Predynastic Period Essay

The "art for art" remained unknown in ancient Egypt; all creation was a practical purpose: the prosperity and triumph of Egypt, providing the survival of rulers and notables. The beautiful had no value in itself; we would say in modern terms, that the supreme intention was magical action. According to our book (art history by Marilyn Stokstad and Michael W. Cothren): “The architecture is religious or funeral destination; only temples and tombs were built of sustainable materials, although we also know some palaces and fortresses. The statuary, too, funeral (the statue is considered the repository of the soul of the deceased) or divine (the royal statues represent the pharaoh, god on earth or in the hereafter). The reliefs are dependent on strict religious patterns; one painting, especially that found in the tombs of the notables of the New Kingdom, manifest a spontaneity and a certain naturalism, but it was only a substitute art to replace cheaply the painted relief. This liveliness is reflected in the minor arts, and fard for spoons or pots ointments; but the jewels themselves usually hold conventions of religious symbolism”. Although, the step pyramid and sham buildings, funerary complex of djoser would perfectly help to illustrate the image of the art of the ancient Egypt. The Djoser funerary complex, built during the reign of Pharaoh Djoser in Saqqara is located in Egypt. It’s the first of this magnitude and the

Architecture: During the Old Kingdom, the existing peaceful period provided an opportunity for the construction of the Great Pyramids of Giza and the Great Sphinx of Giza. The Pyramids were originally created as a step design but were later converted to smooth sides by the 4th dynasty. By the 5th dynasty, the pyramids grew smaller, but the carvings inside the temples were of greater quality. This period was characterized by advanced architecture and was referred to as the Age of the Pyramids. Archeologists indicate that the pyramids discovered in the Middle Kingdom were not as well constructed as those of the Old Kingdom. This explains why only a few of them are still in existence. During the New Kingdom, there were two types of temples constructed: cult temples referred to as the Mansion of the gods and mortuary temples referred to as Mansions of Millions of Years. During this period, pyramids were not built, and the Pharaohs were buried in rock tombs in the Valley of the Kings.

The Great Pyramids of Giza are considered to be three of the world’s most fascinating and astonishing archaeological marvels. On the edge of modern-day Cairo stands the plateau of Giza, on which these extraordinary pyramids were constructed approximately 4,500 years ago, yet to this day, they are regarded as three of the world’s largest human-made structures, standing, collectively, at 1116 feet tall. However, the Pyramid of Khufu, is by far the most captivating. As the biggest pyramid of the three (despite Khafre’s Pyramid being mistaken as the larger one as it was built on higher ground), Khufu’s Pyramid (more commonly referred to as the Great Pyramid) once stood at a towering 481 feet tall, however, over the centuries it has been affected by erosion, and combined with the absence of its pyramidion, its present height reaches 455 feet, with it’s base covering an area of 230.4 metres. The Great Pyramid was built around 2580-2650 BC, during the Fourth Dynasty, and is believed to have been constructed as a tomb for the Fourth Dynasty Egyptian pharaoh Khufu. Furthermore, many egyptologists argue the time period in which Khufu’s Pyramid was formed, with John Romer proposing a 14-year time span, and Mark Lehner

The Great Pyramid at Giza is the best known and largest of the pyramids constructed between the Third Dynasty and the Thirteenth Dynasty (2686-1650 B.C.) of Egypt 's paranoiac age. The Great Pyramid of the pharaoh Khufu —or, as the Greeks referred to him, Cheops —was constructed during the Fourth Dynasty, about 2,550 years before the birth of Christ. Khufu reigned from 2551 to 2528 B.C.

The great Ancient Egypt civilization is filled with magnificent architecture that made its culture rich. The Stepped Pyramid by Imhotep, Mortuary precinct of Djoser 2630-2611 BC, and the Great Pyramids of Gizeh 2490-2228 BC, are an important part of the Ancient Egypt culture. Also the Ka and Maet played a vital role in making these monuments. Ancient Egyptians really cared about their Pharaohs and Gods and did anything to keep them satisfied, even if it meant to carry a 2.5 ton block up 450 feet. The Pyramids of Gizeh and the Stepped Pyramid have some similarities, many differences, and have a major influence in keeping the Ka of the pharaoh happy .

The pyramids of Giza were three pyramids which were the pyramid of Menkaure, the pyramid of Khafre and the Great Pyramid of Khufu. They were all three precisely aligned with the Constellation of Orion. But when people talk about the great pyramid of Giza they are usually referring to the Great Pyramid of Khufu. The base of that pyramid covered fifty-five thousand meters squared. The interior temperature of the pyramid is constant and equals the average temperature of earth, which is sixty-eight degrees Fahrenheit. The outer mantle was made of 144k casing stones and all of them were highly polished and flat. They each weight fifteen tons. The corner stone foundations of the pyramid were made with a ball and socket construction, which was capable of dealing with expansion due to heat and also earthquakes. The pyramid was originally covered with a casing stone that as made of highly polished limestone. The casing stones reflected the sun's light which made the pyramid shine. The pyramid was also aligned north and was only off by 3/60 of a degree. The four faces of the pyramid were slightly concave and it’s known for being the only pyramid to be built that way. Also the centers of the four sides

The creation of the pyramids was one of the Egyptians greatest accomplishments. The pyramid of Khufu in particular was their biggest achievement. Construction of the great pyramid started in 2540BCE and finished 20 years later in 2520BCE, it stood 481ft tall and continued to be the tallest man-made structure for over 4,000 years. It was built up of over 2.3 million limestone bricks weighing anywhere between 2 and 15 tons.

