The Egyptian pyramids are perhaps the most famous cultural monument of ancient civilizations. The highest of them - the Cheops pyramid - was created four and a half thousand years ago. However, disputes about how the Egyptians, who did not have modern construction equipment, managed to build such grandiose structures, continue to this day.
“Everything in the world is afraid of time, but time itself is afraid of pyramids,” says an Arabic proverb. Of the seven wonders of the world included in the list compiled by the ancient Greeks, the Egyptian pyramids turned out to be the most durable.
The Egyptians created several stone pyramids that served as tombs for the pharaohs. More than two million stone blocks were used to build the famous Cheops pyramid, which was originally 146 meters high. The average weight of each of them reaches two and a half tons. It was once faced with polished stone slabs, which were later used for other structures.
This is what Herodotus said
The ancient Greek historian Herodotus told the legend that for 10 years they built roads along which stones were carried. The construction of the pyramid itself lasted another 20 years. In total, 100 thousand people took part in the construction of the pyramids, replacing each other every 3 months. The Egyptians did not leave any information about the methods of constructing the pyramids.
The most common version says that huge stone blocks were dragged along specially erected inclined embankments. The road along the embankment was reinforced with a wooden deck. At the end of the construction work, it became necessary to remove the unnecessary mountain of sand somewhere.
Modern versions of pyramid construction
However, modern researchers believe that the Egyptians had more rational ways of lifting stone blocks. In particular, there is a version that the lifting of the blocks was carried out simultaneously from four sides of the pyramid using specially constructed wooden machines. For this kind of work, 50-60 people were required, who once a day climbed the pyramids, and then, controlling the wooden structure with the help of tensioned ropes, lifted many blocks during the day. Thus, the construction time of the pyramids was significantly reduced.
The pyramids were aligned with the stars Mizar and Kokhab in the constellations Ursa Major and Ursa Minor. Due to the displacement of the earth's axis, these stars in different centuries pointed to different directions of the world. During the construction of the pyramids, they "looked" to the north. It is well established that the Egyptians aligned the pyramids to the north, since they believed that the deceased pharaoh turns into a star in the northern sky.
Centuries pass, the deeds of the pharaohs who once lived have long been forgotten, and the majestic Egyptian pyramids stand in their places, forcing people to think about eternity.
