Great Pyramids of Egypt

If you are looking for a unique vacation filled with history, wonder, and a great sense of power, then you should look into the great pyramids and their history. These amazing constructions are some of the most incredible buildings in the world, stretching high into the sky and built of massive blocks of stone, they are still standing several millennia after they were first built.

The Great Pyramids of Egypt were built as tombs for the great men and women of Egyptian history including the pharaohs who ruled Egypt in days of old. The tombs are also monuments to these great rulers, and built to endure the centuries. They were based upon royal solar and stellar cults’ beliefs, and reflect this with their positioning and construction.

There are dozens of pyramids in Egypt, with the exact number ranging in opinion from between 80 and 110, with new discoveries still cropping up in recent decades. Many of the smaller pyramids are only now beginning to become documented and explored by Egyptologists and archaeologists since they are sometimes recognizable only as piles of rubble standing in the shadows of the Great Pyramids like those at Giza.

There are several pyramid fields to see and explore, with the most well known and therefore most visited site being Giza. This is the pyramid field that includes the world famous Sphinx, which stands guard over the plateau and which offers tourists an amazing spectacle . The Giza site is also the location of two unfinished pyramids from the Old Kingdom. The Giza plateau has been known as one of the most widely visited tourism sites of all time, and was listed in antiquity as one of the Seven Wonders of the World. It is the only ancient Wonder still standing.

Other pyramid fields include Abu Rawash, which is the northernmost pyramid field. The most northerly pyramid, that of Lepsius, was originally thought to have been left uncompleted, but modern thought is that the pyramid was indeed finished, however the location of the pyramid near a major crossroads made it ripe for quarrying, which would have begun during Roman times. Another site is Abu Sir, which contains 57 pyramids, and contains pyramids of inferior construction than those of the previous dynasty, possibly signaling a decrease in the royal power or in the economy during the time.

Saqqara is the site of Egypt’s oldest stone monument, the Step Pyramid of Djozer, and contains several other pyramids which are each famous in their own rights. Dahshur is a very important pyramid field, and includes the Bent Pyramid, believed to be either the first or second attempt at completing a pyramid with smooth sides. This field was originally located within a military base, and was mostly unknown except in archaeological circles until 1996. The Red Pyramid was later completed at the same field, and is the first pyramid with smooth sides to have been properly completed, and is the third largest pyramid in all of Egypt.

Other pyramid fields include Mazghuna, Lisht, Meidum, Hawarra, and el-Lahun. These pyramid field include many ruins and crumbled pyramids, and are less often the destination of choice for tourists, however if you wish to escape the crowds and visit some of the more obscure but still incredibly fascinating pyramids including the Mystery Pyramid of Meidum, which is nothing more than the tower-like remains of the core of a pulverized pyramid.

The Great Pyramids of Egypt have proven an incredible tourist destination for many centuries, and many of the pyramids have been broken into and robbed, defaced, or chipped away at by those who wanted to bring home a piece of Egyptian history. No matter how well meaning, these souvenir seekers and those with more malicious intent have robbed us all of the trust of those who have been entrusted with the safety of these incredible ancient monuments. Because of this, entry into any of the pyramids is strictly regulated.

Still, just seeing these incredible pieces of history from the outside is worth the trip for most. The Great Pyramids of Egypt have stood for not just centuries but for decades – a testament to the amazing construction skills and the strength and intelligence of those who lived thousands of years ago.

They Great Pyramids of Egypt have proven themselves to be of amazing construction, and were built from massive stone block, each precisely placed to create pyramids aligned with the four corners of the world and positioned with intricate passages and chambers stretching deep within the constructions. These amazing buildings were completed with no help of modern technology, but were built by those “primitive” cultures that existed so long before us. The sense of wonder and the amazement that we feel when standing at the base of these monuments is second to none, making it easy to see why they were named as one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.

If you are looking for a tourist destination full of amusement parks and other modern pleasures, then this is not the place to seek them. If, however, you hope to learn a bit about the history of an amazing culture while standing in the shadow of some of the most amazing constructions in the entire world, then the Great Pyramids of Egypt should not be missed. Brush up on your hieroglyphs and prepare to be thoroughly amazed by this once-in-a-lifetime sight.