The Pyramids are what ancient Egyptian civilization is most famous for, and they are among the most iconic archaeological landmarks in the world.
However, despite this, ancient Egyptians reached a certain point where they abruptly stopped building pyramids.
The last pyramid constructed was almost certainly by King Ahmose, located in the area of Abydos. After that, no more pyramids were built. What could be the reason?
Over hundreds of years, the ancient Egyptians built numerous pyramids from limestone, granite, and even mudbrick.
Each pyramid reflected the power, authority, wealth, and religious beliefs of the king of that period.
However, during the New Kingdom era, pyramid construction suddenly ceased, despite this period, which spans from the 16th to the 11th century BC, featuring some of Egypt's most powerful kings like Ahmose, Amenhotep I, Thutmose I and II, Amenhotep IV, Ramesses II, and others. It was considered Egypt's golden age.
The Egyptian Empire was at its peak of power and expansion, yet no pyramids were built.
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| Summary: The pyramids | Description: English: The pyramids | Date: 2020 | Source: Own work | Author: Mahan84848 |
In 1898 CE, archaeologists discovered remnants of a mudbrick pyramid in the Abydos.
This pyramid was attributed to Queen Tetisheri, one of the queens of the Seventeenth Dynasty and grandmother of King Ahmose I.
Around the same time, they also unearthed remains of another pyramid nearby, believed to have belonged to King Ahmose himself.
Its base was approximately 50 meters long and its height was about 40 meters, but now only some ruins remain, standing at a height of around ten meters.
This pyramid is considered the last royal pyramid ever built in Egypt. After King Ahmose, none of the subsequent kings built any pyramids.
They only constructed tombs in the Valley of the Kings near Thebes, Egypt's capital at the time.
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| Pyramid of Ahmose, Abydos, 1998 | Date: 1998 | Source: Own work | Author: Wannabe Egyptologist |
Amenhotep I, son of King Ahmose, ruled Egypt for over 20 years and undertook massive architectural projects.
He expanded the Karnak Temple complex, erected a massive limestone gateway there measuring about ten meters in length, built a temple from rare white marble, and established temples in Abydos and Kom Ombo.
He also founded an area called Deir el-Medina, which was dedicated to the builders, workers, and craftsmen involved in his architectural projects.
In short, he could have easily built a pyramid, even if it were small, but he did not. The same was true for his successor, Thutmose I, who achieved significant architectural feats, was a strong military leader, and greatly expanded the Egyptian kingdom during his reign, yet he did not build any pyramids either.
This pattern continued with all subsequent Egyptian kings.
Therefore, the question remains: why did the ancient Egyptians suddenly stop building pyramids?
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| Relief of Amenhotep I, from Karnak. Limestone. New Kingdom, Dynasty XVIII, c. 1514–1493 BC. | Author: One dead president | Date: 9 September 2007 | Source/Photographer: Own work |
Researchers believe there were multiple reasons why kings ceased building pyramids. The first reason is religious and ideological.
There are varied opinions regarding the purpose of pyramid construction; some suggest they served as energy generators, while others propose they functioned as astronomical observatories or tools for star surveying.
Some even argued that pyramids were granaries for storing grain and wheat. However, according to the official narrative, which states that pyramids were tombs for kings, ancient Egyptians' lives were always intertwined with death and the afterlife.
In the Old Kingdom, they built their tombs in the form of pyramids because they believed this was the means by which the king ascended to the heavens to join the sun.
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| Step pyramid of Pharaoh Djoser from the 3rd Dynasty of the Ancient Empire in Egypt (around 2670 BC). | Date: 3 April 2009 | Source: Own work | Author: Olaf Tausch |
As we transitioned into the Middle Kingdom, religious beliefs began to shift, with more focus on the king's journey to the underworld.
This shift led them to carve tombs in rock or bury them underground, rendering the construction of large pyramidal tombs unnecessary.
The second and significant reason is that pyramids, throughout the ages, proved ineffective in preserving the mummies of kings and their treasures.
