Egyptian Pyramids Facts

One of the most amazing creations which took place at the hands of man, is undoubtedly the Egyptian pyramids. These huge structures were actually the burial monuments for the country's pharaohs. The Egyptians believed in afterlife. They believed that the dead pharaoh continued to live even after his death, as Osiris, the king of the dead. Some part of his spirit, according to the people, remained in the corpse. So in order to take proper care of the soul, the dead body was provided with food and shelter. The body was mummified for its preservation and in the grave there would be all those things which the dead pharaoh would require to fulfill his duties as the king of the dead. Now, the shelter that was provided to the dead king were tombs, which were carved into bedrock. This structure was topped with a flat-roof structure. So what would have happened is, with time, dust would get accumulated mounting the grave. So it is possible that the shape of these mounds could have given rise to the pyramid shape of tombs that came into existence. Here are some more facts about Egyptian pyramids.

Interesting Facts on Egyptian Pyramids for Kids and Grownups

The ancient Egyptian pyramids facts have been detailed below in brief points.

• The pyramids were not built by slaves or people hailing from other lands. These structures were made by the people of ancient Egypt.
• One of the interesting facts about the pyramids is that archaeologists were able to excavate bakeries near the Great Pyramids. These bakeries may have supplied about thousands of bread loaves every week.
• Other than bakeries, excavations reveal that the Egyptian civilization also had butchers, granaries, cemeteries and even health-care facilities.
• In the construction of the Pyramids at Giza, it has been found that the number of workers were 20,000 to 30,000 in number.
• As of the year 2010, facts about Egyptian Pyramids tell that 138 of these monuments were discovered in Egypt.
• The Djoser's Step Pyramid at Saqqara is known to be the first of all these monuments ever built.
• One of the must-know Egyptian pyramids facts is none other than the Great Pyramid of Giza. It is honored to be one of the seven wonders of the world. It is also known as the Pyramid of Khufu and the Pyramid of Cheops.
• The Great Pyramid is believed to have been made of over 100,000 giant stones, ranging from 1 to 20 tons in weight.
• One of the strange facts about Egyptian pyramids is that the biggest of all these monuments is not situated in Egypt, but in Cholula, Puebla, Mexico. It is known as Tlachihualtepetl. It has also been honored by the title of the largest monument by volume. The Great Pyramid at Giza is the largest one of its kind on the land.
• From around 2500 B.C till 1889, the Great Pyramid was attributed to be the tallest structure in the world. However, with the Eiffel Tower coming into existence, it no more retained this position.
• The Red Pyramid is known to be the 'True' pyramid that was constructed in 2600 B.C.
• And to give you one last of the interesting facts about Egyptian pyramids, it is associated with the pharaoh Tutankhamun's tomb. Reportedly, after his tomb was discovered by Egyptologist Howard Carter, he died due to an infected mosquito bite on his cheek. What was strange was that when the death mask of the pharaoh was lifted, there was a lesion in the same place on the cheek. Also, Carter's dog howled and died at the same time, back home at England. Now these could be the elements of mere coincidence or what the media called it...The Pharaoh's Curse.

Here is a table that gives you a synopsis of the significant Egyptian pyramids that were built under the rulers who reigned from the period of 2630 B.C to 2250 B.C.

Pyramid	Quick Facts
Step Pyramid	Built under the reign of Pharaoh Djoser Built in 2630 BC Built at Saqqara It is 204 feet in height
Maidum Pyramid	Built under the reign of Pharaoh Snefru Built in 2600 BC Built at Maidum It is 306 feet in height
Bent Pyramid	Built under the reign of Pharaoh Snefru Built in 2600 BC Built at Dahshur It is 344 feet in height
Red Pyramid	Built under the reign of Pharaoh Snefru Built in 2600 BC Built at Dahshur It is 341 feet in height
The Great Pyramid	Built under the reign of Great Pharaoh Khufu Built in 2550 BC Built at Giza It is 481 feet in height
Pyramid of Khafre	Built under the reign of Pharaoh Khafre Built in 2520 BC Built at Giza It is 471 feet in height
Pyramid of Menkaure (Last of the Great Pyramids)	Built under the reign of Pharaoh Menkaure Built in 2490 BC Built at Giza It is 213 feet in height
Pyramid of Pepi II (Marked the End of the Era)	Built under the reign of Pharaoh Pepi II Built in 2250 BC Built at Saqqara It is 172 feet in height

This is where I would period my data on some of the most important and basic facts about Egyptian pyramids. What has been presented here can be attributed as the tip of an iceberg. There are several theories and facts which are buried under these gargantuan man-made structures. Although archaeologists have been able to shovel out most mysteries behind the creation of these monuments, they still have miles to uncover and unearth.