The Temple of Karnak

Built in the 20th century B.C, it is the biggest of the ancient Egyptian temples and was the seat of god Amun, and the administrative capital of the country. A visit to the temple begins at the sacred quay, decorated with a Nilometer showing flood levels of the Nile and then passes through an avenue, bordered by statues of ram-headed sphinxes, to the temple itself. Inside the temple there is an open courtyard with a smaller temple on the left-hand side. Then there is a large hypostyle hall, built during the reigns of Seti I and Ramsses II, containing 134 pillars, 12v of which are topped with capitals in the form of open papyrus flowers. Beyond this is the Jubilee Hall built by Tuthmosis III, near which can be found the Sacred Lake. A Sound & Light show on the temple occurred at night.

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The Step Pyramid

This pyramid complex was built in the 3rd Dynasty (2649-2575 BC) for the pharaoh Djoser by his architect Imhotep. It earned Djoser, and more importantly Imhotep, everlasting fame -- Imhotep was later deified and regarded as the patron god of architects and doctors. The pyramid is completely unlike those of the 4th and 5th Dynasties. It was the first stone pyramid (and complex) to be built in Egypt, and its form imitates wood, papyrus, mud brick, and matting in limestone.

Intended to hold his mummified body, Pharaoh Djoser's Step Pyramid at Saqqara began as a traditional, flat-roofed mastaba. But by the end of his 19-year reign, in 2611 B.C., it had risen to six stepped layers and stood 204 feet (62 meters) high. It was the largest building of its time.
Extensive use of stone—here and there carved to resemble wood, reeds, or other softer materials—made the tomb more durable than its mud-brick forebears. Such pioneering techniques led many ancient historians to credit the chief architect, Imhotep, with inventing stone architecture.
The Step Pyramid complex was enclosed by a 30-foot (10-meter) wall and included courtyards, temples, and chapels covering nearly 40 acres (16 hectares)—the size of a large town in the third millennium B.C.

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The Bent Pyramid

The Bent pyramid is a fascinating structure which raises as many questions as it answers about the evolution of the pyramid. Mysteriously, this pyramid started at one angle (approx. 52 degrees) and then suddenly changes to a more gradual angle of 43 degrees.

Among the many unanswered questions of ancient Egypt, the Bent Pyramid has one of the most central: Why did the engineers suddenly change its angle?At the height of 53 metres the pyramid changes its angle from 54°, to only 43°. The Bent Pyramid is among the earliest pyramids the Egyptians built, and it is clear that the knowledge about great constructions was not yet fully developed. Later, pyramids would have sides with an angle of 52°, not as steep as the lower part of this, but far steeper than its top.The question is: did the engineers change the angle because they were scared that the pyramid would fall in? Or did they change because they were short of time, perhaps because Pharaoh Snefru had died? Nobody really knows, and there would never be built another bent pyramid.If the first theory is correct, the Bent Pyramid gives us a dramatic illustration of the early development of Egyptian pyramid architecture.The Bent Pyramid si 105 metres high, 24 metres less than it would have been if the angle of 52° had been continued.Whether it was a result of insecure engineering, the Bent Pyramid is yet the pyramid with the largest portion of its original casing left. And of the 3 pyramids that Snefru had built, this became the one where he was buried. Snefru was a pharaoh of the 4th Dynasty. He ruled for 25 years, from 2613 until 2589 B.C.

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