Ancient Pyramids from Around the World

A pyramid is a three- or four-sided structure with sides gradually tapering to meet at a point. Their inherent stability has made pyramids a popular building choice throughout human history. Although they take a lot of time and effort, pyramids can be built into tall and imposing monuments without needing advanced engineering skills or materials. It’s no surprise then, that many ancient civilizations embraced the pyramid for their most important buildings.

Here you’ll find some of the most impressive pyramids around the world, ranked approximately by age. These are just a few of the ancient pyramids discovered today, and older ones have been found. In fact, the oldest known man-made pyramids are not in Egypt, but along the Atlantic coast of Brazil. In some cases, pyramids are the last surviving remnants of ancient cultures, offering us a fascinating glimpse into past civilizations. Let’s get started!

The Pyramid of Djoser — c. 2700 BCE

Possibly the oldest known stone megastructure in Egypt, the Pyramid of Djoser is also one of the oldest pyramids in the world. At the time of its construction, it seems, the Egyptians had not yet mastered the smooth-sided appearance of the more famous Giza Complex. Instead, Djoser’s is a step pyramid, originally a little over 200 feet tall. Its namesake, Djoser, was a member of the Egyptian Old Kingdom’s 3rd Dynasty. His pyramid was probably not the first of Egypt, but his used cut stone instead of mud bricks. Because of that, it has withstood the test of time and remains a popular tourist site today.

The Caral Pyramids — c. 2600 BCE

Around the same time Djoser commissioned his great tomb, one of the oldest known cities in the Americas was also under construction. Caral, on the coast of Peru, appears to have served as the capital of the ancient Norte Chico civilization. The city is relatively well preserved thanks to its remote desert environment, though its pyramids have weathered down to ruins. Caral’s design provided the foundations for other cities of the Andean civilizations that followed, perhaps influencing Mesoamerican cultures to the north as well. The largest Caral pyramid stood about 60 feet tall and was made from cut stone.

The Giza Pyramid Complex — c. 2580 BCE

By far the most famous pyramids in the world, the monuments of the Giza Plateau tower over modern Cairo, Egypt. The site is home to multiple pyramids, statues, and cemeteries, including the Great Sphinx of Giza. The three Pyramids of Giza, Khafre, and Menkaure dominate the scene. All were once covered with a smooth limestone exterior, which is now only visible at the top of Khafre’s pyramid. Largest of them all, the Great Pyramid of Giza was originally about 481 feet tall.

Construction appears to have begun around 2580 BCE. The methods used to cut and move such vast quantities of stone have sparked debate for centuries, even leading to theories of alien intervention. Similarly, the purpose of the pyramids is still a topic of discussion. While most scholars believe they served as tombs for the kings of Egypt’s 4th Dynasty, others continue to speculate about further uses for such a massive investment of time and resources.

The Great Ziggurat of Ur — c. 2000 BCE

The Great Ziggurat of Ur is a large step pyramid temple, built by the Neo-Sumerian people of Ur in modern Iraq. Located near the banks of the Euphrates River, Ur was once a coastal city, though the coast has since drifted miles away. The city itself is much older than its ziggurat, which crumbled nearly to ruins before being restored at several points in history. The most recent of these projects took place in the 1980s under Saddam Hussein. Thanks to these repeated rebuilding efforts, you can still visit the Ziggurat of Ur today and view it as it once stood. The actual remains of the old structure, still in-tact or covered over in places, and are thought to have been nearly 100 feet tall.

The Nubian Pyramids at Meroë — c. 300 BCE

Moving forward in time a bit, we find the Nubian pyramids at Meroë in modern Sudan. Though less well known than their Egyptian counterparts, the Nubian pyramids are beautiful and numerous. Meroë is not the only Nubian site but it among the most notable. Its pyramids were built roughly between 300 BCE and 300 CE.

Unfortunately, after standing mostly unchanged for hundreds of years, these pyramids were badly damaged by an Italian treasure hunter in the 1830s. Giuseppe Ferlini, seeking gold and silver, carelessly excavated and even detonated the pyramids to make a personal fortune. Nonetheless, enough of the pyramids survived to make Meroë a site worth visiting today.

The Pyramid of Cestius — c. 18 BCE

Even the Ancient Romans appreciated a good pyramid. The most notable in Rome is the Pyramid of Cestius, a prominent member of society at the time. It stands about 120 feet tall and is made from concrete and marble. Its interior, Cestius’s tomb is decorated with classic Roman frescoes. This pyramid marks the strong influence of Egypt in Rome in that era. Cleopatra, the Egyptian queen famously entangled with Julius Caesar and Marc Antony, died just 12 years before it was commissioned.

