Course Readings: Web Gallery

Giza Pyramid Complex, Fourth Dynasty, 2575-2465 BC

Djoser's successors changed the design of the step pyramid to create the famous complex at Giza. From left to right, we see the pyramids of Menkaura (r. 2490-2472 BC), Khafra (r. 2520-2494 BC), and Khufu (r. 2551-2528 BC). The older the pyramid, the bigger.

The pyramids all sat on the west side of the complex, on the edge of the desert. In the center of the pyramid's eastern side, facing the Nile River, was a funerary temple dedicated to the dead pharaoh. A causeway from this temple led to a valley temple on the fringes of the area irrigated by the Nile. The mastabas of relatives, aristocrats, and high officials surrounded each of the pyramids. The pharaoh's tomb iteslf sat in the middle of the pyramid, above ground level.

Some have associated the shape of the pyramid with a symbolic representation of the sun. The funerary temple faced eastward to greet the rising sun that symbolized eternal life. Interestingly enough, the kings began to call themselves the son of Ra, the Sun God. In the same way the sun renewed itself every day, so did the pharaoh. The funerary temples contained offering chambers and storage rooms decorated with reliefs and statues. The valley temples were somewhat less elaborate, but they also displayed statues.

Dressed, white limestone covered each of the pyramids, which must have made for an impressive sight on a sunny day. The builders used red granite for the walls and pillars of the temples, employing white calcite for the floors.