The Great Pyramid of The Seven Wonders of the World Essay

The Great Pyramid Of all the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, only one still stands today: the Great Pyramid of Khufu at Giza in Egypt. Surprisingly, it is by far the oldest of the Seven Wonders. It was already more than 2,000 years old in the time of the ancient Greeks. For more than 4,000 years, the 481-foot-high pyramid was the tallest structure ever built by humans. It is about as tall as a fifty-story building. No other building reached that height until the Eiffel Tower was created in 1887 (Putnam 20). The pyramid’s square base, 756 feet long on each side, is 13 acres, or the size of seven city blocks. The five biggest cathedrals of Europe could be all fitted into the pyramid at the same time (The Pyramids). How did this†¦show more content†¦Because of the pyramids pointed shape, the building itself acted as a kind of ramp to help the king on his journey (Scarre 22). However, in addition to the religious meaning, there were also practical reasons for why the ancient Egyptians chose the pyramid’s shape. The pyramid is a strong, stable shape because it has a wide base and narrow top. It is much harder to knock down than a vertical building, which is why ancient pyramids still stand today. In addition, the tombs sheer size, and the cost and difficulty of building it, made clear to the whole world that the pharaoh was a very powerful man. Indeed, Khufu, who built the Great Pyramid, has been called probably the most powerful pharaoh ever to rule Egypt (Putnam 18). By the time of Khufus reign, about 2551–2528 B.C., the Egyptians had been building pyramids for only about a century. They had gotten better and better at the construction. While their earlier monuments had been made of mud brick, in about 2680 B.C., the Egyptians discovered how to build with large limestone blocks. Soon after they mastered building with stone blocks, the Egyptians changed their technique. They switched from building step pyramids, which had a series of smaller and smaller levels rising to the top, to the true pyramid shape, which is smooth. Although today the Great Pyramid has a staircase-like appearance, that is because the outer layer of limestone has been torn away over the centuries. When it was built, it would have lookedShow MoreRelatedSeven Wonders of the Ancient World1404 Words   |  6 PagesSeven Wonders of the Ancient World Seven Wonders of the Ancient World The Ancient Greek and Roman civilizations were some of the greatest civilizations in human history. The Greeks and the Romans had many interests and pursuits. These are cultures that placed a great deal of value in aesthetics and architecture. There are in fact many structures and artifacts that have survived from those civilizations. 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