5 Great Facts about The Egyptian Pyramids

Do you want to know more about the Egyptian pyramids? This post will tell you some really great facts and information about these fascinating structures!

Fact Number One: The Great Pyramid of Giza was the tallest structure in the world for nearly 4000 years

The Great Pyramid of Giza is the best example of pyramid building in Egypt. The Great pyramid is huge standing at 449 feet tall! In comparison the Statue of Liberty in New York is only 305 feet tall!

The Great Pyramid of Giza was the largest building in the world for almost 4000 years. The pyramid was built 2490 B.C. and it held the record until The Eiffel Tower was built in 1889. That’s a very long time!

Fact Number Two: The Egyptian pyramids were made to entomb the pharaohs

The Egyptians believed in the afterlife and believed that you would need to take all you need. The pharaohs were the kings and queens of Egypt and were related to the gods. When pharaohs died their bodies were placed in very fancy caskets. They even showed the image of the pharaoh on the lid of the casket.

The pyramids were designed to protect the tombs of pharaohs as they wanted to rest in peace. The tombs would be filled with all the pharaohs valuables. They were even buried with their pets, servants, and all their jewels.

The tombs of the Egyptian gods had lots of writing and imagery on the walls, this was to tell the story of their reign as pharaoh and to prove they were a powerful ruler. Hatshepsut, the first female pharaoh was known for her amazing architectural works. Building amazing buildings, temples, and obelisks were the mark of a powerful pharaoh. There are lots of big architectural projects left by the pharaohs such as the Avenue of the Sphinxes.

Even the shape and height of the pyramid was designed to help the pharaohs get to the afterlife easier. The pyramid pointed them to the sky and the height got them closer to the gods.

Fact Number Three: The Egyptian pyramids were locked with massive stones

The pyramids were filled with lots of valuable things. Pharaohs were buried with everything they would need for a successful afterlife. These things included food, wine, tools, and perfume. They even had things to make them look beautiful in the afterlife such as stones to grind up malachite to create make-up and jewellery to wear.

Because of the valuables stored inside the pyramids they were at risk of being robbed. These items were important to the successful afterlife of the pharaoh so they had to be protected. In the movies we see booby traps being used to protect the tombs but this isn’t what really happened.

The Ancient Egyptians would place massive stones in the way of the doors once the body and valuables were placed in the tomb. Some of the stones used were as heavy as 20 tones! That’s a really heavy door!

Fact Number Four: The Egyptian pyramids are so well built we are still trying to learn from them today

The pyramids were built using limestone, granite, mud bricks, and mortar. We know a lot about these building materials today but we still can’t understand how the Ancient Egyptians built buildings that are still standing after all this time. Some pyramids collapsed over time but many, including the largest at Giza, are still there.

Builders today are still trying to figure out how Egyptians were able to build such an impressive structure with no machines.

The bricks of the pyramids are glued together with a special type of mortar which helps the pyramid stay up. But we still don’t know what it’s made of or how it works.

Fact Number Five: The Egyptian pyramids were once polished to reflect the sun

You can still visit the pyramids in Egypt today including the Great Pyramid at Giza. If you visit Egypt, the pyramids will look a bit different than what they did when they were built.

When the pyramids were first completed their sides were polished. This allowed the sun to reflect off the surface. This means the pyramid would shine like a beacon of light in the desert. Some pyramids even had gold tips which would glint in the sun. This made them look very fancy and sacred.