Giza Necropolis Pyramids
This is Armada's easiest model to construct and represents
the three main pyramids at Giza Necropolis as they would have appeared
over 4000 years ago, with their smooth white polished surfaces.
The rulers of ancient Egypt were called pharaohs, meaning “Great
House”. They were thought to be divine and had absolute power.
The Egyptians believed in an eternal life after death, where the deceased
started a new existence in a perfect vision of Egypt. After their bodies
had been preserved by embalming, pharaohs were buried in pyramid tombs.
These immense pyramids were a tangible demonstration of the power and
prestige of the Egyptian Monarchy.
The Pyramid Age of ancient Egypt, known as the “Old Kingdom”,
ran from 2685 BC to 2180 BC. Initially, Egyptian pyramids were stepped
constructions but after a relatively short period in favour, these were
superseded by true smooth-faced constructions with white polished limestone
casing.
This model depicts the greatest of the smooth-faced pyramids - those
that form the Giza Necropolis.
The model itself is created at a very small scale to fit on an A4 base
- its longest side representing a distance of over a kilometre.
From the largest to the smallest, the pyramids were created for the
pharaohs Khufu, Khafre and Menkaure. Khufu's pyramid, one of the Seven
Wonders of the ancient world, is also known as the Great Pyramid.
All of the Giza pyramids were clad entirely in limestone, except for
Menkaure's which had a part granite casing. Today, the limestone casing
has been shed from all but the very top of Khafre's pyramid. In their
heyday these finely crafted structures must have been immaculate, looking,
from a distance, almost as if they had been fashioned from a single
solid object.
