Egyptian pyramids

The pyramids of Egypt, some of which are among the largest man-made constructions ever conceived {{an|pyramids_large_structures}}, constitute one of the most potent and enduring symbols of Ancient Egyptian civilization. Although no ancient Egyptian rulers have been found buried in an Egyptian pyramid, it is generally accepted by most archaeologists that they were constructed as burial monuments associated with royal solar and stellar cults, and most were built during the Old and Middle Kingdom periods{{an|when_pyramids_built}}. Egyptian homes were built on the east bank of the river, the land where the Sun rises. Egyptians built the pyramids on the west bank of the River Nile. They believed this was the land of the dead, because the Sun sets there.{{an|west_bank_hell}}

Pyramid symbolism

The shape of Egyptian pyramids is believed to represent the primordial mound from which the Egyptians believed the earth was created. The shape is also thought to be representative of the

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descending rays of the sun, and most pyramids were faced with polished, highly reflective white limestone, in order to give them a brilliant appearance when viewed from a distance. Pyramids were often also named in ways that made reference to solar luminescence. For example, the true name of the Bent Pyramid at Dahshur was The Southern Shining Pyramid, and that of Senwosret at el-Lahun was Senwosret is Shining.

Related Topics:
Bent Pyramid - Dahshur

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While it is generally agreed that pyramids were burial monuments, there is continued disagreement on the particular theological principles that might have given rise to them. One theory that has gained a degree of acceptance is that they were designed as a type of "resurrection machine";{{an|resurrection_machines}}

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the Egyptians believed that the dark area of the night sky around which the stars appear to revolve was the physical gateway into the heavens, and one of the narrow shafts that extends from the main burial chamber through the entire body of the Great Pyramid points directly towards the centre of this part of the sky. This suggests that the pyramid may have been designed to serve as a means to magically launch the deceased pharaoh's soul directly into the abode of the gods.

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Burial and tombs

In Egypt, the dead were originally not mummified. Once the practice began, an individual was placed at his/her final resting place through a set of rituals and protocol. The Egyptian funeral was a ceremony of a set the complex of beliefs and practices used by Egyptian culture with various monuments, prayers, and rituals undertaken in honour of the dead.

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