Egyptian pyramid. Ancient pyramid technology
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Modern and ancient pyramids come in all shapes and sizes. To determine, which of the pyramids is the largest pyramid it would probably be correct to compare their heights. For example, the Transamerica Pyramid at 260 meters (85 feet) would undoubtedly be a serious candidate for the list of the largest pyramids.
Many large pyramids, however, have a very large base (base), but not very high. But that doesn't make them smaller. The best indicator for comparison is therefore probably the volume of the pyramid. The volume of the pyramid can be calculated using the following formula:
Base length * Base width * Height * 1/3.
For example, for the Transamerica Pyramid, this is 54 x 54 x 260 x 1/3 = 252 720 m³, and this is not enough to be included in our list of the largest pyramids.
Many people think that using this formula it is not too difficult to identify the largest pyramids in the world. Unfortunately, it is not that easy. Many pyramids are not very regular pyramids, they have not smooth sides, many of them are stepped pyramids. Another problem is that some of the largest pyramids on Earth have not yet been fully excavated.
8. La Danta, El Mirador (0.9 million m³)
The El Mirador complex is located in the north of the Guatemalan department of Petén, near the Guatemalan-Mexican border, 13 km northwest of Nakbe. El Mirador was the main city of the Mayan Empire, which flourished from about the 6th century BC. and until the 1st century AD, reaching a peak of population, more than 8000 inhabitants by the 3rd century BC. After a break in construction for several centuries, construction was restored, attempts were made for further construction, but at the end of the 9th century this construction was completely abandoned.
The ruins were discovered in 1926, but little attention was paid to the excavation due to the remoteness of the site deep in the jungle in northern Guatemala. Today the site is still largely covered by tropical jungle and the two largest structures in the El Mirador complex are: " El tigre" and " La Danta"are two large hills.
La Danta complex consists of several platforms. The lowest platform is 310 x 590 meters (1017 x 1936 feet), 7 meters (23 feet) high and contains a number of buildings. The next platform measures about 190 x 240 meters (623 x 787 feet) and rises another 7 meters. Above this is another platform about 21 meters (69 feet) high, which crowns a complex of three pyramids, the tallest of which is 21 meters. La Danta (70 meters or 230 feet) is slightly higher than El Tigre (about 55 meters or 180 feet), although La Danta includes a low natural hill.
According to some sources, the La Danta complex has a total volume of 2,800,000 cubic meters, making it one of the largest structures in the world. The question, however, is how accurate this calculation is, and whether the whole complex can be considered one pyramid. It can be argued that part of the lower platform should be excluded from the calculation, as it supports multiple buildings.
7. Pyramid of the Sun - Pyramid of the Sun (1.2 million m³)
Pyramid of the sun is the largest building in Teotihuacan(Teotihuacán) and one of the largest pyramids in Central America. But, according to the researchers, only a tenth of the complex is now open. It is believed that the original height of the pyramid was about 71 meters (now 64.5 meters), and the perimeter of the base was about 900 meters.
The name of this pyramid comes from the Aztecs who visited the city of Teotihuacan centuries after it was abandoned. The pyramid was built in two stages. During the first phase of construction, around 100 A.D. the pyramid was built to almost the size we see today. The second phase of construction completed the formation of the pyramid 225 meters (733 feet) across and 75 meters (246 feet) high.
Pyramid of the sun- perhaps not only the most famous, but also the most popular ancient monument in Mesoamerica. During the dry season, on weekends, a whole line of people wishing to get to its top and touch the life-giving flow of energy, which, as many believe, passes through the pyramid, lines up near it.
6. Luxor Hotel - Luxor Hotel (1228 million m³)
Pyramid Luxor Hotel was one of the first in a decade-long wave of new mega hotels to grow on the Las Vegas Strip ( Las vegas strip) in the 1990s. The Luxor Hotel was opened in 1993, after only eighteen months of construction, and renovated in 2006.
