Indestructible Facts About The Great Pyramids
“When Moses was alive, these great pyramids were a thousand years old. Here began the history of architecture. Here people learned to measure time by a calendar, to plot the stars by astronomy and chart the earth by geometry.
And here they developed that most awesome of all ideas—the idea of eternity.”—Walter Cronkite
“Pyramids, cathedrals, and rockets exist not because of geometry, theories of structures, or thermodynamics, but because they were first a picture—literally a vision—in the minds of those who built them.
Society is where it is today because people had the perception; the images and the imagination; the creativity that the Arts provide, to make the world the place we live in today.”—Eugene S. Ferguson
As some of the oldest standing structures on Earth, the Great Pyramids have inspired humans for thousands of years. So, how were they built? Why were they built? What do they contain? Why are they located where they are?
And those questions are just the tip of the iceberg. Beyond that, the pyramids are considered so great that they represent something even larger than life, as the ancient proverb says: “Man fears time, time fears the pyramids.”
Find out why the Great Pyramids of ancient Egypt are so great with these 31 incredible facts.
Great Pyramids Facts
1. Now That’s Old
The oldest of all of the Great Pyramids is the Pyramid of Djoser. This pyramid, constructed in the Saqqara Necropolis, was built during the 27th century BCE, over 4,700 years ago.
It was built with ascending flat tops, making it a step pyramid, so while doesn't look quite like the more famous pyramids of Giza, it's no less impressive.
2. Ancient Architect
The Pyramid of Djoser was built by Imhotep, the person known to be the first pyramid architect of Egypt. This renaissance man was also an engineer, polymath, priest, and physician.
Imhotep was so well regarded that after his death he was elevated to the status of God of Medicine.
3. Shrinking Pyramid
Though it is the largest of Pyramids, the Great Pyramid of Giza has actually shrunk over time. Now standing at 138.8 meters, it was originally 146.7 meters tall.
