An Australian insurance company, Budget Direct, recently created a digital reconstruction of the Great Pyramid of Giza, offering a glimpse into how these ancient marvels appeared when they were first built.
The Egyptian pyramids on the Giza Plateau, among the most impressive structures in human history, looked striking when first built. The pyramids were covered in polished white limestone that reflected the desert sun like giant mirrors. "This limestone layer gave the pyramids a smooth and shiny appearance under the sun," said Mohamed Megahed from the Czech Institute of Egyptology at Charles University in Prague, according to Aydınlık.
At the pinnacle of the pyramids sat a pyramidion, a capstone covered in gold or electrum. As detailed in National Geographic Historia, this pyramidion amplified the pyramid's brightness under the sun, making it appear like a ray of light at the top of a mountain. It was believed that the pyramids, by reflecting sunlight, connected the earth with the sky and the Pharaoh with Ra, the sun god.
The Great Pyramid of Giza, built by Pharaoh Khufu between 2551 BCE and 2528 BCE, is the largest and oldest pyramid in Egypt. Approximately 5.5 million metric tons of limestone were used during its construction, and for the Great Pyramid alone, workers hauled and stacked around 6.1 million tons of limestone.
"Every aspect of the construction of the ancient Egyptian pyramids served both practical and spiritual purposes, including the polished limestone finish, which had aesthetic, symbolic, and religious significance," explains The Travel. The construction of these pyramids helped pharaohs' souls reach the heavens and facilitated the king's passage to the afterlife.
Over the centuries, the white limestone coating of the pyramids started vanishing. According to Egyptologist Mark Lehner, the plundering of the pyramids' cladding stones began during the reign of Pharaoh Tutankhamun, between 1336 BCE and 1327 BCE. Natural erosion and human intervention led to most of the limestone casing disappearing. A major earthquake in 1303 CE caused a portion of the pyramids' outer cladding to fall off.
Today, some remnants of the original white limestone coating still cling to the Pyramid of Khafre, giving it the appearance of wearing a slightly crooked hat. The lower levels of the Khafre Pyramid and the Pyramid of Menkaure sported red granite cladding, creating a striking two-tone effect and adding extra stability.
The electrum-covered pyramidions, which were like Ancient Egypt's version of a crown jewel visible from miles away, have been lost to time. National Geographic Historia suggests that although it is not known for certain how or when it occurred, it is probable that the pyramidion was stolen for the value of its materials.
The article was written with the assistance of a news analysis system.