PyramidsOnline version Read the second part of the lecture Pyramids. by My Project 1 Pyramids The Egyptians built more than a hundred pyramids, almost all of them near Cairo, on the west side of the Nile river (since the sun sets, or 'dies', in the west). These were usually lined with polished white stone, and topped off with a pyramidion-or capstone-made of gold or marble to make them gleam in the desert. This gleaming lining has since fallen away. The largest, the Pyramid of Khufu, built in 2560 BC, was the tallest building in the world until it was beaten by an English cathedral in 1311. It is known as the last remaining 7 Wonders of the Ancient World.Egyptians weren't the only ones to build pyramids. On the other side of the Atlantic, the Mesoamerican peoples also built pyramids in what is today Mexico. These pyramids were not smooth like the Egyptian ones, but made of several tiers which got smaller as they got higher. They would usually have stairs on the sides, which led all the way to the top. Many had a temple or statue at the top. 2 Pyramids The Mesoamerican pyramids were built my many different cultures. Some of the earliest, like the temple at Tikal, or El Castillo, were built by the Maya people at some point between 700 and 1200 AD. Others were built by the earlier pre-Colombian peoples in 250 AD, such as the Pyramids of the Sun and Moon in modern-day Mexico. They were discovered in an abandoned state by the Aztecs 1000 years after they were built. These cultures all had slightly different religions and different uses for their pyramids. Some Mesoamerican pyramids were tombs for kings. Others were religious shrines dedicated to specific gods or to planets. Others might have been used for human sacrifices. Many of the outside walls of these pyramids are covered with writing explaining various stories about the gods to the reader.The Egyptian and Mesoamerican cultures were very different. They were on two different sides of the ocean, spoke different languages and separated by 2000 years of history. But they had one thing in common-they both used enormous pyramids to get closer to their respective gods.
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