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Ancient Egyptians - Meaning of the Pyramid |
Meaning of the Pyramid Ancient Egypt - Meaning of the Pyramid Fact Sheet Fact 1 on Pyramid Meaning: The pyramids were built as ancient tombs and massive monuments to the pharaohs of ancient Egypt. Fact 2 on Pyramid Meaning: The colossal sizes of monumental structures themselves, dedicated to the pharaohs, were clearly meant to inspire awe and wonder emphasizing the power of the rulers of ancient Egypt. Fact 3 on Pyramid Meaning: The covering of the pyramids were usually constructed from gleaming white limestone that were visible for miles and a constant reminder of the wealth and dominance of the ancient Egyptian rulers. Fact 4 on Pyramid Meaning: The tops of the pyramids were crowned with a shining, sometimes gilded, pyramidion, also referred to as a capstone. The pyramidion, when struck by the sun's rays, would have projected a beautiful, mystical, magical light. Fact 5 on Pyramid Meaning: The pyramids were made of stone and were therefore built to last for eternity. (Ordinary homes, and even the royal palaces, of the ancient Egyptians were constructed using mud bricks that easily perished in time). Fact 6 on Pyramid Meaning: The pyramids therefore conveyed instant messages about the power and wealth of the ancient Egyptians and their mighty pharaohs. Fact 7 on Pyramid Meaning: The meanings of the pyramidal structure were rooted in the religious beliefs, mythology and legends of the ancient Egyptians, particularly their creation myths. Fact 8 on Pyramid Meaning: The first pyramids were believed to have been built emulating the shape of the Benben Stone which featured in the ancient Egyptian creation myth. The Benben stone was one of the most potent symbols of ancient Egypt symbolizing the Primeval mound. The Benben stone was believed to be capable of producing an awesome power.
The Benben Stone Fact 9 on Pyramid Meaning: The Benben stone was the pyramidion (capstone) located on the top of an obelisk in the Sun Temple of Ra at Heliopolis. The first rays of the sun fell on the pyramidion marking the way to heaven by ascending the rays of the sun.
The Sun Temple of Ra Fact 10 on Pyramid Meaning: The pyramidion (capstone) was called 'benbenet' in the Ancient Egyptian language, and would eventually associated the pyramids with the sacred Benben stone. Ancient Egypt - Meaning of the Pyramid Fact Sheet
All of the Giza Pyramids Meaning of the Pyramid Meaning of the Pyramid Ancient Egypt - Meaning of the Pyramid Fact Sheet Fact 11 on Pyramid Meaning: The distinctive pyramid shape was therefore first associated with the apex of the obelisks. Fact 12 on Pyramid Meaning: The first pyramid ever built in ancient Egypt was constructed by accident, rather than design. Fact 13 on Pyramid Meaning: The Djoser Step Pyramid at Saqqara was the first monumental stone structure ever built in ancient Egypt. The architect of the first of the pyramids was the genius, Imhotep. Imhotep was tasked with building a tomb for King Djoser. It started as a one storey Mastaba tomb which was the traditional tomb structure of the time.
Traditional mastaba tomb Fact 14 on Pyramid Meaning: Imhotep then added additional tiers, or steps, that created the first pyramid-style shape.
King Djoser's Step Pyramid at Saqqara Fact 15 on Pyramid Meaning: The capstone (pyramidion) on the pyramids were venerated as the dwelling of the sun god. The dead pharaoh, buried deep inside the pyramid was therefore under the direct protection of the solar god. Fact 16 on Pyramid Meaning: The pyramidal shape therefore took on significant religious meanings. It also connected the pharaoh with the gods. Fact 17 on Pyramid Meaning: The consolidation of the ancient Egyptian monarchy by the 3rd Dynasty led to the increased confidence of the rulers who increased their credibility and their power by adopting the divine status, claiming ancestry from the gods, and the role of mediator with the gods. Fact 18 on Pyramid Meaning: The new 'divine' status and the king's 'connection' with the gods helped prevent insurrections, challenging the pharaoh would also mean defying the gods. Ancient Egypt - Meaning of the Pyramid Fact Sheet Meaning of the Pyramid Ancient Egypt - Meaning of the Pyramid Fact Sheet Fact 19 on Pyramid Meaning: The role of the kings of Egypt had taken a dramatic and highly significant change. The well-being and success of the king was essential to the lives of the ancient Egyptians and their ascendancy in joining the gods in the Afterlife also became of supreme importance. Fact 20 on Pyramid Meaning: The ancient Egyptians believed that the Pyramids were resurrection vehicles, a type of 'Stargate' for the pharaoh leading to heaven and eternal life. Fact 21 on Pyramid Meaning: The ancient Egyptians oriented each of their pyramids so that one side faced exactly east, another exactly south, and so on. The sides of the pyramids were directed to the four cardinal points of the compass and therefore have a strong astronomical association with the sun and the stars.
Fact 22 on Pyramid Meaning: The north-south axis symbolized the passage from darkness to light and from ignorance to knowledge. The east-west axis, parallel to the daily journey of the sun, symbolized the perpetual cycle of rebirth and death. The sun rises in the east and sets in the west. Menkaure's Pyramid, the Pyramid of Khafre and the Great Pyramid of Khufu are precisely aligned with the Constellation of Orion. Fact 23 on Pyramid Meaning: One of the key points in the religious beliefs of the ancient Egyptians was that when someone died their physical body should continue to exist on earth, so they could progress properly through the afterlife. The process of mummification was therefore developed to preserve the corpse. Fact 24 on Pyramid Meaning: The mummy of the dead king was placed in the burial chamber of the pyramid and the passages enabled the transfer of the dead king between the two worlds of the living and the dead.
Mummy of Ramses II Fact 25 on Pyramid Meaning: The shaft built in the pyramids that extended from the burial chamber towards the sky was believed to be a way for the journey of the dead pharaoh's soul to reach the heavens. Fact 26 on Pyramid Meaning: Whatever the meanings the architecture of the Pyramids was an advanced science, and reflected the geometric and theoretical knowledge of mathematics of the ancient Egyptians. The technical stone work was unrivalled and unsurpassed by any later ancient Egyptian architecture. Ancient Egypt - Meaning of the Pyramid Fact Sheet
Picture showing the reconstruction of the pyramid complex at Giza Meaning of the Pyramid Meaning of the Pyramid |
