Khufu seems to have set to work on building his grand tomb shortly after coming to power. Undeterred, Sneferu took what he learned from that experience and built the Red Pyramid, the first true pyramid constructed in Egypt.

Sneferu learned from his mistake, however, and went to work on another - the Bent Pyramid - which also failed because of miscalculations in the angle from base to summit. His first attempt, the Collapsed Pyramid at Meidum, failed because he departed too widely from Imhotep's design. 2613-2589 BCE) sought to improve on Imhotep's plans and create an even more impressive monument. Still, the Step Pyramid was not a 'true pyramid' and, in the period of the Old Kingdom (c. His vision led to the creation of Djoser's Step Pyramid at Saqqara, still standing in the present day, the oldest pyramid in the world. Imhotep conceived of a then-radical plan of not only building a mastaba out of stone but of stacking these structures on top of one another in steps to create an enormous, lasting, monument. 2670 BCE) tombs were constructed of mud fashioned into modest mounds known as mastabas. 2667-2600 BCE) devised a means of creating an elaborate tomb, unlike any other, for his king Djoser. Toward the end of the Early Dynastic Period (c. Still, the intricacy of the interior passages, shafts, and chambers (The King's Chamber, Queen's Chamber, and Grand Gallery) as well as the nearby Osiris Shaft, coupled with the mystery of how the pyramid was built at all and its orientation to cardinal points, encourages the persistence of these fringe theories. These theories continue to be advanced in spite of the increasing body of evidence substantiating that the pyramid was built by the ancient Egyptians using technological means which, most likely, were so common to them that they felt no need to record them. So-called 'fringe' or 'New Age' theories abound, in an effort to explain the advanced technology required for the structure, citing extra-terrestrials and their imagined frequent visits to Egypt in antiquity.

The theory of ramps running around the outside of the structure to move the blocks into place is still debated by historians. Exactly how it was built, however, still puzzles people in the modern day. Although many theories persist as to the purpose of the pyramid, the most widely accepted understanding is that it was constructed as a tomb for king KHUFU.Īlthough many theories persist as to the purpose of the pyramid, the most widely accepted understanding is that it was constructed as a tomb for the king.

Simple pyramids drawings