The hotel is an Egyptian-style complex of three pyramid buildings and is the second largest in the United States. The top of the thirty-story black glass pyramid lights up every night, making it the world's largest floodlight. At the entrance, guests are greeted by a huge sphinx.
Luxor Hotel debuted as a complex containing 2,526 rooms, a giant casino area, an exhibition hall, restaurants and entertainment centers on the 2nd floor. The rooms are also decorated in Egyptian style, and the rooms on the upper floors offer beautiful panoramic views of the city.
With a base that is 183 meters (600 feet) long and 110 meters (350 feet) high, the Luxor Hotel pyramid is significantly smaller than its famous model, the Great Pyramid of Giza.
5. Bent Pyramid - Bent Pyramid (1237 million m³)
Bent pyramid located in Dashur, and is the second pyramid built by Pharaoh Sneferu. Broken pyramid, created by Pharaoh Sneferu of the 4th Dynasty of the Old Kingdom, dates back to around 2600 BC.
Interestingly, the pyramid first rises above the desert at an angle of 55 degrees, and then suddenly changes the angle of elevation by 43 degrees. One theory is that the steepness of the starting angle made the inner chambers and walkways too large, forcing builders to accept a smaller angle. This is a unique example of the first real pyramid, not a stepped one. It is also unique in that a unique burial complex of this kind was created around it.
The base of the pyramid is 188.6 meters (619 feet) and a height of 101.1 meters (332 feet).
4. Red Pyramid - Red Pyramid (1.69 million m³)
Northern pyramid(or Red pyramid) is one of the largest pyramids in Egypt and ranks third in height among all Egyptian pyramids. This pyramid is located on the territory of the Dakhshur necropolis.
Built by Pharaoh Sneferu, Red pyramid represents the world's first successful attempt to build a truly correct pyramid. If we talk about the name of the pyramid, then it is associated with the unique color of the stone blocks from which it was built.
The pyramid measures at a base 220 by 220 meters (722 feet) and 104 meters (341 feet) high. It was the largest pyramid in Egypt before the construction of the Giza pyramids.
What really makes a pyramid Red pyramid what is special today is the absence of the crowds that are always present on the Giza plateau and the relatively unregulated access to the interior.
3. Great Pyramid of Cholula - Great Pyramid of Cholula (1.8 million m³)
Great Pyramid of Cholula located in Mexico, and appears to be a natural hill topped with a Catholic church. This is the Iglesia de Nuestra Señora de los Remedios church, which was built in 1594 on the site of the temple.
It should be noted that Pyramid at Cholula is the largest in the world in terms of its volume, it even surpasses the pyramid of Cheops. To date, most of the pyramid at Cholula has been destroyed. Inside the presented pyramid there is just a huge tunnel, the length of which is almost eight kilometers. All the giant slabs from which this pyramid was built are covered with amazing carvings.
According to the Guinness Book of Records, this pyramid is actually the largest pyramid ever built anywhere in the world, with a total volume of more than 4.450 thousand m³. This is based on a size of 450 to 450 meters (1476 × 1476 feet) and a height of 66 meters (217 feet).
The complex consists of several buildings, built on top of each other, dating from the 3rd century BC to the 9th century AD. The Chochul pyramid is the last construction stage that was completed between 200 and 400 AD. During the colonial period, this pyramid was used as a cure for various diseases.
2. Pyramid of Khafre - Pyramid of Khafre (2.21 million m ³)
Pyramid of Khafre is the second largest pyramid in Egypt and is located next to The great Sphinx... These two structures can be viewed together, since, most likely, they were built as a single composition. It was built forty years later than the Cheops pyramid. Khafren was the son of Khufu (Cheops), therefore his pyramid is located not far from the Great Pyramid of his father. However, the pyramid of Khafre surpasses the pyramid of Cheops in its inaccessibility. To climb to its top, a group of experienced climbers will need at least an hour.
