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Pyramids Old and New |
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Pyramids
are among the largest man-made constructions as well as one of the great
Wonders of the ancient world.
Egyptian pyramids Pharaohs used Pyramids as tombs. The Great Pyramid of Giza is the largest in Egypt and one of the largest in the world. It is one of the Seven Wonders of the World, and the only one of the seven to survive into modern times. The ancient Egyptians topped the peaks of their pyramids with gold and covered the outside with polished white limestone, though many of the stones used for the purpose have fallen or been removed for other structures over the millennia. Nubian pyramids Mesopotamians pyramids
The largest pyramid by volume is the Great
Pyramid of Cholula, in the Mexican state of Puebla. This pyramid
is also considered the largest monument ever constructed anywhere in the
world, but it is still being excavated. There is an unusual pyramid with
a circular plan at the site of Cuicuilco, now inside Mexico City and mostly
covered with lava from an ancient eruption of Xictli. Pyramids in Mexico
were often used as places of sacrifice. An example of a modern pyramid can be found in Paris, France, in front of the Louvre Museum. The Louvre Pyramid is a 20.6 meter (about 70 feet) glass structure which acts as an entrance to the museum. It was designed by the American architect I. M. Pei and completed in 1989. The Transamerica Pyramid in Downtown San Francisco, California. The 32-story Pyramid Arena in Memphis, Tennessee (built in 1991) was the home court for the University of Memphis men's basketball program, and the National Basketball Association's Memphis Grizzlies until 2004. The Walter Pyramid, home of the basketball and volleyball teams of the California State University, Long Beach, campus in California, United States, is an 18-story-tall blue pyramid. The Luxor Hotel in Las Vegas, United States, is a 30-story pyramid with light beaming from the top. The Summum Pyramid, a 3 story pyramid in Salt Lake City, Utah is used for instruction in the Summum philosophy and conducting rites associated with Modern Mummification.
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