All Giza Pyramids
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Map of Giza pyramid complex.
The '
Pyramids of Egypt', among the largest constructions ever built,
[1] constitute one of the most potent and enduring symbols of
Ancient Egyptian civilization. Most were built during the
Old and
Middle Kingdom periods
[2].
The number of
pyramid structures in Egypt today is reported by most sources as being between 80 and 111, with a majority favouring the higher number. In 1842
Karl Richard Lepsius made a
list of pyramids, in which he counted 67, but more have been identified and discovered since his time. The imprecise nature of the count is related to the fact that as many smaller pyramids are in a poor state of preservation and appear as little more than mounds of rubble, they are only now being properly identified and studied by archaeologists. Most are grouped in a number of pyramid fields, the most important of which are listed geographically, from north to south, below.
Abu Rawash
Main articles: Abu Rawash
Abu Rawash is the site of Egypt's most northerly pyramid other than the ruins of Lepsius pyramid number one
[3]— the son and successor of
Khufu. Originally it was thought that this pyramid had never been completed, but the current archaeological consensus is that not only was it completed, but that it was originally about the same size as the Pyramid of
Menkaure, the third largest pyramid in Egypt.
Its location adjacent to a major crossroads made it an easy source of stone. Quarrying — which began in Roman times — has left little apart from a few courses of stone superimposed upon the natural hillock that formed part of the pyramid's core. A small adjacent satellite pyramid is in a better state of preservation.
Giza
Main articles: Giza pyramid complex
The Giza pyramid field, viewed from the south-west. Dominating the picture from foreground to background are the Pyramids of Menkaure, Khafre and Khufu.The Giza Plateau in all took about 400 years to build.
is the location of the
Pyramid of Khufu (also known as the "Great Pyramid" and the "Pyramid of Cheops"), the somewhat smaller
Pyramid of Khafre (or Kephren), and the relatively modest-sized
Pyramid of Menkaure (or Mykerinus), along with a number of smaller satellite edifices, known as light bulb pyramids, and the
Great Sphinx.
The Great Sphinx of Giza with Khafre's pyramid in the background.
Of the three, only Khafre's pyramid retains part of its original polished limestone casing, towards its apex. This pyramid appears larger than the adjacent Khufu pyramid by virtue of its more elevated location, and the steeper angle of inclination of its construction — it is, in fact, smaller in both height and volume.
The
Giza Necropolis has been a popular tourist destination since antiquity, and was popularised in Hellenistic times when the Great Pyramid was listed by
Antipater of Sidon as one of the
Seven Wonders of the World. Today it is the only one of the ancient Wonders still in existence.
This site is the location for two unfinished Old Kingdom pyramids. The northern structure's owner is believed to be the Pharaoh
Nebka, whilst the southern structure is attributed to the Third Dynasty Pharaoh
Khaba, (also known as
Hudjefa), successor to
Sekhemkhet. Khaba's four-year tenure as pharaoh more than likely explains the similar premature truncation of his step pyramid. Today it is approximately twenty metres in height; had it been completed, it would probably have more than doubled in size.
Abu Sir
Main articles: Abusir
There are a total of 57 pyramids at this site, which served as the main royal necropolis during the fifth Dynasty. The quality of construction of the Abu Sir pyramids is inferior to those of the Fourth Dynasty — perhaps signalling a decrease in royal power or a less vibrant economy. They are smaller than their predecessors, and are built of low quality local limestone.
The three major pyramids are those of
Niuserre (which is also the most intact),
Neferirkare Kakai and
Sahure. The site is also home to the incomplete Pyramid of
Neferefre. All of the major pyramids at Abu Sir were built as step pyramids, although the largest of them — the
Pyramid of Neferirkare Kakai — is believed to have originally been built as a step pyramid some seventy metres in height and then later transformed into a "true" pyramid by having its steps filled in with loose masonry.
Saqqara
Main articles: Saqqara
The Stepped Pyramid of Djozer
Major pyramids here include the
Step Pyramid of Djozer — Egypt's oldest stone monumental building — the
Pyramid of Userkaf and the
Pyramid of Teti. Also at Saqqara is the
Pyramid of Unas, which retains a pyramid causeway that is amongst the best-preserved in Egypt. This pyramid was also the subject of one of antiquities' earliest restoration attempts, conducted under the auspices of one of the sons of
Ramesses II. Saqqara is also the location of the incomplete step pyramid of Djozer's successor
Sekhemkhet, known as the
Buried Pyramid. Archaeologists believe that had this pyramid been completed it would have been larger than Djozer's.
Dahshur
Main articles: Dahshur
Snofru's Red Pyramid
This area is arguably the most important pyramid field in Egypt outside Giza and Saqqara, although until 1996 the site was inaccessible due to its location within a military base, and hence was virtually unknown outside archaeological circles.
The southern Pyramid of
Sneferu, commonly known as the
Bent Pyramid is believed to be the first (or by some accounts, second) attempt at creating a pyramid with smooth sides. In this it was only a partial — but nonetheless visually arresting — success; it remains the only Egyptian pyramid to retain a significant proportion of its original limestone casing, and serves as the best example of the luminous appearance common to all pyramids in their original state.
The northern, or
Red Pyramid built at the same location by Sneferu was later successfully completed as the world's first true smooth-sided pyramid. Despite its relative obscurity, the Red Pyramid is actually the third largest pyramid in Egypt — after the pyramids of
Khufu and
Khafre at
Giza. Also at Dahshur is the pyramid known as the
Black Pyramid of
Amenemhet III.