It rose in 6 stages and is called the step pyramid. It was generally to show a big stairway for the king to climb to join the sun-god in the sky. Later on kings had step pyramids too, but in the rule of King Sneferu the correct pyramid with tilting sides developed. The plan of this pyramid was to make the mound that had come out of the watery ground at the beginning of time, on which the sun-god stood and brought the other gods and goddesses into being. The biggest pyramid of all is the Great Pyramid at Giza. It was built for King Khufu in 2589 BC. The pyramids were planned to protect the bodies of the kings buried deep inside them. Later pyramids continued inscriptions of spells to help the pharaoh in the afterlife. Doors of granite and false passages were made to prevent robbers who came in pursuit of the rich offering buried with the kings, but by 1000 BC all the pyramids had been robbed of their precious

The Pyramids originated from a mastaba tomb, which were rectangular tombs built over 5000 years ago. During the reign of Djoser his tomb was advanced into a six-layer pyramid. Also during Snefru’s reign, he built 3 pyramids, they developed a smooth faced pyramid, very similar to the 3 pyramids of Giza. Each pyramid would fix the flaws of the ones before. High-ranking officials would be appointed to oversee the pyramid construction. The port at Giza would bring in food and supplies, such as the limestone blocks which covered the pyramids, these blocks were shipped by boat to the construction site in a number of

The Egyptians began building pyramids as tombs for the pharaohs and queens. They were believed to be between human and god, so their body would need to be protected and recognizable by its spirit. Many of their tombs have been robbed. There are over 100 known pyramids in Egypt today. The pyramids of Giza are the three largest pyramids in Egypt. The biggest of the pyramids, the ‘Great Pyramid’ was built for the pharaoh Khufu and took 23 years

At the time of the Old Kingdom, Egyptians would build pyramids as part of their civilization. These pyramids were structures used by the ancient world for religious purposes, were tombs for the mummified bodies of pharaohs, and a symbol of royal power (“The Pyramids of Egypt” and Spielvogel 23). Therefore, they were not built in isolation but as part of a larger complex dedicated to the dead (Spielvogel 22). With that being said, over 130 pyramids have been discovered in Egypt (“Ancient Egyptian Pyramid Facts for Kids – Giza, Djoser, Saqqara, Tutankhamun”). With one of them being the largest, oldest and most magnificent, the Great Pyramid, built under Snefru’s son Khufu (Spielvogel 22).

The word pyramid has its origin in two Greek words: pyra meaning fire, light, and midos meaning measures. There are over 100 pyramids in Egypt. The mysteries surrounding their symbolism, design and purpose have inspired passionate debate. The Pyramids of Giza were built near the capital city of Memphis, on a rocky desert plateau close to the Nile, for the fourth dynasty kings Khufu, Khafre and Menkaure who ruled through 2589-2504 BCE. The largest Egyptian pyramid is the Great Pyramid of Khufu (Cheops to the Greeks) at Giza. The first largest historically documented Egyptian pyramid (Step Pyramid at Saqqara, about 15 km from Giza) is attributed to the architect Imhotep, who built it during the third dynasty of the Old Kingdom to protect the

Egyptians are famous for their giant works of sculptures. Some examples of this include the Great Sphinx of Giza and the statues of Ramses II at the Abu Simbel temples. (Duckster, 2014) The Great Sphinx was made out of limestone and is located by the Nile River and has a face of a man and the body of a lion which pertains to their mythology of human head on an animal’s body and vice versa. The ancient Egyptians also built pyramids. The pyramids are triangle because it was in correlation to the sun rays and a way for their souls to ascend to heaven. They buried the pharaohs in the tombs of the pyramids. Pyramids contained false chambers to trick thieves and were often looted for valuables from the deceased. The pyramid of Giza is

The pyramids were built as a tomb for the pharaoh. Their belief was that the top point of the pyramid was the gate for the soul to travel to the afterlife and return to earth if chosen. These tombs were built which line up with certain stars and planets.

Khafre’s Father’s tomb has been dated from 2600 BCE. Many robbers broke into the pyramids to steal their precious jewels, potter and gold. The Egyptians had a custom of burying precious objects with their Kings. The Egyptian Kings had many valuable pieces stored in them at burial time. Many of the ancient artifacts belong to world-renowned museums around the world as the Metropolitan Museum. Egypt relies heavily on tourism as a means of revenue. The tourism business brought in almost thirteen billion dollars in 2010. The Pyramids are Egypt’s greatest attraction for tourist. Tourists who visit the pyramids are emotionally moved by the greatness of the site. Egyptians were known for their relentless dedication for the project. The Great pyramid contains over two million blocks of sandstone. Each sandstone block weighs a massive two and half ton. The pyramids are over 4500 years old. The great pyramid is the tallest of all the pyramids and stands 480 feet above the ground. The length of its sides is approximately eight hundred feet. It is estimated that, at the order of King Tut, it kept almost 100,000 slaves busy for many years. (Kristek, 1998) The pyramid is made of various levels. The pyramid has a level for the King and Queen as well as a gallery, and various passageways to the inner chambers.