Egypt’s pyramids are the oldest stone buildings in the world. They were built nearly 5,000 years ago. These ancient tombs are also among the world’s largest structures.
The biggest is taller than a 40-story building and covers an area greater than that of 10 football fields. Men built these huge structures without the help of equipment that we have today, such as cranes and bulldozers. Sometimes up to 100,000 men worked for 20 seasons on one pyramid.
Today, more than 80 pyramids are still standing in Egypt. The white limestone is no longer smooth, but the monuments still conceal secret passageways, hidden rooms, ramps, bridges, and shafts. Most had hidden entrances and false doors. Wouldn’t it be fun to go exploring inside one!
But the pyramids were created for a very serious purpose, not for exploring. Ancient Egyptians believed strongly in life after death. The kings, called pharaohs, wanted their bodies to last forever, so they had pyramids built to protect them after death. Each pyramid was a house for a pharaoh’s preserved body. With the bodies went everything the pharaoh would need in the next life to continue living just as he had while alive.
The pyramids of Egypt are massive monuments to the power pharaohs once wielded. Today, they are reminders of an ancient civilization that was resourceful and creative.