Family Tradition
Each pharaoh, like the one that came before him, was on a mission. Part of that mission was to become a god, or at least a god on Earth. They built palaces, temples, places where the people could come to worship them and the other Egyptian gods. They depicted themselves as equals to the gods of Egypt. Needless to say, when Cheops built The Great Pyramid, no one believed his achievement could ever be equaled. However, Cheops’ son, Chephren, had another idea.
When people today look at the group of pyramids on the Giza Plateau, they often mistake Chephren’s pyramid for The Great Pyramid of Cheops. Chephren made certain his pyramid was built at a slightly higher elevation on the plateau than Cheops’ pyramid and the top of Chephren’s pyramid also still retains some of the outer casing. Both of these elements contribute to the illusion that Chephren’s pyramid is in fact larger than Cheops’ pyramid. Certainly, the first aspect was no accident. It undoubtedly pleased Chephren enormously to think that his pyramid would somehow be perceived as bigger or better than that of his father.
Cheops himself remains something of a mystery. What archaeologists hoped to learn about him from artifacts buried with him in the pyramid was lost to tomb robbers long before archaeologists found their way into the inner reaches of Cheops’ resting place. The only likeness of Cheops known to exist is a miniature statue on display now at The Cairo Museum.
It is supposed that Cheops was an avid supporter of the arts, and that he promoted many forms of artistic and cultural advancements during his reign. It may have been Cheops himself who designed The Great Pyramid and had its base points aligned with the cardinal points on the compass.
Serving a Purpose
The purpose of the pyramids is well known. They were intended as a final resting place for the pharaoh, a safe haven from tomb robbers. However, some also believe the pyramids were intended as huge transmitters, directing the spirits of the pharaohs upward toward the heavens and ultimately the afterlife.
The interior of the pyramid is a series of passageways and chambers. These passageways and chambers are an elaborate maze laid out for tomb robbers who were expected to break into the tomb. False chambers and passageways to nowhere would throw one’s sense of direction off and it was hoped that the tomb robbers might become confused in the dark and that perhaps they would never find their way out. This way, the builders hoped they might protect the ultimate goal of the tomb robbers – the pharaoh’s burial chamber.
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