In this slide you will find the information of pyramids. Contents History Location Why pyramids were built? Who build pyramids? How Were the Pyramids Built? Consternation technique Evolves of Egyptian burial practices The Pharaoh on Egyptian society Structure of the great Pyramid of khufu Great pyramids of Egypt The Pyramid of Djoser The Pyramid of Meidum The Bent Pyramid The Red Pyramid The Pyramid of Khufu The Pyramid of Khafre The Pyramid of Menkaure The Pyramid of Sahure Great Sphinx The Chambers The End of the Pyramid Era Egyptian hieroglyphs (Pyramid Texts) Todays pyramid Wonder facts of pyramid Unanswered facts of pyramids

1. The Legend of the
Ancient Egyptian
Pyramids
Kazi Arifin Jamil

2. Contents
⬗ History
⬗ Location
⬗ Why pyramids were
built?
⬗ Who build pyramids?
⬗ How Were the
Pyramids Built?
⬗ Consternation
technique
⬗ Evolves of Egyptian
burial practices
⬗ Great Sphinx
⬗ The Chambers
⬗ The End of the Pyramid Era
⬗ Egyptian hieroglyphs
(Pyramid Texts)
⬗ Todays pyramid
⬗ Wonder facts of pyramid
⬗ Unanswered facts of
pyramids
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⬗ The Pharaoh on Egyptian society
⬗ Structure of the great
Pyramid of khufu
⬗ Great pyramids of Egypt
⬗ The Pyramid of Djoser
⬗ The Pyramid of Meidum
⬗ The Bent Pyramid
⬗ The Red Pyramid
⬗ The Pyramid of Khufu
⬗ The Pyramid of Khafre
⬗ The Pyramid of Menkaure
⬗ The Pyramid of Sahure

3. History
⬗ The Egyptian pyramids are ancient masonry structures located
in Egypt. Sources cite at least 118 identified Egyptian
pyramids. Most were built as tombs for the country's pharaohs
and their consorts during the Old and Middle Kingdom
periods
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4. Location
The largest and best known Egyptian
pyramids are those at Giza, on the
outskirts of Cairo. Several of the Giza
pyramids are among the largest structures
ever built . The Pyramid of Khufu is the
largest Egyptian pyramid. It is the only
one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient
World still in existence; this is despite
being the oldest wonder by about 2,000
years.
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5. Why pyramids were built?
⬗ Pyramids were built for religious
purposes. The Egyptians were one of the
first civilizations to believe in an afterlife.
They believed that a second self called the
‘ka’ lived within every human being.
When the physical body expired, the ‘ka’
enjoyed eternal life. Those fortunate
enough to pass the test of Osiris wanted to
be comfortable in their lives beyond earth.
The Great Pyramids were simply grand
tombs of powerful pharaohs.
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6. Who Built The Pyramids?
In contrast to popular belief, skeletons
unearthed from the area show that the
workers on the pyramids were probably native
Egyptian agricultural laborers who worked on
the pyramids during the time when the Nile
River flooded land nearby. Approximately 2.3
million blocks of stone (averaging about 2.5
tons each) had to be cut, transported and
assembled to build Khufu’s Great Pyramid. it
took 20 years to build and required the labor
of 100,000 men, but later archaeological
evidence suggests that the workforce might
actually have been around 20,000.
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7. How Were the Pyramids Built?
⬗ Materials Used
The pyramids were built of
limestone, granite, basalt,
gypsum , and baked mud
bricks. Granite likely came
from upriver at Aswan.
Iron tools were not
available, so workers used
copper and stone-cutting
tools to carve out the blocks
in the quarries.
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8. How Were the Pyramids Built?(2)
⬗ Transporting Materials
They most likely dragged the
blocks with wooden sleds and
ropes. They then used levers
to move the stone blocks
away from the quarry site.
For long-distance transport,
the blocks were loaded on
barges and transported down
the Nile. Workers dug canals
to get the barges nearer to the
site.
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9. Consternation technique(1)
Phase 1: Choosing the perfect building site
This had to be on the west side of the Nile where the Sun set, As they believed that wherever the sun sets
that’s was the portal to the afterlife. High ground ,away from the danger of flooding but not far from Nile
river ,point on the desert plateau that would be proved a firm rock base capable of supporting the great weigh
of the pyramid and not too far from king’s residence were must have criteria.
