A What Is a Pharaoh? was the most important person in Egypt, so Egyptians believed his life after death mattered for everyone. In the Old Kingdom, kings were buried under some of the biggest buildings ever made: pyramids.
Key idea
Pyramids were tombs for kings. They were built to protect the king's body and to help him live forever. Each pyramid had temples beside it, where priests brought offerings.
Why it works
Egyptians believed a person lived on after death, but the body and the offerings had to be cared for. A mountain of stone kept the burial safe and lasted for all time. Many experts think the shape also had a meaning: it may recall the first mound of land that rose out of the water when the world began, or the slanting rays of the sun.
Worked example: Palace or tomb?
A pyramid has a small stone room deep inside, with long narrow passages and no windows. Was it a palace for a living king?
- A palace needs rooms for living: bedrooms, halls, kitchens.
- A pyramid is solid stone with only a few small rooms for a burial.
Answer: No. It was a tomb.
Common mistake
Thinking pyramids were palaces or storehouses. They were royal tombs, with temples beside them. Even so, robbers broke into almost all of them long ago, in spite of hidden passages and huge blocking stones.
Egypt has more than a hundred pyramids. In the New Kingdom, kings gave up pyramids and were buried in hidden tombs cut into the rock instead.