, but it was completed by his son Snefru. It originally had 8 steps, but nowadays only the last 3 are visible. After construction, its height was 118 meters, and its area was 146 by 146 meters.

The Pink Pyramid is unusual in that it has a pink hue due to the special stone used for its construction. This is the third tallest pyramid after Cheops and Khafre, 104.4 meters high. Researchers believe that this pyramid was also built by the already known Pharaoh Snefru.

Not far from Rozovaya is the Bent Pyramid, built in the 26th century. BC e. It got its name because of its irregular shape. Look for yourself, it was built in 3 stages, at each of which it was given different angles of inclination:

I have described the largest and most famous Egyptian pyramids, now let's move on to smaller specimens. A later structure is the pyramid of Userkaf at Saqqara, not far from the pyramid of Djoser. It was preserved very poorly, so only initial data can be given: its height is 49.4 meters, length at the base is 73.30 meters.

Not far from Saqqara, in Abusir, there is a pyramid of the 5th dynasty pharaoh Sahura. All subsequent complexes of the pharaohs of this dynasty were built in the likeness of this pyramid. Unfortunately, this pyramid has survived to this day in rather poor condition.

Let's finish our review of the most outstanding Egyptian pyramids with the Pyramid of Unis in Saqqara. It is notable for the fact that the very first “Pyramid Texts” were discovered here - ancient hieroglyphs on the walls of the burial chamber. Many scientists are still deciphering these texts.