The Wonders of Ancient Egypt
Ancient Egypt has many wonderful wonders. For example, the ancient pyramid in Giza was fashioned with very unique architecture. It was constructed with more than 2 million heavy stone bricks. Each freakish, back-breaking brick weighed more than 22 tons. By the west bank of the radiant Nile in the desert, all pyramids were built. Tools were important. Egyptians used ropes, sledges, levers and ramps to move the heavy stone
bricks. The entrances, which were hidden on the north side, were covered by a giant slab of rock. These pyramids are majestic monuments, formerly filled with treasures. The builders tried to keep robbers out by writing curses on the walls, making dead- end passages, placing boulders in the chambers, and putting secret doors in the pyramid. Today, most of the treasures are gone, despite the builders efforts. Presently, there are more than 30 pyramids still standing to remind us of the amazing architecture and great civilization that once
thrived in Ancient Egypt.
The fanciful sphinx is an imaginary creature found in myths of many ancient cultures. It has the body of a lion and the head of a man, falcon or ram. Most ancient Egyptian sphinxes honor powerful pharoahs or kings and their heads resemble the one they were honoring. Egyptian sphinxes became the symbol of power and protection. Near the Great Pyramid in Giza, Egypt sits the most famous sphinx: The Great Sphinx. It is grand. It has a headdress and is believed to be King Khafre. This sphinx, which was carved from one gigantic piece of rock, is 240 feet long, 60 feet high and its face is 13 feet across. The head, legs and paws were made of other rocks and added on later. It is the oldest and largest sphinx still standing. Wind, sand and rain have eroded parts of the Sphinx and, surprisingly, it is sometimes buried up to its neck in sand! Solidly, the mythical Sphinx still stands in ancient Egypt.
A mummy is the preserved body of someone who has died. Ancient Egyptians mummified people and animals because they thought their spirits needed their bodies in the afterlife. Mummification was a long and tedious process which took 70 days. It was complicated. First, they extracted the organs through a slit made in the side of the body. Next, the squishy organs were preserved in jars. Then they fully stuffed the body with linen soaked with a salt called natron. Finally, they let the body sit for 40 days for the salt-soaked linen to draw out all the
body fluids. Once the body was royally “raisinized”, new linens were stuffed inside. Beeswax was pushed inside the nostrils so they would keep their shape. After this procedure was finished, the body was wrapped with more linen. Amulets, which are charms, were tucked between the layers of linen to scare the fanciful evil spirits away. In the end, a mask was placed on the mummy’s head, the mummy was encased in three coffins, and then the sarcophagus was carried to the tomb. Many ancient
Egyptian mummies are still preserved today. These are also one of the wonderful wonders of ancient Egypt.
bricks. The entrances, which were hidden on the north side, were covered by a giant slab of rock. These pyramids are majestic monuments, formerly filled with treasures. The builders tried to keep robbers out by writing curses on the walls, making dead- end passages, placing boulders in the chambers, and putting secret doors in the pyramid. Today, most of the treasures are gone, despite the builders efforts. Presently, there are more than 30 pyramids still standing to remind us of the amazing architecture and great civilization that once
thrived in Ancient Egypt.
The fanciful sphinx is an imaginary creature found in myths of many ancient cultures. It has the body of a lion and the head of a man, falcon or ram. Most ancient Egyptian sphinxes honor powerful pharoahs or kings and their heads resemble the one they were honoring. Egyptian sphinxes became the symbol of power and protection. Near the Great Pyramid in Giza, Egypt sits the most famous sphinx: The Great Sphinx. It is grand. It has a headdress and is believed to be King Khafre. This sphinx, which was carved from one gigantic piece of rock, is 240 feet long, 60 feet high and its face is 13 feet across. The head, legs and paws were made of other rocks and added on later. It is the oldest and largest sphinx still standing. Wind, sand and rain have eroded parts of the Sphinx and, surprisingly, it is sometimes buried up to its neck in sand! Solidly, the mythical Sphinx still stands in ancient Egypt.
A mummy is the preserved body of someone who has died. Ancient Egyptians mummified people and animals because they thought their spirits needed their bodies in the afterlife. Mummification was a long and tedious process which took 70 days. It was complicated. First, they extracted the organs through a slit made in the side of the body. Next, the squishy organs were preserved in jars. Then they fully stuffed the body with linen soaked with a salt called natron. Finally, they let the body sit for 40 days for the salt-soaked linen to draw out all the
body fluids. Once the body was royally “raisinized”, new linens were stuffed inside. Beeswax was pushed inside the nostrils so they would keep their shape. After this procedure was finished, the body was wrapped with more linen. Amulets, which are charms, were tucked between the layers of linen to scare the fanciful evil spirits away. In the end, a mask was placed on the mummy’s head, the mummy was encased in three coffins, and then the sarcophagus was carried to the tomb. Many ancient
Egyptian mummies are still preserved today. These are also one of the wonderful wonders of ancient Egypt.
