The ancient Egyptians built pyramids (Egyptian Buildings) as tombs for the pharaohs and their queens. The pharaohs were buried in pyramids of many different shapes and sizes from before the beginning of the Old Kingdom to the end of the Middle Kingdom.
There are about eighty pyramids known today from ancient Egypt. The three largest and best-preserved of these were built at Giza at the beginning of the Old Kingdom. The most well-known of these pyramids were built for the pharaoh Khufu. It is known as the ‘Great Pyramid’.
In the early part of the Old Kingdom, the Egyptians built mainly mastabas, a kind of tomb with a flat roof like a house. Then throughout most of the Old Kingdom, the Egyptians built the pyramid tombs which are now so famous. Of course, they also built smaller buildings like houses and butcher shops.
In the Middle Kingdom, the mastaba tomb came back again, although in a more elaborate form for the Pharaohs. They didn’t build any more pyramids. Then in the New Kingdom, there was a lot of building that was not tombs: temples for the gods especially, but also palaces for the Pharaohs.
The Great Sphinx of Egypt, one of the wonders of ancient Egyptian architecture, adjoins the pyramids of Giza and has a length of 240 ft. Built in the fourth dynasty, it is approximately 4,500 years old. A 10-year, $2.5 million restoration project was completed in 1998. Other Egyptian buildings of note include the Temples of Karnak, Edfu, and Abu Simbel and the Tombs at Beni Hassan.
Djoser’s step pyramid complex marks a major evolution in ancient Egyptian building techniques. The improvement in materials and architectural skill is often attributed to his architect, Imhotep. He was a commoner who rose to the very top of Egyptian society with the posts of Vizier, high priest of Ptah, and “overseer of works”. Djoser was so pleased with his loyal service and exceptional talents that he had Imhotep´s name inscribed on the base of one of his own statues, a rare honor.
The Egyptians lived in houses made of bricks. The bricks were made of mud and chopped straw. They mixed the mud and straw and then poured the mixture into molds. The molds were placed in the sun to bake into hard bricks. Their homes were huge.
Homes had flat roofs. People often sat outside on their roofs in the evening to watch the sunset and catch the evening breeze. The physical environment affected the homes. Windows were built high up to let heat escape during the day. Cool air going through the windows at night also helped the homes cool.