Khafre pyramid and is inferior in size to the pyramid of his father Khufu, its position on a higher hill and its steeper slope make it a worthy rival to the Great Pyramid. The pyramid has a base that is 215.5 meters (706 feet) long and originally rose to a height of 143.5 meters (471 feet) but is now 12 meters shorter. The most distinctive feature of the Khafre pyramid is the top layer of smooth stones, which are the only remaining part of the body of stones on the pyramid of Giza.
The uniqueness of the Khafre pyramid is that it is the most compact building in the world. With a volume of 16,292,000 square meters, the free space of the pyramid takes up less than one hundredth of a percent!
1. Great Pyramid of Cheops - Great Pyramid of Khufu (2.58 million m ³)
Great Pyramid of Cheops is the oldest and only remaining wonder of the seven wonders of the ancient world. The Pyramid of Cheops is a masterpiece of engineering not only because of its gigantic size. This pyramid was the tallest man-made structure for 3,800 years.
The Pyramid of Cheops is the most significant and famous of all the pyramids located at Giza. She boggles the imagination with her grandiose size and unique design features. More than 2 million stone blocks were used to build the pyramid during the 20-year period ending around 2560 BC.
Many people do not even guess what secrets the majestic buildings conceal, they do not know which is the largest pyramid and how many people built it. In fact, these are monumental tombs containing the buried pharaohs, the rulers of Egypt at that time. But there are much more facts about these tombs, and especially about the largest pyramid in Egypt.
Three giants
On a rocky desert plateau, there are three majestic structures with ideal parameters and shapes. These are the pyramids in which the bodies of such great rulers as Cheops, Chefren and Mikerin rest. The largest of all the pyramids is called the Red Pyramid, the Great.
In the 19th century, astronomer Charles Piazzi Smith suggested that the Pyramid of Cheops was built to embody a number of aspects of longstanding excellence in knowledge. After that, more and more people appeared, trying to unravel the secrets of the largest pyramid in Egypt.
It is the Cheops pyramid that is considered the most unique of its kind, it differs from other similar structures. The supporters of this version indicate that the higher mind wished to build it - alien creatures of more perfect worlds. They also checked the fact that in this pyramid were the first letters that formed the basis of the beginning of mankind. If you solve them, the secrets of humanity will be revealed.
What are the dimensions of the largest pyramid?
When the measurements of the Cheops pyramid were carried out, it was indicated that the perimeter of the Giza pyramid, which was divided by a double height, giving the exact number "Pi", with all decimal places. It is also interesting that when calculating how many meters the Cheops pyramid is in height in a pyramidal inch, it turned out that this is the billionth component of the earth's orbit passing in a full day.
The total in inches of the diagonal of the pyramid in Egypt gives the number in years when the north pole of the planet makes a revolution. If the volumes of the structure are multiplied by the weight of the material, the theoretical weight of the globe is given.
Ancient sources do not have sufficient evidence of the prerequisites for the end of the world, the rain of fire, which incinerated and burned everything around, but there were such records. The pyramids for the inhabitants of Egypt were supposed to become an indestructible refuge from the wrath of the gods, from the end of the life of all living things. Nevertheless, scientists are still thinking about the purpose and secrets of the pyramids, and the letters stored outside their walls can reveal to us the secrets of the future.
The first pyramid, which gave rise to all Egyptian pyramid construction, is located in Saqqara, about 17 km south of Giza. It was built in 2667-2648 BC for Djoser, the first pharaoh of the third dynasty.
The history of the construction of the pyramid of Djoser
The invention of masonry is attributed to the beginning of the reign of Djoser. The pyramid of Djoser is considered the oldest stone structure on Earth, its prototype was the mastabs of the pharaohs of the first dynasty, built of adobe bricks. At first it was also a stone mastaba, but then it went through five stages in its development.
First, the architect of the pharaoh Imhotep erected a large mastaba, similar to the previously built tomb of Djoser in Upper Egypt. This time, the mastaba was not made of bricks, but of stone blocks. Subsequently, during the reign of the pharaoh, it was expanded in four directions, and then made oblong. The decision to expand the building for the fourth time led to the fact that a tomb appeared, unlike any previously erected. Imhotep built three more mastabas, placing them one above the other, each of them was smaller than the previous one. This is how the first pyramid appeared, which became the prototype of all the Egyptian pyramids.
