Here are some fun facts about Egypt.
Egyptian men and women wore makeup. They were one of the first to create the perfect winged cat eyeliner.
They invented writing, using ink on paper called papyrus.
And the country's most noteworthy feature?
The Great Pyramid of Giza.
Oldest of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World and the only one that remains mostly intact.
Tomb of fourth dynasty Pharaoh Khufu.
Largest Egyptian pyramid.
Standing face-to-face before it during one of our journeys-of-a lifetime, I'd conceded rather quickly that the historians weren't kidding.
Actually much bigger in real life and with near perfect proportions.
The theory was that the pyramid was based on the application of a gradient of 5.5 sekeds.
This measure means that for a pyramid height of 1 cubit which is 7 palms, its base would be 5.5 palms.
Did you understand all that?
Me neither.
But I could see a lesson in this.
Pay attention in Trigonometry. Or anything that involves sines or cosines or long division or the Pythagorean Theorem. Because when you want to create a four-sided figure each of which needs to be evenly split from base to tip by very subtle concave indentations, your knowledge will come in handy.
Now, I need your opinion.
Have you ever wondered how it was assembled?
The pyramid was constructed out of stone blocks, each weighing at least two tons. Do you think several men together maneuvered each block over a ramp that encircled the structure as it rose?
Did they move each stone up long ramps that got higher and longer as the pyramid got taller?
Or was it built by... (gasp)... ALIENS?!
And why the sloping sides?
For the dead pharaoh to climb to the sky and live forever?
Or are they representations of the rays of the sun?
Perhaps, Carnac the Magnificent would know. (Aside: Carnac, a recurring comedic role played by Johnny Carson on the Tonight Show, was a mystic from the East who could divine unknown answers to unseen questions.)
Actually, when I think about it, how it came to be doesn't really matter. To me, it remains to be the supermodel of all pyramidal structures.
Every detail.
Every furrow.
Every groove.
The ratio of height to base is 7 divided by 5.5, which is 1.2727.
Did you understand all that?
Me neither.
But I could see a lesson in this.
Pay attention in Trigonometry. Or anything that involves sines or cosines or long division or the Pythagorean Theorem. Because when you want to create a four-sided figure each of which needs to be evenly split from base to tip by very subtle concave indentations, your knowledge will come in handy.
Now, I need your opinion.
Have you ever wondered how it was assembled?
The pyramid was constructed out of stone blocks, each weighing at least two tons. Do you think several men together maneuvered each block over a ramp that encircled the structure as it rose?
Did they move each stone up long ramps that got higher and longer as the pyramid got taller?
Or was it built by... (gasp)... ALIENS?!
And why the sloping sides?
For the dead pharaoh to climb to the sky and live forever?
Or are they representations of the rays of the sun?
Perhaps, Carnac the Magnificent would know. (Aside: Carnac, a recurring comedic role played by Johnny Carson on the Tonight Show, was a mystic from the East who could divine unknown answers to unseen questions.)
Actually, when I think about it, how it came to be doesn't really matter. To me, it remains to be the supermodel of all pyramidal structures.
Every detail.
Every furrow.
Every groove.
كويس اوي. Kwaiz awwi.
(Awesome, in Egyptian Arabic.)
