CONTENT:- INTRODUCTION- BACKGROUND OF ANCIENT EGYPT AND THE PYRAMIDS- THE STEPPED PYRAMID of Pharaoh Djoser- THE GREAT PYRAMID of Pharaoh Khufu- CONCLUSION- BIBLIOGRAPHY AND FURTHER NOTES This essay focuses on two different types of pyramids; the Step Pyramid which was the first pyramid and the Great Pyramid, which was the largest pyramid built in Egypt. The essay investigates the meaning of the forms chosen for Egyptian culture and explains their dialogue with the cosmos. Ancient Egyptian architecture is one of the most important civilizations in history, which developed through several structures and large architectural monuments along the Nile River. The Egyptian pyramids were built for the pharaoh, as a tomb. Their belief was that the highest point of the pyramid was the door through which the soul could travel to the afterlife and return to earth if chosen. These tombs were built aligned with the planets and some stars. One of Ancient Egypt's greatest cultural achievements was certainly in their religion-related architecture. Fumeaux mentions: "Temples, tombs and pyramids - all have stood witness to this land for thousands of years. What better than to say that these architectural achievements show us that Egypt's greatest virtue lies in its architecture"[ 1]"The Egyptian sun god Ra, considered the father of all pharaohs, is said to have created himself from a pyramid-shaped mound of earth before creating all the other gods. The pyramid shape is thought to symbolize the rays of the sun" (Donald B. Redford, Ph.D., Penn State).[2]THE STEPPED PYRAMIDThe first prototype tomb was the Mastaba in Egypt. It is a monumental underground structure usually made of mud bricks. This building served as a tomb for the im...... middle of paper ......ns, Canada, 1998.- Uvarov, V, The Pyramids, Resonance BookWorks Publishers, Russia, 2007.- Kostof, S , A History of Architecture: Settings and Rituals, 2nd ed., Oxford University Press Ink. Publishers, New York, 1995.FOOTNOTES- [1] Fumeaux, R.J., Western Architecture, Thames and Hudson Ltd, London, 1969.- [2] Redford, Donald B, Ph.D.; McCauley, M, “How were the Egyptian pyramids built?”, Pennsylvania State University Research, URL accessed 11 December 2012.- [3] ARNOLD, D, Building in Egypt, Pharaoic Stone Masonry, Oxford:Oxford University Press, 1991, pp 159-160.- [4] Bauval, R & Gilbert, A, The Orion Mystery, Heinemann, 1994.- [5] Ritter, M, The Great Pyramid of Cheops, consulted on 12 April 2005, "The Great Pyramid of Cheops... is the largest pyramid in Egypt and was the tallest man-made structure in the world until 1888."