Pyramids

The ancient Egyptians built pyramids as tombs for the pharaohs and their queens. The pharaohs were buried in pyramids of many different shapes and sizes from before the beginning of the Old Kingdom to the end of the Middle Kingdom.

here are about eighty pyramids known today from ancient Egypt. The three largest and best-preserved of these were built at Giza at the beginning of the Old Kingdom. The most well-known of these pyramids was built for the pharaoh Khufu. It is known as the 'Great Pyramid'.

The Great Pyramid was part of a complex that included a special walkway, two temples, other pyramids, boat pits and the mastabas of nobles.

Valley temple
At the end of the causeway was the valley temple. Some experts believe that the valley temple was where the pharaoh's funeral began.

None of this building survives today. But archaeologists believe that there was once a valley temple because other pyramids had them.

Casing block
When the pyramid was almost finished, casing blocks of white limestone were laid on top of the main pyramid blocks. Each casing block was then trimmed so that the outer surface of the pyramid would be smooth and white.

The casing blocks from the Great Pyramid were all removed in the 14th and 15th centuries A.D. and used to build the city of Cairo. Some casing blocks still remain on the top of the pyramid next to Khufu's (belonging to Khafra).