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10. Consternation technique(2)
Phase 2: Preparing the site
Pyramids were not built randomly
and the measurements used were
accurate to a high degree, but no plans for
construction were ever discovered. Removing the
loose sand from the rock, making the rock absolutely flat, making perfect square base with all four sides
the same length and corners at a perfect right angle.
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11. Consternation technique(3)
Phase 3: Raising the blocks
According to Herodotus levers were used to raise
the blocks from one level to the next .Workers
operating in teams used a ramp to haul the blocks
into position. As the pyramid grew in size so the
ramp would have been raised to enable the workers
to reach the next level. Construction methods are
still hotly debated and are still one of the greatest
mysteries of Ancient human civilization.
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12. Evolves of Egyptian burial practices(1)
⬗ MASTABAS
Mastaba tombs were low rectangular brick or stone
structures. Like the pyramids, they were built on
the west side of the Nile. In the Mastabas, lavish tombs with
all necessary possessions would be prepared for the Pharaohs.
⬗ MUMMIFICATION
Mummification is the process of preserving the body after death by
deliberately drying or embalming flesh. This typically involved
removing moisture from a deceased body and using chemicals or
natural preservatives, such as resin, to desiccate the flesh and organs.
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13. Evolves of Egyptian burial practices(2)
⬗ PYRAMIDS
Pharaoh was viewed as a god, he lived in the spirit world with the
gods. Upon death, he had to be able to return to his body on earth,
and required a tomb where his body would be preserved and
surrounded by materials he would need whenever his spirit
returned to his body and so pyramids came to exist.
⬗ VALLEY OF THE KINGS
Valley of the Kings is a valley in Egypt where, for a period of
nearly 500 years from the 16th to 11th century BC, rock-cut
tombs were excavated for the pharaohs and powerful nobles
of the New Kingdom. It has 63 magnificent royal tombs till
now. As pyramids were robbed regularly. Tuthmosis wanted
to protect his tomb and his next life, so he decided to hide it
and keep the location a secret thus valley of kings were made.
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14. The Pharaoh on Egyptian society
⬗ During the third and fourth dynasties of the Old Kingdom, Egypt was prosperous
and stable economically. Kingship held a unique position in Egyptian society. As
mediators on earth, they were thought to be somewhere between human and divine,
chosen by the gods themselves. To properly care for his spirit, the corpse was
mummified, and everything the king would need in the afterlife was buried with
him, including gold vessels, food, furniture and other offerings. The pyramids
became the focus of a cult of the dead king that was supposed to continue well after
his death. Their riches would provide not only for him, but also for the relatives,
officials and priests who were buried
⬗ The pyramid's smooth, angled sides symbolized the rays of the sun and were
designed to help the king's soul ascend to heaven and join the gods, particularly the
sun god Ra.
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15. Structure of the great Pyramid of khufu
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16. Great pyramids of Egypt(1)
The first proto-pyramid-like structure to evolve in
Egypt was the Pyramid of Djoser in the Saqqara
necropolis during the 3rd Dynasty of the Old
Kingdom. The Pyramid started as a square mastaba
like and was developed into a six-stepped
monument with an underground labyrinth of
chambers and galleries cut into the bedrock, the
burial of family members, and the storage of goods
and offerings.
The Step Pyramid is arguable the first major
monumental structure made of stone in Egypt that
sets the stage for later pyramids of the 4th, 5th, and
6th Dynasties.
⬗ The Pyramid of Djoser -The Step Pyramid (Original height 62.5 meters)
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17. Great pyramids of Egypt(2)
The Pyramid of Meidum was the first straight-
sided pyramid and may have been originally built
for Huni, the last pharaoh of the 3rd Dynasty,
and continued by Sneferu who was the founding
pharaoh of the 4th Dynasty during the Old
Kingdom. The pyramid had major construction
issues due to its siting on sand instead of rock and
the steps were not horizontal that compromised
the structure’s stability causing the outer layers to
partially collapse. The substructure consists of a
long staircase leading to the central burial
chamber which was left uncompleted with raw
walls and wooden supports still in place.