However, Djoser wanted to make the pyramid even larger, he ordered to increase its base, to make six terraces at its top. The pyramid was faced with limestone, which was brought from the opposite bank of the Nile, from the hills of Tura.
Design features
To create the step pyramid of Djoser, several independent layers of masonry were used, they rested on a central base of. In a similar way, all the pyramids that appeared in the future were built - Khafre, Khufu and other pharaohs who reigned later. However, unlike the later pyramids, the stone blocks are tilted inward at an angle of 74 ° in order to give the structure more strength. In the pyramids built later, the layers of masonry are arranged horizontally.
Djoser's tomb was located under the foundation, it was carved into the rocky ground, a square shaft led to it. The entrance to the mine was located far beyond the pyramid, to the north of it. A massive ten-meter wall was built around the pyramid, and inside it was an area on which several temples and
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Precursors of the pyramids
When mentioning the Egyptian pyramids, as a rule, they mean the Great Pyramids, located at Giza, not far from Cairo. But they are not the only pyramids in Egypt. Many other pyramids are much worse preserved and now resemble hills or heaps of stones.
During the period of the first dynasties, special "houses after life" appeared - mastabs - burial buildings, which consisted of an underground burial chamber and a stone structure above the surface of the earth. The term itself refers already to the Arabian time and is connected with the fact that the shape of these tombs, similar in section to a trapezoid, reminded the Arabs of large benches called "mastaba".
The first pharaohs also built mastabs for themselves. The most ancient royal mastabas, dating back to the 1st dynasty, were built from adoba - unbaked bricks from clay and / or river silt. They were built in Nagada and Abydos in Upper Egypt, as well as in Sakkara, where the main necropolis of Memphis, the capital of the rulers of the first dynasties, was located. In the above-ground part of these buildings there were chapels and rooms with burial implements, and in the underground - the actual burial chambers.
The largest pyramids of Egypt
- Pyramid of Cheops (IV dynasty): 230 m (146 m);
- Pink Pyramid, Sneferu (IV dynasty): 219 m (105 m);
- Pyramid of Khafre (IV dynasty): 215 m (143 m);
- Broken pyramid, Sneferu (IV dynasty): 189 m (105 m);
- Pyramid in Meidum, Sneferu (IV dynasty): 144 m (94 m);
- Pyramid of Djoser (III dynasty): 121 x 109 m (62 m);
Dating of the building
| Pharaoh | Approximate dates | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Djoser | OK. 2630-2612 BC NS. | Saqqara |
| Sneferu | OK. 2612-2589 BC NS. | 2 pyramids in Dahshur and one in Meidum |
| Khufu | OK. 2589-2566 BC NS. | Giza |
| Jedefra | OK. 2566-2558 biennium BC NS. | Abu Rawash |
| Khafre | OK. 2558-2532 BC NS. | Giza |
| Mikerin (Menkaura) | OK. 2532-2504 BC NS. | Giza |
| Sahura | OK. 2487-2477 BC NS. | Abusir |
| Neferikara Kakai | OK. 2477-2467 BC NS. | Abusir |
| Niuserra Isi | OK. 2416-2392 BC NS. | Abusir |
| Amenemhat I | OK. 1991-1962 BC NS. | El Lisht |
| Senusert I | OK. 1971-1926 BC NS. | El Lisht |
| Senusert II | OK. 1897-1878 BC NS. | El Lahoun |
| Amenemhat III | OK. 1860-1814 BC NS. | Hawara |
Pharaohs of the III dynasty
Haba pyramid
In the central part of the pyramid in Zawiet el-Erian, the structure of the masonry is clearly visible - the layers of stone are slightly inclined towards the center and, as it were, rest on it (because of this, it is sometimes also called "Layered"). The building material is a small rough hewn stone and clay mortar. The technology for building the pyramid in Zawiet el-Erian is similar to that used in the construction of the Sekhemkhet pyramid and the Step pyramid in Saqqara.