Mazghuna
Main articles: Mazghuna
Located to the south of Dahshur, this area was used in the
First Intermediate Period by several kings who constructed their pyramids out of mud brick. Today these structures are obscure and unimpressive.
Lisht
Main articles: el-Lisht
The ruined Pyramid of Amenemhet I at Lisht
Two major pyramids are known to have been built at Lisht — those of
Amenemhat I and his son,
Senusret I. The latter is surrounded by the ruins of ten smaller subsidiary pyramids. One of these subsidiary pyramids is known to be that of Amenemhat's cousin, Khaba II.
[4] The site which is in the vicinity of the oasis of
Fayyum, midway between
Dahshur and
Meidum, and about 100 kilometres south of
Cairo, is believed to be in the vicinity of the ancient city of
Itjtawy (the precise location of which remains unknown), which served as the capital of Egypt during the
12th Dynasty.
Meidum
Main articles: Meidum
Sneferu's Pyramid at Meidum; the central core structure remains, surrounded by a mountain of rubble from the collapsed outer casing
The pyramid at
Meidum is one of three constructed during the reign of
Sneferu, and is believed by some to have been commenced by that pharaoh's father and predecessor,
Huni. However, this is not very likely, as his name does not appear on the site. Some archaeologists also suggest that the Meidum pyramid may have been the first unsuccessful attempt at the construction of a "true" or smooth-sided pyramid.
The pyramid suffered a catastrophic collapse in antiquity, and today only the central parts of its stepped inner core remain standing, giving it an odd tower-like appearance that is unique among Egyptian pyramids. The hill that the pyramid sits atop is not a natural landscape feature — it is the small mountain of debris created when the lower courses and outer casing of the pyramid gave way.
Hawara
Main articles: Hawara
The Pyramid of Amenemhet III at Hawarra
was the last powerful ruler of the 12th Dynasty, and the pyramid he built at Hawarra, near Faiyum, is believed to post-date the so-called "Black Pyramid" built by the same ruler at
Dahshur. It is the Hawarra pyramid that is believed to have been Amenemhet's final resting place.
el-Lahun
Main articles: el-Lahun
The Pyramid of Senusret II. The pyramid's natural limestone core is clearly visible as the yellow stratum at its base.
The pyramid of
Senusret II at
el-Lahun is the southernmost royal-tomb pyramid structure in Egypt. Its builders reduced the amount of work necessary to construct it by ingeniously using as its foundation and core a 12 metre high natural limestone hill.
Construction Dates
The following table lays out the chronology of the construction of most of the major pyramids mentioned here. Each pyramid is identified through the pharaoh who ordered it built, their approximate reign and its location.
See also
★
Egyptian pyramid construction techniques
'Pyramids of other cultures'
★
Chinese pyramids
★
French pyramids
★
Mesoamerican pyramids
★
Nubian pyramids
'Falsely reported and alleged pyramids'
★
Ukrainian pyramids - Archaeological dig site falsely reported as a pyramid in 2006
★
Bosnian pyramids - Also known as Visočica hill
References
1. The Great Pyramid of Khufu. Retrieved April 12, 2005. ''"The Great Pyramid of Khufu is the largest pyramid in Egypt and was the tallest man-made structure in the World until 1888."''
2. Michael Ritter (2003) Dating the Pyramids. Retrieved April 13, 2005.''"Archaeologists have generally believed that the magnificent pyramids at Giza were the work of the Old Kingdom Dynasty 4 in Egypt" "The astronomical records as reported precisely fixes Middle Kingdom dates. But one cannot just count back the reigns of kings into the Old Kingdom, an Intermediate period occur between the Old and Middle Kingdom."''
3. ibid.
4.
External links
★ http://www.cam2007.com Pyramid Live Webcam - The Most Visited Website for Egypt
★ http://www.aldokkan.com/art/pyramid.htm Old Kingdom Pyramids of Egypt - Aldokkan
★
Pyramids of Egypt – Comprehensive site by an Egyptian archaeology enthusiast that includes spectacular photographs of dozens of pyramids.
★
Ancient Authors – A site that quotes descriptions of the "Labyrinth" of Amenemhet III's pyramid at el-Lahun by various ancient authors.
★
Ancient Egyptian History - A comprehensive & consise educational website focusing on the basic and the advanced in all aspects of Ancient Egypt
★
ANCIENT EGYPT - History & Chronology – A site detailing the major pyramid sites of ancient Egypt and Nubia (Sudan).
★
www.great-pyramid.info – Photographs and information on Egyptian pyramids.
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Pyramids of Giza colour satellite imagery (Wikimapia - Google maps)
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Pyramids in relation with the Noble Quraan (Quran)
★
NOVA: This Old Pyramid - Video documentary on how the Pyramids might have been built (Note: Not authorized in certain regions).
★
diagram of an ancient pyramid from bbc.co.uk
★
Egypt Gallery at www.universalcat.org Striking images of the Giza Plateau at night, images can be enlarged to screen size.
★ http://www.landmarkcams.com/egyptian-pyramid-cams/egyptian-pyramid-cam-in-cairo-egypt/ - Egyptian pyramid cam
★
Pyramids of Giza color satellite imagery
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