Ancient Egyptian Pyramids

Since the first appearance of the Egyptian pyramids, they have been admired for their size and beauty. The pyramids consist of much more than their artistry and fame though. Aside from the ancient Egyptian pyramids being a popular tourist destination, there is vast history and theories behind the creation of these architectural wonders. The ancient pyramids had very prominent roles in preserving the Egyptian culture. They were especially important in both the death and afterlife of the ruling pharaoh. The construction of the pyramids began around 4,000 years ago during a time period when the Egyptian civilization was at its peak (“Egyptian”). Their main purpose was to protect the spirit of the pharaoh once he passed away and lead him to
There are many predicted meanings about architecture of the pyramids, some more far-fetched than others. One hypothesized reason for the shape of the pyramids evolves from the story of creation. According to an article by the Canadian Museum of History, “Perhaps the shape originated from the creation story, in which the world is conceived as a flat plane with four corners representing the north, east, south and west.” They article continued, “When the sky rose up, forming an invisible central axis like a pole or tree in the centre, the world took on the shape of a pyramid.” Another idea relates to the slopes of the pyramids. The slanted sides of a pyramid were believed to be designed to lead the pharaoh’s soul to heaven, representative of the rays of the sun (Parker). Also, the very top of the pyramid, known as the peak, is speculated to symbolize the entrance of the gods’ energy into the human world (“First”). For these designs to be interpreted, hard labor had to be done to create the
Ancient alien theorists believe that thousands of years ago aliens arrived on the earth to share their knowledge about science and engineering. Therefore, it is often believed that they would be the only ones able to create such a marvelous structure (“Ancient”). Many people sided with the argument, and many still do today. It may seem the only logical explanation for the construction of the pyramids. Also, some believe that slaves built the Egyptian pyramids, but recently tombs were discovered that disproved the idea. Archaeologists were able to conclude that the people who built the pyramids were not in facts slaves, but builders from poor Egyptian families who were respected for their work and fed well (Kratovac). Although these theories pertained to all the pyramids, they were most relevant to the popular pyramids in