Djoser's pyramid
This is the first step-type pyramid, called the Djoser pyramid. The building dates back to around 2670 BC and looks like several stacked mastabas of decreasing size. Most likely, this was exactly the idea of the architect of this pyramid, Imhotep. Imhotep developed a method of masonry from hewn stone. Subsequently, the Egyptians deeply revered the architect of the first pyramid, and even deified him. He was considered the son of the god Ptah, the patron saint of arts and crafts.
The Pyramid of Djoser is located in Saqqara, northeast of ancient Memphis, 15 km from Giza. Its height is 62 m.
The pyramids of the pharaohs of the IV dynasty
Broken pyramid
The historical significance of the Pink Pyramid lies in the fact that it is the first royal tomb of the correct stereometric pyramidal shape (although the angle of its side has an error - only 43 ° 36 ", in contrast to the later norms - 51 ° 52"). Although the "pink" tomb is considered the first "true" pyramid, it is characterized by an extremely low slope of the walls (the base is 218.5 × 221.5 m at a height of 104.4 m).
The name is associated with the color of the limestone blocks from which the pyramid is built, acquiring pink in the rays of the setting sun. An entrance via an inclined passage on the north side descends into three adjacent chambers, all of which are filled with stones and inaccessible. This pyramid is attributed to Sneferu because his name is inscribed on several of the sheathing blocks in red paint.
Pyramid at Meidum
Great pyramids
Great Pyramids of Giza
The pyramids of the pharaohs Cheops, Khafren and Mikerin located in Giza are called the great pyramids. Unlike the Djoser pyramid, these pyramids have not a stepped, but a strictly geometric, pyramidal shape. These pyramids date back to the 4th dynasty. The walls of the pyramids rise at an angle from 51 ° (Menkaur's pyramid) to 53 ° (Khafre's pyramid) to the horizon. This angle embodies in the pyramid the mathematical meaning of the number "π" (at an angle of 51-53 °, the ratio of the semi-perimeter of the base of the pyramid to its height with an accuracy of 4% is equal to the ratio of the circumference to its diameter). The edges are precisely oriented to the cardinal points. The Pyramid of Cheops was built on a massive natural rocky rise, which turned out to be in the very middle of the base of the pyramid. Its height is about 9 m.
Later, the tradition of building pyramids was adopted by the rulers of ancient Sudan.
Userkaf pyramid
Pyramid of Sahur and Neferefra
Pyramid of Neferefra in Abusir.
Cladding
In order for the surface of the pyramid to be even, they were lined with facing slabs (mainly of limestone).
The pyramid in Meidum is faced with polished slabs of Tours limestone. In our time, the entire cladding and most of the outer layers have not survived.
The pink pyramid was lined with white limestone, but over time the lining was removed by the local people and now blocks of pink limestone are visible.
The pyramid of Khafre was covered with limestone, which was preserved only at the top.
About a third of its height, the pyramid of Mikerin was faced with red Aswan granite, then it was replaced by white slabs of Tours limestone, and the top, in all likelihood, was also of red granite.
Aligning Blocks
Some pyramids that have retained their lining allow us to see the quality of the stone surface treatment. In addition to the fact that large blocks are fitted so that there are no gaps between them, the outer surface often forms an ideal plane, despite the fact that this plane is at an angle to the base. A striking example of this is the facing of the Broken and Meidum pyramids.
When leveling the surface of the stones at the entrance to the Mikerin pyramid, the extreme stones were not completely aligned, and the edge of the alignment line runs continuously through all the masonry stones, which makes it possible to make the assumption that the surface of the blocks was leveled after the stones were laid. The same assumption is confirmed by leveling the floor near the Userkaf pyramid. The lower surface of the floor stones is in the sand and has a natural rough shape; the stones are of different heights, but the upper part of the stones forms a single flat surface.