⬗ The Pyramid of Meidum (Original height 91.5 meters)
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18. Great pyramids of Egypt(3)
The Bent Pyramid was a smooth-sided pyramid
constructed by Sneferu at the Dahshur necropolis.
The pyramid is unique amongst other pyramids
found in Egypt. Some academics theorize that the
change in angle was due to the collapse of the
Pyramid of Meidum, or that the Bent Pyramid also
began to show signs of instability during
construction.
The substructure is simpler in design consisting of
two entrances leading to chambers with a high
corbelled roof. A hole in the roof of the northern
chamber leads via a passage to the western entrance
that connects to the main burial chamber.
⬗ The Bent Pyramid (Original height 104.7 meters)
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19. Great pyramids of Egypt(4)
The Red Pyramid, also called the North Pyramid
was also constructed by Sneferu at the Dahshur
necropolis and is considered the first successful
attempt at constructing a “true” smooth-sided
pyramid. Despite being called the Red Pyramid, the
pyramid did not always appear red and was
originally encased with a white Tura limestone.
The substructure consists of a long descending
staircase that leads to a corbelled chamber and a
passage connecting a second chamber. This contains
another small short horizontal passage leading to the
third and final chamber.
⬗ The Red Pyramid (Original height 105 meters)
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20. Great pyramids of Egypt(5)
Pyramid of Khufu was built by the pharaoh Khufu,
son of Sneferu and the second pharaoh of the 4th
Dynasty. Its one of the “Seven Wonders of the Ancient
World”. After the pyramid’s completion, the Great
Pyramid of Khufu would remain the tallest man-made
structure in the world until the completion of Lincoln
Cathedral in England in AD 1311.
⬗ The Great Pyramid of Khufu (Original height 146.7 metres)
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Inside the pyramid are three known chambers, the lowest
being a rock-cut chamber in the bedrock which appears
unfinished. In the superstructure are the Queen’s and
King’s chamber, hidden chamber above the Grand Gallery.
Surrounding the pyramid are two mortuary temples, three
smaller pyramids for Khufu’s wives, a satellite pyramid and
several mastabas for high-status officials and nobles.

21. Great pyramids of Egypt(6)
The Pyramid of Khafre was built by the 4th Dynasty
pharaoh Khafre, son of Khufu .The pyramid is the
second largest constructed at the Giza Necropolis,
being built using horizontal courses, with the outer
layers encased in pink granite for the lower courses
and Tura limestone for the upper.
The pyramid is shorter in height than the Pyramid
of Khufu, but to give the appearance of surpassing
his father, Khafre built his pyramid on a layer of
bedrock 10 metres higher. The interior of the
pyramid is also simpler, consisting of two entrances
that lead to the burial chamber cut from the
bedrock, and a subsidiary chamber that may have
functioned as the pharaohs serdab.
⬗ The Pyramid of Khafre (Original height 143.5 metres)
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22. Great pyramids of Egypt(7)
The Pyramid of Menkaure is the
smallest of the main three pyramids
at the Giza Necropolis and was built
by Menkaure, a 4th Dynasty pharaoh
and possible successor to Khafre.
The pyramid was constructed of
Tura limestone and red Aswan
granite and consists of a single
entrance that leads to a series of
inner chambers.
⬗ The Pyramid of Menkaure (Original height 65 metres)
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23. Great pyramids of Egypt(8)
The Pyramid of Sahure was constructed
by Sahure, who was the second pharaoh of
the 5th Dynasty and possibly the son of
Userkaf.
The pyramid is located in Abusir and
consists of a main pyramid, mortuary
temple, a valley temple on Abusir Lake,
and a causeway linking the complex. This
layout would become the newly adopted
form for pyramid construction by
succeeding pharaohs during the 5th and
6th Dynasty.
⬗ The Pyramid of Sahure (Original height 47 metres)
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24. Great Sphinx
⬗ The Great Sphinx of Giza is a limestone statue of a
reclining sphinx, a mythical creature with the head
of a man, and the body of a lion. Facing directly
from west to east, it stands on the Giza Plateau on
the west bank of the Nile in Giza, Egypt.