Teotihuacan — c. 100 CE

No culture rivalled the Egyptians in pyramidal prowess like the great civilizations of Mesoamerica. The majority of the remaining pyramids in this list stand in North or South America, and they represent the efforts of numerous advanced cultures.

Teotihuacan is a well preserved and highly influential Mesoamerican city, which reached its peak between around 1 to 500 CE. Its inhabitants are somewhat unknown, though it may have been occupied by multiple ethnicities. As a major religious and commercial hub, Teotihuacan exerted pressure on the civilizations around it, but it doesn’t appear to have been the capital of an empire like so many other large cities. Its major pyramids are the Pyramids of the Sun and Moon, named by admiring Aztec explorers who stumbled across its ruins. Of these, the Pyramid of the Sun is older and larger, standing 216 feet tall.

Huaca Pucllana — c. 500 CE

Thousands of years after the pyramids of Caral, Peru’s people were still building impressive cities and monuments. Huaca Pacllana is a large step pyramid used as a religious site by its builders, now known as the Lima culture. The huaca, or wak’a, is a type of shrine or sacred space common within Lima culture. Huaca Pucllana is widely considered to be the greatest of these. Besides its religious capacity, it was also an administrative center, with houses built into its sides. The site is located in the urban heart of Lima and has been preserved as an important piece of the city’s cultural heritage.

Tikal Temple I — c. 750 CE

Also known as the Temple of the Great Jaguar, this pyramid is perhaps the most prominent structure in the Mayan city Tikal. Surrounded by the lush rainforests of Guatemala, Tikal thrived from around 200 to 900 CE. This particular pyramid is thought to be the tomb of ruler Jasaw Chan Kʼawiil I and is 180 feet tall.

The Temple of Kukulcán — c. 800 CE

The Temple of Kukulcán, or El Castillo, is part of the Chichen Itza complex on Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula. Another Mayan city, Chichen Itza was most active between about 700 and 1000 CE. The Temple of Kukulcán sat at its heart, dedicated to the feathered serpent god by the same name. Beneath it lies a cenote, or a watery sinkhole cave. Its inner chambers appear to have been used for human sacrifice, among other ceremonies. Thanks to its proximity to popular Yucatan destinations, Chichen Itza and the temple are highly popular tourist destinations. The temple and its platform stand 98 feet tall.

Brihadishvara Temple — c. 1000 CE

Taking a short break from the Americas, let’s turn to Southern India’s Brihadishvara Temple. Located in Tamil Nadu, the temple is dedicated to the god Shiva, the destroyer and renewer. It represents a pinnacle of Dravidian architecture, the ornate style marked by extensive sculptures integrated into the building. Buildings in this style also tend to feature high pyramidal roofs, as exemplified by Brihadishvara. The entire building is 217 feet tall.

Monk’s Mound at Cahokia — c. 1000 CE

The only earthen pyramid in this list, Cahokia’s Monk’s Mound nonetheless deserves recognition as the heart of a thriving North American civilization. The flat-topped pyramid was built by Mississippian people, probably for its defensive and social value. Standing 100 feet over the surrounding landscape, the mound not only drew the eye, but allowed its residents to survey their realm.

The Mississippians were a central link in an extensive trade network, which likely stretched from the Great Lakes to Mesoamerica. Cahokia declined by 1350 and was abandoned by the time European explorers entered the area. For a brief period in the 18th century, it was inhabited by Christian monks. Today, the site is preserved within view of St. Louis’s Gateway Arch.

We could go on exploring the magnificent pyramids of the world, but covering them all would be nearly impossible. As you travel and go about your daily life, keep an eye out for this ancient structure. You might be surprised to find links to our shared human history in nearly every town and city.

References

Adams, Richard. Prehistoric Mesoamerica. Third, University of Oklahoma Press, 2005.

“Memphis and Its Necropolis – the Pyramid Fields from Giza to Dahshur.” UNESCO World Heritage Centre, UNESCO World Heritage Centre, whc.unesco.org/en/list/86. Accessed 9 Nov. 2020.

“Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site.” UNESCO World Heritage Centre, https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/198, whc.unesco.org/en/list/198. Accessed 9 Nov. 2020.

“Pre-Hispanic City of Teotihuacan.” UNESCO World Heritage Centre, UNESCO World Heritage Centre, whc.unesco.org/en/list/414. Accessed 9 Nov. 2020.

Verner, Miroslav, and Steven Rendall. The Pyramids: The Mystery, Culture, and Science of Egypt’s Great Monuments. Grove Press, 2002.

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