List of Egyptian pyramids facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

The ancient Egyptian pyramids are amazing giant structures built long, long ago. They are some of the oldest and most famous buildings in the world! These incredible monuments were mostly built as tombs for the powerful pharaohs (kings) and queens of ancient Egypt. People believed that after death, the pharaohs would become gods, and the pyramids helped them on their journey to the afterlife.

Amazing Ancient Egyptian Pyramids
See also
Images for kids

Amazing Ancient Egyptian Pyramids

What are Pyramids?

Pyramids are huge, pyramid-shaped buildings, usually with a square base and four triangular sides that meet at a point at the top. They were built from massive stone blocks, sometimes weighing many tons each! Inside, there were often secret passages, burial chambers, and rooms filled with treasures and items the pharaohs would need in the afterlife.

Early Pyramids: Step by Step

The very first large stone pyramid was the Step Pyramid of Djoser. It was built around 2650 BC for King Djoser of the Third Dynasty. This pyramid looks like giant steps stacked on top of each other. It was a huge step forward in building technology for its time!

The Step Pyramid of Djoser, the first large stone pyramid.

After Djoser, other pharaohs like Sekhemkhet and Khaba also started building step pyramids, but many of them were never finished. For example, Sekhemkhet's Buried Pyramid was meant to be bigger than Djoser's but only reached about 7 meters high before it was abandoned.

The Golden Age: Giant Pyramids

The Fourth Dynasty (around 2613–2498 BC) was a time when the biggest and most famous pyramids were built. This was a true golden age for pyramid construction!

Sneferu: The Pyramid Builder

King Sneferu was a very busy pyramid builder. He built several pyramids and learned a lot along the way!

His first major pyramid was the Pyramid of Meidum at Meidum. It started as a step pyramid but was later changed to have smooth sides. It stands about 65 meters tall today.
Next, he built the Bent Pyramid at Dahshur. This pyramid is special because its angle changes halfway up, making it look "bent." This change probably happened because the builders realized the first angle was too steep and might cause the pyramid to collapse. It's about 105 meters high.
The Bent Pyramid, showing its unique angle change.
Finally, Sneferu built the Red Pyramid, also at Dahshur. This one has perfectly smooth sides and is about 105 meters tall. It's called the Red Pyramid because of the reddish color of its stones. It was the first "true" smooth-sided pyramid.
The Red Pyramid, the first true smooth-sided pyramid.

The Great Pyramid of Giza

The most famous pyramid of all is the Great Pyramid of Giza, built for King Khufu, Sneferu's son. It's located near Cairo, at a place called Giza.

When it was first built, it was about 146.6 meters (481 feet) tall, making it the tallest man-made structure in the world for over 3,800 years!
It's made of over 2.3 million stone blocks. Imagine how much work that took without modern machines!
The Great Pyramid of Giza, the largest pyramid ever built.

Other Giza Pyramids

Right next to Khufu's pyramid are two other large pyramids:

The Pyramid of Khafre, built for Khufu's son, King Khafre. It's almost as tall as the Great Pyramid, standing at 143.5 meters. It still has some of its original smooth casing stones near the top.
The Pyramid of Khafre, with some original casing stones.
The Pyramid of Menkaure, built for King Menkaure, Khafre's son. This pyramid is smaller, about 65.5 meters tall, but it's still very impressive. It also has three smaller pyramids nearby, built for queens.
The Pyramid of Menkaure, the smallest of the three main Giza pyramids.

Later Pyramids: Smaller but Still Important

After the Fourth Dynasty, pharaohs continued to build pyramids, but they were generally smaller and not as well-built.

During the Fifth and Sixth Dynasties, pyramids were built in places like Saqqara and Abusir. Examples include the Pyramid of Userkaf and the Pyramid of Unas. These pyramids often had special writings called "Pyramid Texts" inside, which were spells to help the pharaoh in the afterlife.
The Pyramid of Userkaf at Saqqara.
Later, in the Twelfth and Thirteenth Dynasties, pharaohs like Amenemhat I and Senusret I built pyramids at sites like Lisht and Dahshur. These pyramids often used mudbrick cores covered with limestone, which made them less durable over time.
The Pyramid of Amenemhat I at Lisht.
The very last royal pyramid in Egypt was built for King Ahmose I of the Eighteenth Dynasty at Abydos. It was a cenotaph, meaning it was a monument to him, but he might not have been buried there.
The Pyramid of Ahmose, the last royal pyramid built in Egypt.

Why Did They Build Pyramids?

Pyramids were built for several important reasons:

Tombs for Pharaohs: Their main purpose was to serve as grand burial places for the pharaohs. Ancient Egyptians believed in an afterlife, and the pharaohs needed a safe place for their bodies and treasures to prepare for their journey to the next world.
Protecting Treasures: The pyramids were filled with valuable items, including gold, jewelry, furniture, and food, that the pharaohs would need in the afterlife. The massive size and complex passages were meant to protect these treasures from robbers.
Symbol of Power: Building such huge structures showed how powerful and wealthy the pharaohs were. It also showed their connection to the gods.
Religious Beliefs: The shape of the pyramid might have represented the primeval mound from which the world was created, or a ramp to the heavens, helping the pharaoh's soul ascend to the gods.

How Big Were They?

The size of pyramids varied a lot over time. The Great Pyramid of Giza is the largest, with a base length of about 230 meters (755 feet) and an original height of 146.6 meters (481 feet). To give you an idea, that's taller than a 40-story building! Even the smaller pyramids were still massive constructions, showing the incredible engineering skills of the ancient Egyptians.

Where Can You Find Pyramids?

Most of the pyramids are located along the Nile River in Egypt, in areas like Giza, Saqqara, Dahshur, Meidum, and Abusir. These sites were chosen because they were close to the capital cities of ancient Egypt and had good access to stone quarries.

Images for kids

The unfinished pyramid of Sekhemkhet.
The Layer Pyramid, possibly built for King Khaba.
The Pyramid of Meidum, originally built for Sneferu.
The remains of the Pyramid of Djedefre at Abu Rawash.
The unfinished Northern Pyramid of Zawyet el'Aryan.
The Pyramid of Sahure at Abusir.
The Pyramid of Neferirkare at Abusir.
The unfinished Pyramid of Neferefre, converted into a mastaba.
The Pyramid of Nyuserre at Abusir.
The Pyramid of Djedkare Isesi in South Saqqara.
The Pyramid of Unas in North Saqqara.
The Pyramid of Teti in North Saqqara.
The Pyramid of Merenre in South Saqqara.
The Pyramid of Pepi II in South Saqqara.
The Pyramid of Ibi, the last pyramid built in Saqqara.
The Pyramid of Khui at Dara.
The Pyramid of Senusret I at Lisht.
The White Pyramid of Amenemhat II at Dahshur.
The Pyramid of Senusret II at El-Lahun.
The Pyramid of Senusret III at Dahshur.
The Black Pyramid of Amenemhat III at Dahshur.
The Pyramid of Hawara, also built for Amenemhat III.
The Southern Mazghuna pyramid.
The Northern Mazghuna pyramid.
The Pyramid of Ameny Qemau in South Saqqara.
The Pyramid of Khendjer in South Saqqara.
The Southern South Saqqara pyramid.
Tomb S9 at Abydos, possibly a pyramid.
Tomb S10 at Abydos, possibly a pyramid.

All content from Kiddle encyclopedia articles (including the article images and facts) can be freely used under Attribution-ShareAlike license, unless stated otherwise. Cite this article:

List of Egyptian pyramids Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.