pyramids-ppt

Egyptian tombs

Architecture in Ancient Egypt was on an enormous scale. Egytians used stone as it was a more durable material instead of brick or other contructive materials. They used columns to support roofs and post and lintel (flat) roofs.

Ancient Egyptians built tombs and temples with colossal dimensions to worship their gods and to enter the afterlife. Tombs evolved along time and became more and more elaborated.

• From Neolithic, Egyptians were buried in the desert shallow pits. The body was mummified and the hot sand of the desert preserved the body. The tomb consisted on a pile of rocks with personal objects and gods.

• During the early Old Empire nobles and pharaohs had mastaba tombs which had flat- topped roofs, a burial chamber as well as different rooms with treasures and offerings to the Gods. Mastabas were made of bricks. 

• Step pyramid  is a transition from the mastaba to the pyramids. The first step pyramid was built around 2700 BC by architect Imhotep for pharaoh Zoser. IT was made up of six steps and was used as a temple to worship the pharaoh and as tomb.

• Pyramids contained internal corridors and many rooms including the funerary chamber. The most famous pyramids are located in the Giza plain. The biggest one known as the Great Pyramid was built for pharaoh Khufu.

• During the New Empire pharaohs preferred to be buried in hypogea. Hypogea are tombs carved into the rock which contained a steep corridor, rooms and funerary chamber. The most relevant hypogea is in the Valleys of Kings and Queens where Tutankhamun and queen Nefertari were buried.