The Story of Architecture (Illustrated Version)

Author: Zhang Ailing, Wang Bing, Li Na
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-01-01
Features: The mysterious Egyptian pyramids are the tombs of ancient Egyptian pharaohs and queens. Because their shape resembles the Chinese character "" (jin), they are translated as "pyramids." On the vast desert, the pyramids exhibit an eternal, stable, simple, and solemn beauty. They have stood firmly in the desert for 5,000 years, so there is a saying that time is invincible, but time fears the pyramids. The three great pyramids located 10 kilometers southwest of Giza, outside the suburbs of Cairo, the capital of Egypt, are the most famous pyramids in Egypt. They are the Great Pyramid of Giza, the Pyramid of Khafre, and the Pyramid of Menkaure. The Great Pyramid of Giza is the largest pyramid remaining in Egypt, built during the reign of Pharaoh Khufu of the Fourth Dynasty. The four inclined sides of the pyramid face southeast, northwest, and the base is square. The entire pyramid is composed of 2.3 million massive stones. Originally, it stood at 146.59 meters tall, but after thousands of years of wind and erosion, it now stands at 138 meters. The Pyramid of Khafre is the tomb of Khufu's son and the second-largest pyramid in Egypt, standing at 143.5 meters tall. The world-famous Sphinx is located right next to the Pyramid of Khafre. In 1992, the Pyramid of Khafre suffered partial damage due to a 5.4 magnitude earthquake. The Pyramid of Menkaure is the smallest of the three great pyramids and the tomb of Pharaoh Menkaure, Khufu's great-grandson. It has a base length of 108.5 meters and a height of 66.5 meters.
So, why did the Egyptian pharaohs build pyramids? According to legend, before the Third Dynasty of ancient Egypt—before the reign of Khufu—both nobles and common people were buried in rectangular tombs made of mud bricks, which the ancient Egyptians called "mastabas." Later, a young man named Imhotep invented a new construction method while designing a tomb for an Egyptian pharaoh. He built a staircase leading to the pharaoh's tomb and designed the interior to be extremely complex to ensure the pharaoh's peace after death. If outsiders wanted to explore the pharaoh's burial chamber, they had to first find the pyramid's entrance, then descend into the depths, overcome various traps, and navigate through layers of mazes to reach it. On the outside, he used square stones mined from the mountains to replace mud bricks, ultimately constructing a six-level stepped pyramid, which became the prototype of the pyramids. Due to his outstanding talent, the pharaoh appointed him as the prime minister of Egypt. After his death, the ancient Egyptians deified him and worshipped him eternally. It is said that the pyramids of Egypt served not only as tombs but also held other symbolic meanings. In the hearts of ancient Egyptians, the pyramids symbolized the rays of the sun and were also seen as steps that helped the pharaohs reach the heavens. The ancient Egyptians firmly believed that pharaohs were gods on earth, leading wars to victory and representing justice. Therefore, the slaves who built the pyramids for the pharaohs worked willingly. They believed that if they built a staircase for the pharaoh to reach heaven, they would surely be protected by the pharaoh in the afterlife. As a result, the pyramids of Egypt utilized thousands of craftsmen and continued to operate in an orderly manner across 10 dynasties. To this day, the magnificent pyramids still attract curious gazes from people around the world.