Profile of a Sacred Space: The Great Pyramid by Jennifer Daniel



General Description:
The seventh wonder of the world, the Great Pyramid of Giza is also the single, largest pyramid in the world from antiquity. It is located in Egypt just outside Cairo on the west bank of the Nile River. Constructed in the 4th Dynasty B.C., it was built to hold the remains of King Khufu whose reign lasted from 2551 B.C. to 2528 B.C. The Great Pyramid is part of a complex of pyramids, funerary temples, causeways, and boat pits that form a pyramid complex that is essentially a large scale cemetery for dead kings. The Great Pyramid only took 20-25 years to build which occurred during King Khufu’s reign. In the pyramid complex, each pyramid, including the Great Pyramid, has a mortuary temple and valley temple linked by a long causeway that were roofed and walled.






Architectural Design:
The Great Pyramid was built utilizing the technology developed from previous mastaba and pyramid builders. Its building stones are made of limestone and granite blocks ranging from 2 ½ tons to over 6 million tons, covering 13 ½ acres on a 3,000 base perimeter displacing a volume of solid masonry of 94 million cubic feet. The largest blocks are place at the top of the pyramid to distribute the weight of the pyramid evenly throughout the structure. While the core of the pyramid contains a hill of rubble that makes estimating the exact number of blocks impossible, it is estimated that approximately 2.3 million blocks were used to construct the pyramid. The pyramid stands at 280 meters high or 50 stories tall and 140 meters at each base at 51 to 52 degrees of an inch angle.
The Great Pyramid stands oriented to face the four cardinal directions: true north, south, east, and west. The first level of stones was laid out on a platform of solid bedrock to provide a stable foundation. Then, the pyramid was constructed in horizontal levels; one on top of the other. One of the significances of the complexity of the Great Pyramid is that it was constructed using pi which is an advanced form of mathematics involving the ratio of a circle’s circumference to its diameter.
The interior of the pyramid contains a series of passages leading to the King’s chamber positioned exactly at the center of the pyramid. Other chambers exist, including a Queen’s chamber and chambers to assist the dead into the afterlife.
Once the pyramid was finished, the scaffolding was removed and workers proceeded to polish the white lime stones to reveal a brilliant white mass in the desert.

Harmony with Nature:
While the brilliant white lime stone layer has faded away or been quarried away, the sheer magnitude of the Great Pyramid stands tall along the Nile River. It now blends in with the surrounding desert.
According to Dr. Kwame Nantambu, the Great Pyramid in a complex with the pyramids of Khafre and Menkaure, form a series in exact alignment with the Orion belt as it occurred in the sky at the time of the Egyptians.
Symbolism and Sacred Objects:
The Egyptians believed that the monarch’s spirit left the body and traveled through the sky with the sun each day. Each day when the sun set, the royal spirits settled into their pyramid tombs to renew themselves. Glorious paintings, relief carvings, and monumental statues were created for the interior of the pyramid. Artists were able to capture the emotional and psychological distinctions as well as depicting ritual scenes and daily life on pyramid walls. Sculptures of the deceased heads called “reserve heads” were actual representations of the dead themselves. Pyramid texts which include hymns, magical spells, and instruments on how to act in front of the gods were also displayed in the chambers of the pyramid. A carved Medu Netcher on the walls of the burial chamber acted to protect the dead monarch’s passage into the afterlife.

How it was used by worshippers:
The Great Pyramid and its complex were dedicated to the funerary cult of the Kings and worship of the deities. It also served as a tomb for Kings, Queens, Royal family members, and high ranking officials. Worshippers maintained the site in the attempt to ensure that their dead pharaohs ascended into the afterlife with little complexity.

Sources:

Lehner, M. (1992). The location and importance of the pyramid settlement. The Oriental News And Notes, 135. Retrieved from http://oi.uchicago.edu/research/pubs/nn/fal92_giz.html

Lepre, J.P. (1990). The egyptian pyramids: A comprehensive, illustrated reference.
London, England: McFarland & Company, Inc.

Malek, J. (2000). The old kingdom. In Shaw, I. Editor, The oxford history of ancient egypt(pp. 89-117). Oxford, Oxford University Press.

Nantambu, K. (2002). Who built the pyramids and why? Retrieved from http://www.trinicenter.com/kwame/2002/Apr/212002.htm

Willard, P. (2009). Who built the pyramids? Retrieved from http://www.nationalgeographic.com/pyramids/pyramids.html#who