King Zosar’s royal architect, Imhotep, built the “Step” Pyramid as part of a vast funerary complex at Saqqara, Egypt. Not a genuine pyramid, but six mastabas stacked one atop another, the Step Pyramid dates to 2665 B.C.
The shape of the Step Pyramid suggested the idea of an authentic pyramid, however, and one generation later, Huni, the son of Zosar, began the first attempt at a genuine pyramid at Maydoum, about 110 kilometers south of today’s Cairo. It was not successful, and today it lies in ruins. His son, King Sneferu, the grandson of Zosar, began the construction of the first surviving pyramid. He started by building at a 52-degree angle, but it was too steep. Halfway up, he switched the angle to 43 degrees, and he completed the pyramid. It created, however, a “bent” appearance. In addition, the interior burial chamber has a flat roof,...
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