Why did the egyptians build the pyramid the shape they did?

Answer 1

It was easy to do, and used less stone. Imagine a square, a big one the size of a pyramid. To build a pyramid, the Egyptian workers piled dirt to a ramp and rolled up stones on logs. This process would be more difficult if they used any other shape. Plus, pyramids have 5 faces. Cubes have 6.

You can demonstrate with legos. Try building a big cube. Not easy, huh? Now try a pyramid. You can make a pryamid simply by overlapping blocks.

Answer 2

The Egyptians wanted their kings to have splendid tombs because they wanted the king's body to be well protected, and because they expected the spirits of their dead kings to use the tomb as a house until the end of all time. They also wanted to show that their kings were the richest and most powerful rulers in the world, and a splendid tomb certainly made this point. We are not quite sure why they chose the pyramid shape, although it may have developed from the low mound of earth found on top of some of Egypt's earliest graves. As they hoped that the dead spirit would be able to travel from the tomb into the sky, the Egyptians might have thought that a ramp or stair-like building would help with this journey. They may even have thought that the straight sides of the pyramid looked a bit like the sun's rays -- particularly when the shiny, white pyramid reflected the sunlight and sparkled. The shape might also have been connected with their myth of creation and re-birth after death. The Egyptians believed that the world was created on an island, the mound of creation, and may have thought that the pyramid rising out of the desert looked a bit like this island. Finally, given that they wanted to raise a tall monument, the pyramid, with its wide flat base and no need for deep foundations, was probably the easiest architectural shape to build.

http://www.digonsite.com/drdig/egypt/101.html

Answer 3

Firstly, the pyramid shape represents the first land to appear at the beginning of time--the primordial mound, or the "Ben-ben". Secondly, the sloping sides of the pyramid shape enabled the dead pharaoh to symbolically climb up to the heavens and live in peace forever. Thirdly, the shape of a pyramids is thought to be representative of the 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.

Answer 4

Scholars have put forward many theories why the tombs of the early pharaohs were built in the pyramid shape. Here are three different ideas:

1. The pyramid represented the first land to appear at the beginning of time a primordial hill the ancient Egyptians called Ben-Ben
2. The pyramid had sloping sides so that the dead pharaoh could symbolically climb to the sky and live forever
3. The pyramid shape represented the rays of the sun

Answer 5

the ancient Egyptians built their pyramids a pyramid shape so that it could look like the suns rays

Answer 6

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