Pyramids in Egypt Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Pyramids in Egypt - Research Paper Example This paper will focus on this and more so, on the Great pyramids of Giza. The name of the great pyramids is because they constitute the oldest and the largest pyramids in ancient Egypt (Lenher, 1997). They were the first pyramids to be constructed in Egypt by a King called Cheops. Although Cheops was not the first to construct a pyramid, many others including his father Snofru had tried and failed to come up with a perfect pyramid (Verner, 2003). The History – The First Pyramid The history of pyramids can be dated back to the early construction of tombs in Egypt. The construction of the tombs was especially for the burial of the kings and pharaohs of the land. According to Petrie an Egyptologist (Verner, 2003), the pyramids were approximately 280 cubits high and 440 cubits lengthwise. The Pyramids form the greatest wonders of the world today. According to Mendelssohn (1971), the above measurements of the pyramid translate to about a height of 454.5 feet and a length of 755 34 feet. The dimensions brought about the exact relation between the height and length to an accurate 22/7 also known as the ? in mathematics. This accuracy has resulted in questions whether the Egyptians already had a well formed architectural culture, or whether it was by chance. Verner (2003) stated that it did not matter whether they knew the existence of the mathematical ?, the thing is that they used it nonetheless. However, some historians believe that this accuracy could have been deliberate and should therefore not be ignored. According to Petrie, the precision must have been deliberate and included in the design of the builders. The development of the pyramids can be traced back to the culture of the Egyptians. Egyptians were very religious people and believed in many gods. People saw the Pharaoh who was their head as a living god. This respect of the Pharaoh was immense, that the Egyptians believed that they were still ruling over them in spirit form. Hence they were worship ped even in their dead state. The Egyptians believed in life after death. According to them, when a person died, their soul would remain and exist in spirit form called Ka. People believed that Ka would revisit the dead body and dwell in it. As a result of this belief, it was paramount that the body be preserved to entice Ka to come back into the body and dwell forever (Verner, 2003). Since they also believed that life after death was more important and eternal, they treated the dead with great respect and even worshiped them (Verner, 2003). This led to the construction of tombs. Great expense in terms of time and skill went into construction of tombs especially for the Pharaohs. The name of the early tombs was Mastaba (Edwards, 1993). These Mastabas were graves that had slanted walls and flat tops. They formed the embryo for the construction of pyramids. The construction of the stepped pyramids was an attempt to improve these tombs. The formation was through layering of Mastabas fo rming a pyramid that has steps on the side. There was still dissatisfaction as there was a desire to give the Pharaoh an ultimate resting place where he could be worshipped forever. Since the Kings also had a lot of possessions, which they treasured, there was a need to build bigger tombs to accommodate the possessions. Such constructions allowed for the burial of the Pharaoh. From the stepped