Thursday, July 28, 2011

Ancient Egypt (pt. 4)

Before pyramids, Ancient Egyptian tombs were small mounds made of mud-brick, called Mastabas, which were then stacked on top of each other to form stepped pyramids, resembling the basic structure of a Sumerian ziggurat.
The kind of Ancient Egyptian pyramids with which we are most familiar were built on stable square bases and covered with polished, white limestone.  The three greatest pyramids are those of Khufu, Khafre, and Menkaure.  The largest pyramid of them all, built for the pharaoh Khufu, covers thirteen acres, and the five largest cathedrals in the world could fit inside it.
…And the great Sphinx was built in Khafre's likeness (the head—not the lion body).

1 comment:

  1. never heard of a mastaba...learn something new everyday...thanks :D

    ReplyDelete