Sean

Do you know why the pyramids were built? I will tell you all about it in this paper. The pyramids were constructed for pharaohs, or Egyptian kings. The Egyptians believed that there was an after-life, which is life after death. In order to be comfortable in the after-life the pharaohs built these buildings called pyramids, built for their bodies and belongings after death.

Egyptians believed that after they died they went to live in the underworld. The underworld was a mirror image of Egypt above. They wanted to bring their important and valuable things with them, so these items were buried in their tombs with their bodies; food, drink, clothing, ornaments, beds, chairs, tables, jewelry, gold, cosmetics, boats, and their favorite pets – dead or alive.

How were the pyramids built? No one can say for sure how he or she was built; there are many theories about how they were built. The stones used were brought from the banks of the Nile River. Egyptian workers and oxen pulled these massive stones weighing up to two tons. These stones were often put on sleds or rollers to speed up transporting them. The Egyptians used ramps and manpower to elevate the stones for proper placement on the pyramids.

The largest pyramid built by Egyptians is the great pyramid of Khufu. It is located with other smaller pyramids in a city called Giza. This pyramid is the oldest Wonder of the World. Many theories suggest that it took a twenty-year period to construct. It was built around the year 2560B.C. and it ranked as the tallest structure on Earth for more than 43 centuries!

Pyramid construction evolved from the basic burial tomb in the ground, to large mounds of dirt, progressing to large pyramids that we see today. Religious views also help shape the pyramids. For example, the solar religion of Heliopolis became predominant, with this, the temples became bigger and even a new type of temple was constructed. The solar sanctuary, this represented the pharaoh’s close connection to Re, the sun god.

Inside many pyramids there are intricate pathways and air passages. The main room of a pyramid is called the Kings burial chamber. Many of these chambers have been forever sealed off, allowing the Pharaohs to forever rest in peace. The Kings burial chambers are usually gold plated walls with stories carved in them. These writings told stories about the great kings' life and what will happen after he dies.

My favorite part is that we will never know how they were built. 

Click here to go to Sean's Index