Curiosities
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Most people associate Pyramids with Egypt, but those are far from being the only pyramids on earth. In fact, there’s quite a few of them around the globe, built during different times by various civilizations. What can we say, pyramids were really cool for a while. It’s almost like they were the most popular trend in ancient architecture. It’s still difficult to imagine and truly understand how the pyramids were built considering the technology available in ancient times and the size and weight of blocks that make them up. And a lot of the time pyramids were used as burial sights, which makes you wonder why would anyone put so much labour into a burial site. But nevertheless, a lot of those pyramids stood the test of time and remain until this day more or less intact thousands of years after they were built. Let’s take a look at 7 ancient pyramids around the world.
1. Khafre and Khufu Pyramids
These two surviving Pyramids of Giza were built from limestone 4500 years ago. They were built for kings Khufu and Khafre, as the name suggests, and are considered to be the most famous ancient monuments. Khufu, also known as the Great Pyramid, is the only surviving structure of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.
2. Bent Pyramid
This is an unusual pyramid. It has a very strange bent shape, which is where the name comes from of course. It was constructed sometime between 2613 and 3589 BC, during the reign of Pharaoh Sneferu. What gives this pyramid its unique shape is the transition in the wall structure from step-sides and smooth sides.
3. Mayan Pyramids of Tikal
The Mayan city of Tikal was originally the home to a complex of 24 pyramids. They were built out of limestone around 732 AD. This is one of the largest sites of pre-Columbian civilization. Temple IV is the tallest pyramids in Tikal, but the Tikal Temple, a.k.a the Temple of the Jaguar is probably the most well known and most visited pyramid in Tikal.
4. Nubian Pyramids
There are over 200 Nubian pyramids in Sudan. They were built between 720 and 300 BC during the time when the Kingdom of Kush, which ruled Nubia for hundreds of years. They all mark the tombs of the rulers of the Kingdom of Kush. And even though they are recognized as the UNESCO World Heritage Site, they aren’t really a popular tourist destination and remain relatively unknown by the general public.
5. Pyramid of the Sun
Pyramid of the sun is the third-largest pyramid in the world. It’s definitely the largest building in Teotihuacan, a pre-Columbian Mesoamerican city only 30 miles outside of Mexico City. According to archaeologists and scientists, it was built and used as a religious and sacrificial center around the year 200.
6. The Step Pyramid of Djoser
The Step Pyramid of Djoser is the earliest colossal stone buildings in Egypt. It’s believed to be created by Imhotep, the famous Egyptian architect. It’s a burial site of Djoert, the ruler of Egypt’s Third Dynasty. It consists of 6 tiers or steps, which is why it’s called a step pyramid. It was built using 330,400 cubic meters of stone and clay and under the pyramid, the tunnels form a 5,5 km labyrinth.
7. Pyramid of Cestius
Pyramid of Cestius is one of the best-preserved ancient buildings in Rome. It’s a tomb of Gaius Cestius. The Pyramid of Cestius is Rome’s only surviving ancient Egyptian-style pyramid.
