0: What does the word 'pyramid' mean?
The word 'pyramid' actually comes from the Greek word 'pyramis' which means 'wheat cake'. The word 'pyramis' was used to describe the ancient Egyptian buildings because they reminded the Greeks of pointy-topped wheat cakes. The ancient Egyptian word for the pyramids was 'Mer'.

1: How was the Great Sphinx discovered?A Legend about the Great SphinxHow big are the pyramids?How many pyramids have been discovered so far in Egypt?Religious beliefs about deathWhy was the pyramid shape used?
The Great Pyramid of Khufu, for example, is a huge structure built from over two million blocks of stone, weighing from 2-30 tons each with some of them weighing as much as 70 tons. The base of the pyramid covers 55 000m² with each side greater than 20 000m² in area. It was built in about 2600 B.C.

2: How was the Great Sphinx discovered?A Legend about the Great SphinxHow big are the pyramids?How many pyramids have been discovered so far in Egypt?Religious beliefs about deathWhy was the pyramid shape used?
Egyptologists have developed many theories about why the tombs of the early pharaohs were built in this way. Here are three different ideas:
   i. The pyramid represented the first land to appear at the beginning of time - a hill called 'Ben-Ben'.
   ii. The pyramid had sloping sides so that the dead pharaoh could symbolically climb to the sky and live forever.
   iii. The pyramid represented the rays of the sun.

3: How was the Great Sphinx discovered?A Legend about the Great SphinxHow big are the pyramids?How many pyramids have been discovered so far in Egypt?Religious beliefs about deathWhy was the pyramid shape used?
For the ancient Egyptians being buried properly was very important. A proper burial would allow them to live again in the afterlife. Thus, most people who could afford to, spent a lot of time and effort making sure that they would be buried well. Most ordinary ancient Egyptians were buried in the desert. Their relatives wrapped their body in a simple cloth and buried it with some everyday objects and food.

4: How was the Great Sphinx discovered?A Legend about the Great SphinxHow big are the pyramids?How many pyramids have been discovered so far in Egypt?Religious beliefs about deathWhy was the pyramid shape used?
Stories have been told for many years about the Great Sphinx. They tell about its powers and mysteries. One of them reads that one day a young prince fell asleep next to it. He had been hunting all day, and was very tired. He dreamt that the Great Sphinx promised that he would become the ruler of Upper and Lower Egypt if he cleared away the sand covering its body. The Great Sphinx was covered up to its neck. The rest of the story is gone, so you will have to use your imagination to work out the ending.

5: How was the Great Sphinx discovered?A Legend about the Great SphinxHow big are the pyramids?How many pyramids have been discovered so far in Egypt?Religious beliefs about deathWhy was the pyramid shape used?
The number of pyramid structures in Egypt today is reported as being between 80 and 110. In 1842 Karl Lepsius made a list of pyramids, in which he counted 67, although more have been identified and discovered since his time. The imprecise nature of the count is related to the fact that many smaller pyramids are in a poor state of preservation and appear as little piles of earth. Most are grouped in a number of pyramid fields and they are only now being properly identified and studied by archaeologists.