Have you ever wondered how many Egyptian pyramids there are in the world? It's hard to believe, but archaeologists have found about 130 of these structures in Egypt. When people talk about Egyptian pyramids, they usually mean the Giza pyramid complex. It consists of the pyramid of Cheops, his son Chephren and their subsequent successor – Mykerinos. The tomb of Pharaoh Cheops is the highest in the world, its height is about 140 meters. Scientists are still amazed at how the ancient Egyptians managed to build a structure without construction equipment, which is comparable in height to modern multi-story buildings. But within the framework of this article, we are not interested in how the Egyptian pyramids were built, we have already talked about this many times. Now we will talk about what is inside the Egyptian pyramids.
The Egyptian pyramids consist of complex corridors, which is why it was difficult for scientists to find the tombs of the pharaohs. Image: aif.ru
Contents
- 1 What do the Egyptian pyramids look like
- 2 What is inside the Egyptian pyramids
- 2.1 Burial chambers in the pyramids
- 2.2 Passages and tunnels in the pyramids
- 2.3 Air shafts in the pyramids
- 3 Damage to the Egyptian pyramids
- 4 Comparison of an Egyptian pyramid with a modern building
What do the Egyptian pyramids look like
The Egyptian pyramids were built about 4,500 years ago, over several centuries. They were necessary for the burial of pharaohs and other high-ranking officials of Ancient Egypt. It was believed that after death, people went to the afterlife, so jewelry and other riches were buried next to the rulers so that they would remain rich in the next world.
The recreated treasury of King Tutankhamun. Image: foxnews.com
It may seem that the design of the Egyptian pyramidsis extremely simple. Usually people imagine an entrance to a corridor, the walls of which are painted with hieroglyphs. Then people imagine that after the corridor there is a pharaoh's tomb with treasures. Well, and people with a particularly developed imagination believe that there are traps inside the Egyptian pyramids.
There are many hieroglyphs on the walls of Egyptian tombs that tell the myths and legends of Ancient Egypt. Image: wikimedia.org
In fact, there are no complex traps in the pyramids. And they are much more complex than it might initially seem.
Sudden discovery: The oldest pyramid in history was built in the Stone Age, long before the emergence of Ancient Egypt
What is inside the pyramids of Egypt
Egyptian pyramids have different structures. For especially powerful rulers, people built large tombs. Less outstanding pharaohs rested in modest structures.
The pyramid of Cheops used to be taller, but its top was literally blown away by the wind. Image: ixbt.com
The pyramid of Cheops is considered the most luxurious of all the pyramids of Egypt.. It consists of many passages and chambers, so it is better to study the “interior” of the pyramids using its example.
Pyramid of Cheops in section. Image: reddit.com
Burial chambers in the pyramids
The most important parts of each pyramid are the burial chambers, which contain the sarcophagi with the bodies of the pharaohs. Some pyramids have only one such chamber, while others have several.
The Egyptian sarcophagus is a richly decorated coffin for the pharaoh. Image: louvre.historic.ru
For example, in the pyramid of Cheops, archaeologists found two rooms at once. The King's Chamber is the largest room in which the body of the pharaoh Cheops lay. Below the King's Chamber, scientists discovered the Queen's Chamber. According to modern data, no one was buried in the second room; it could have been used for ritual purposes.
There is nothing left in the King's Chamber of Cheops today. Image: global-geography.org
Passages and tunnels in the pyramids
Inside each pyramid there is a complex system of passages that lead from one chamber to another. It is difficult to walk along them because they are not very high and modern people have to walk very bent over.
Passages in the pyramids today are equipped with railings for the convenience of tourists. Image: traveltalktours.com
The Cheops pyramid has The Grand Gallery is a long corridor with a sloping ceiling that leads to the pharaoh's tomb (the king's chamber). Also inside the structure are the ascending and descending corridors, which connect different levels of the pyramid, located at different heights.
Air shafts in the pyramids
In the Pyramid of Cheops and many other similar structures, archaeologists also found small shafts. At first, it was believed that they were intended for ventilation. But now scientists are inclined to believe that these failures had a ritual significance.
Artifacts found inside the Egyptian pyramids. Image: reddit.com
As for the objects inside the Egyptian pyramids, there were sarcophagi with the bodies of pharaohs, as well as various treasures. But most of these valuables have not survived to our times, because the tombs of the pharaohs were plundered in ancient times.
Related article: How were the Egyptian pyramids built?
Drops of the Egyptian pyramids
It was noted just above that the rooms inside the pyramids were at different heights. But they cannot be called floors in the modern sense of the word. Rather, these are different levels within the structure.
The Egyptian pyramids are mostly made of stone, with very few cavities inside. Image: wermac.org
The lower level of the pyramids contains underground corridors and shafts. The middle level of the pyramids contains ascending corridors, such as the previously mentioned Grand Gallery. The upper level usually contained the royal chambers with the bodies of the pharaohs.
Comparison of an Egyptian pyramid with a modern building
Egyptian pyramids have no floors. But, if we take into account the height, how many floors could they have by modern standards?
Comparison of the height of the Egyptian pyramid with the height of other buildings. Image: wherearesueandmike.com
The height of the Cheops pyramid is about 140 meters. Considering that the height of one floor in modern buildings is on average 3.5 meters, the great pyramid could have had about 40 floors.
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If you are interested in the topic of Ancient Egypt, be sure to read our article “How much would it cost to build an Egyptian pyramid today?” You will learn a lot of interesting things!