⬗ It represents Ra-Horakhty, a form of the powerful
sun god, and is the incarnation of royal power and
the protector of the temple doors.
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25. The Chambers(1)
⬗ Kings chamber
The room near the top of the Great Pyramid is known
as the King’s Chamber. The King’s Chamber measures
10.45 meters by 5.20 meters, is 5.80 meters high, and is
made entirely of pink granite. It had to be built to resist
an enormous amount of pressure from the masonry
above. This is where the kings mummy is kept.
⬗ Queen chamber
Although this chamber has become known as the
Queen's Chamber, it is unlikely that any queen was
buried here. Far more consistent with earlier tombs,
this room was probably used to house a life-size
statue of the king, the internal version of a serdab. A
Serdab is a room for the kings "Ka" statue.
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26. The Chambers(2)
⬗ Grand Gallery
The Grand Gallery is a long, narrow passage inside
the Great Pyramid of Khufu, that leads up to the
King's chamber. It is one of the most fantastic
passages constructed in the ancient world inside an
Egyptian pyramid.
⬗ Hidden chamber
The subterranean chamber, the queen's chamber, and
the king's chamber all connected with several corridors.
Recently a large void or structure was discovered by a
team of researchers hidden within Khufu's Pyramid at
Giza. Researchers say the hidden chamber is at least 100
feet long and located above a hallway which contains a
lot of mysteries yet to be revealed.
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27. The End of the Pyramid Era
⬗ Pyramids continued to be built
throughout the fifth and sixth
dynasties, but the general quality and
scale of their construction declined
over this period, along with the power
and wealth of the kings themselves.
The last of the great pyramid builders
was Pepy II (2278-2184 B.C.) With
Pepy’s death, the kingdom and strong
central government virtually collapsed
later many pyramids were never on
same scale as the Great Pyramids.
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28. Egyptian hieroglyphs(Pyramid Texts)
⬗ Hieroglyphic writing, system that employs
characters in the form of pictures. Those
individual signs, called hieroglyphs, may be
read either as pictures, as symbols for objects,
or as symbols for sounds.
⬗ Many hieroglyphic texts can be found on
pyramids wall. The Pyramid Texts provide
the earliest comprehensive view of the way in
which the ancient Egyptians understood the
structure of the universe, the role of the gods,
and the fate of human beings after death.
Their lifestyle, Their culture etc are learnt
from the hieroglyphic texts.
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29. The Pyramids Today
⬗ Tomb robbers and other vandals in both
ancient and modern times removed most of
the bodies and funeral goods from Egypt’s
pyramids and plundered their exteriors as
well. Stripped of most of their smooth white
limestone coverings, the Great Pyramids no
longer reach their original heights; Khufu’s,
for example, measures only 451 feet high.
Nonetheless, millions of people continue to
visit the pyramids each year, drawn by their
towering grandeur and the enduring allure
of Egypt’s rich and glorious past.
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30. Wonder facts of pyramid
⬗ Pyramid stones weighed more than an elephant.
⬗ The pyramids were not built by slaves.
⬗ The pyramids appear to be aligned with the stars.
⬗ The Great Pyramid of Giza is located exactly at the intersection of the longest line
of longitude and longest line of latitude.
⬗ A pyramid took about two decades to build.
⬗ Pyramids are mostly devoid of hieroglyphics.
⬗ An estimated 10,000 - 50,000 people build the structures.
⬗ The pyramids might have been aligned using gnomons.
⬗ The Great Pyramid of Giza's design might be based on Pi.
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31. Unanswered facts of pyramids
⬗ What Was Used To Make Egyptian Pyramids?
⬗ How The Pyramids Were Used?
⬗ What Is The Queen's Chamber For?
⬗ Who Built The Sphinx?
⬗ What's inside the pyramids?
⬗ What's in the hidden secret doors?
⬗ How was the hidden chambers made as it was a one way in?
⬗ How those giant stones were lifted?
⬗ How did they cut the stones in perfect shape?
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32. The Great Egyptian Pyramids remain still a mystery even in the
era of the modern world. Hopefully more mysteries will be
revealed with course of time.
⬗ That will be all .
⬗ Thank you for staying till the end. 
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