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Pyramids and temples of ancient Egypt

The pyramids and temples of ancient Egypt are among the most impressive structures of the ancient world and stand as a record of the civilization's wealth, organisation and beliefs. Pyramids were built mainly as tombs for kings during the earlier periods of Egyptian history. Their massive form was meant to protect the royal burial and to assist the king's journey into the afterlife, and constructing them required enormous resources, careful planning and the coordinated labour of large workforces.

Pyramid design developed over time. An early example is the step pyramid built for King Djoser, which rose in stacked levels and is regarded as one of the first large stone buildings. Later kings built smooth-sided pyramids, the most famous being the group on the Giza plateau near Cairo, where the Great Pyramid was counted among the seven wonders of the ancient world. These tombs were once part of larger complexes that included smaller pyramids, temples and causeways.

Temples, by contrast, were places of worship and ritual dedicated to the gods or to deified kings, and they continued to be built long after pyramid construction ceased. Great temple complexes such as those at Karnak grew over centuries, and rock-cut temples like those at Abu Simbel were carved directly into cliffs. Decorated with columns, statues, carved reliefs and hieroglyphic inscriptions, these buildings honoured the gods, recorded royal achievements and served the priests who maintained the daily rituals, leaving a vivid picture of Egyptian religion.

Frequently asked questions

What were the pyramids used for?
They were built chiefly as tombs for kings, designed to protect the royal burial and to help the king in the afterlife.
What is the step pyramid of Djoser?
It is an early pyramid built in stacked levels for King Djoser and is regarded as one of the first large stone structures in Egypt.
How did temples differ from pyramids?
Temples were places of worship and ritual dedicated to gods or deified kings, and they continued to be built long after pyramid construction had ended.





Pyramids and Temples of Ancient Egypt: general overview 
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Egypt pyramid index
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Seven wonders of the ancient world
Valley of the kings Theban mapping project
Valley of the Kings valley of the Kings near Luxor in the south of Egypt
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El Kab El Kab is perhaps most famous for its beautiful Tombs, but there are also a few Temple ruins in the area. This region was sacred to the goddess Nekhbet, "She of Nekhen", who was the Goddess of Upper Egypt, ...
Giza pyramids
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Guardian's cyberjourney to Egypt
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Great pyramid of Giza
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Khufu's great pyramid it's 756 feet long on each side, 450 high and is composed of 2,300,000 blocks of stone, each averaging 2 1/2 tons in weight. Despite the makers' limited surveying tools no side is more than 8 inches different in length than another, and the whole structure is perfectly oriented to the points of the compass
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Pyramid of Merenre I
Pyramid of Cheops the upuaut project, explores the shafts of the pyramid of Cheops
Pyramid of Djedefre Djedefre, son of Khufu chose to build his pyramid at a different site from that of his father. If completed at all, the tomb was not as big as that of his father, though it may have had the steepest angle of any known pyramid
Pyramid of Menkaure
Qadash Kinahnu - Canaanite Phoenician temple Qadash Kinahnu, a Canaanite Phoenician Temple, a place to learn about and worship the ancient deities El, Baal, Asherah, Anat, and more
Saqqara: home of the first known large stone pyramid
Senusert I's pyramid
Sun temple of Niuserre
Temple of Abu Simbel
Temple of Deir el Bahari
Temple of Philae Pictures of the Philae temple near Assuan, dedicated to the Egyptian goddess Isis. The temple has been dismantled and reassembled on the Aglika island, some 550 meters from its original location on Philae island
Temple of Ramesses II temple of Ramesses II
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The great pyramid the great pyramid is the only one of the seven wonders of the ancient world still standing. It is one of the oldest structures on the face of the earth and arguably the best built
Sphinx facts, schematics, tunnels, and chambers
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Tombe de Ramsès en Français
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Tomb of Senneferi the tomb of Senneferi is one of the 'Tombs of the Nobles' on the west bank at Luxor in Egypt
Tomb of Tuthmosis I and Hatshepsut
Tombs of the pyramid builders at Giza
Tombs of the unknown workers (CNN)
Pyramid topics 
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Update: third "door" found in great pyramid scientists exploring the Great Pyramid in Egypt sent a robot into the northern shaft in the past few days, discovering another blocking stone. The "door" appears to be identical to the one in the southern shaft that was already known

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