One of the main reasons the Egyptian pyramids have gained so much attention over the years is their sheer mammoth size.
The height of the Egyptian pyramids varied wildly. The tallest is the Great Pyramid, also known as Khufu, which stood 481 feet tall at its peak and was the tallest man-made building on earth for thousands of years. Meanwhile, the smallest of the pyramids of Giza is Menkaure which stands at 213 feet.
All of the pyramids have lost a few feet in height due to erosion, but we will refer to their original height here.
Why Were the Pyramids so Big?
The pyramids were built to what was at the time massive dimensions, to encourage the perception that the Pharaohs were not mere mortals and thereby to reinforce the power ancient Egyptian regime.
As far as we know, the first pyramids were constructed around 2,700 BCE. The heyday of their construction was 1000 years ending in 1,700 BCE. The first was built by an architect by the name of Imhotep in the service of the Pharaoh Djoser.
How the first pyramid was built is instructive of its purpose. The architect placed six regular grave structures on top of each other. Those structures were called mastabas and consisted of rectangular buildings. Previous kings had been buried in individual mastabas, so the purpose was clearly to glorify the Pharaoh about his predecessors and the rest of the ruling elite.
Because the pyramids were graves, we may assume that they were built after the death of the Pharaoh. But this is not how it worked. Rather, as soon as a new king ascended to the throne, they would put together a committee to design and construct their pyramid. The committee consisted of an overseer, a head engineer, and an architect.
The fact that Pharaoh’s built their pyramids helps explain their massive size. These structures were to be their legacy, a testament not only to their deed and power on earth but to their godly status after death. With this at stake, it is not surprising that Pharoah’s would often push the construction team to make their pyramids more impressive than previous ones.
Early Pyramids
The first pyramids built by Imhotep and others were built in the area of Ṣaqqārah. This was the main necropolis area for Memphis, which was the capital of Ancient Egypt 2950 BCE – 2180 BCE. The area was already the site of the graves of several kings with relatively lavish graves, but they were elaborate mastabas rather than pyramids.
That first pyramid built by Imhotep was already quite massive, measuring 205 feet tall.
Pyramids tended to cluster around the same areas because only certain sites were considered suitable. They had to be placed to the west of the Nile, closer to the setting of the sun. This would facilitate the soul of the Pharoah joining with the sun disc before accompanying it eternally. Besides, for political and construction-related reasons, the pyramids were built in relative proximity to the capital cities.
During the years of the Middle Kingdom (1938 BCE–1630 BCE), the necropolis in Ṣaqqārah lost its status as Memphis became a less important city. However, it enjoyed a renaissance in the New Kingdom era (1539 BCE-1075 BCE), when impressive new structures were added/
In 1979, the area was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site, alongside the Pyramids of Giza and other areas of importance in the area.
Pyramids of Giza
The best-known pyramid site is placed in Giza. There are three pyramids on the plains of Giza, the largest is Khufu, which is usually called the Great Pyramid. The other two are the Khafre which was originally 471 feet tall (a mere ten feet lower than Khufu). The third and smallest is Menkaure, which stood at 218 feet.
The greater size of the pyramids at this time reflects the wealth of the Old Kingdom of Egypt and also the desire of the Pharaohs to outdo their predecessors. Finally, the magnificence of the Giza pyramids reflects the improvement of construction techniques and technology at the time. The masonry used in these pyramids is the finest found in any Ancient Egyptian sites.
As the wealth of later kingdoms declined, the magnitude and quality of the pyramids gradually decreased. By 2181 the Old Kingdom was gone and with it the ‘Age of Pyramids.’ However, the massive size of those structures accomplished their goal, preserving the legacy of the Pharaohs.