Despite the secret chambers and complex passages constructed within pyramids, thieves eventually gained access to the burial chambers and stole treasures, artifacts, and even the mummies themselves.
Nearly all the pyramids in Egypt, numbering over 100, have not been found with their burial chambers intact.
No mummies have been discovered in any of these pyramids. Perhaps this was the reason why kings of the New Kingdom began to contemplate a different approach.
Since pyramids failed to fulfill their intended purpose, enthusiasts of this theory argue that the idea first surfaced during the reign of Thutmose I.
Thutmose I tasked his chief architect, Ineni, to find a suitable location for his tomb, ultimately choosing an isolated area nestled between mountains and colossal rocks in Thebes.
The tomb was clandestinely constructed there, leveraging a mountain peak resembling a pyramid, combining the advantage of distancing from thieves with a natural pyramidal symbolism.
This location eventually became the renowned Valley of the Kings, where a large number of kings and princes were buried after Thutmose I, with over 60 royal tombs discovered so far.
Adjacent to it was another area known as the Valley of the Queens, where queens and royal children were buried.
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| Valley of the Kings near Luxor, Egypt. | Date: 31 January 2006 | Source: Own work by Nikater. | Author: User: Nikater |
Additionally, kings of the New Kingdom introduced an additional innovation by relocating the mortuary temple.
In ancient times, the mortuary temple was always built adjacent to the tomb itself. However, during this period, they began constructing it at a completely separate location, far away from the tomb site.
This was done for camouflage purposes, along with deploying army units whose primary task was to protect the tombs and pursue thieves.
Therefore, the idea of abandoning pyramids and replacing them with rock-cut tombs proved highly effective, especially since many tombs in the Valley of the Kings remained undiscovered by thieves for thousands of years.
The next reason that led the kings of the New Kingdom to abandon the construction of pyramids is that any architectural style evolves over time.
If we examine the history of pyramid construction, we find that it began in the reign of King Djoser, who ruled between 2630 BC and 2611 BC, and continued until the era of King Ahmose I, who ruled between 1550 BC and 1525 BC.
This period spans over 1000 years. Throughout these millennia, Egyptians built pyramids continuously, so it was natural for them to pause at times and start using a different architectural style because no architectural style remains constant forever.
Thus, in the New Kingdom, kings began to compete in a different type of architecture, namely temple construction.
Examples include the temple built by Hatshepsut in the Deir el-Bahari area, the temple of Amenhotep I, the temple of Abu Simbel built by Ramesses II, and the complex of Karnak temples.
All of these served as architectural alternatives to pyramids. Besides their function as tombs, pyramids had a symbolic role as monumental memorials expressing the power of the king.
Therefore, kings of the New Kingdom turned to temple construction to compensate for the ceremonial aspect previously fulfilled by pyramids.
.webp "Deir el-Bahari with Hatshepsut's temple") |
Another reason for the decline in pyramid construction is that the city of Thebes (Luxor), which was the capital of Egypt during the New Kingdom, did not have terrain suitable for pyramid construction.
Additionally, by the end of the New Kingdom period, specifically after the 20th Dynasty, Egypt experienced a period known as the Third Intermediate Period.
During this time, the Egyptian empire fragmented and weakened, making it difficult for kings to undertake massive projects like pyramids.
In later ages, a different trend emerged where kings and princes began reusing the pyramids and tombs built in the Old Kingdom.
They appropriated these structures and placed their mummies inside. For example, during the 26th Dynasty, several pyramids were built near the existing ones at Saqqara, but they were not as large as those from the 4th Dynasty because the kingdom lacked the resources needed to build such massive pyramids at that time.
Ultimately, the Egyptians' cessation of pyramid construction was a result of a variety of reasons, including religious, artistic, geographical, and political factors.
As with all cultures and civilizations, everything has a beginning and an end. Over time, kings developed new styles and methods that suited the needs of their era, leaving behind a diverse and awe-inspiring architectural legacy that embodies the genius of ancient Egyptians.
For those who prefer visual content, you can watch the video below that covers the same topic in detail.