Pyramids Around the World

A pyramid by definition is ‘A solid body standing on a triangular, square, or polygonal base, and terminating in a point at the top.’ The most famous pyramids are in Egypt, but other ancient civilisations also built pyramid-type structures. Here are the top five pyramids outside of Egypt.

Meroë, Sudan

Around 40 pyramids are scattered in the desert at Meroë, situated in what was ancient Nubia, about 200km north east from Khartoum. Although much smaller their Egyptian counterparts - the tallest is just 30m high - the sheer number of them holds the viewer in awe.

Meroë’s culture was much influenced by Egypt, and the buildings and customs were naturally similar to those of their famous neighbours. These pyramids are the remains of a royal cemetery dating from the Meroitic kingdom (approx 400 B.C. and 350 A.D.).

The pyramids would have had elaborate casings but over time construction techniques became lax, with the inner cores being hastily built and the casing stones being small and ill fitting. As in Egypt, there are reliefs on the inner walls which explain how the deceased were placed in coffins along with their valuables, although no mummies or treasures have been found at the site.

Pyramid of Cholula, Puebla, Mexico

This pyramid holds the accolade of being both the largest and the oldest continuously occupied building in Mesoamerica. Unlike Egyptian pyramids, the Mesoamerican ones were usually temples and their imposing size and strange carvings create a truly mystical aura.

Dedicated to the Aztec sky and creator deity Quetzalcoatl, this pyramid has a staggering 450m x 450m base and a height of 66m. The pyramid appears as a grassy hill initially, but archaeologists have reconstructed one side of one of the lower segments and visitors can explore some five miles of tunnels.

There is also a 50 metre long multicoloured mural featuring life-sized human figures, thought to date from the Classic period. The mural, called The Drunkards, features a scene of drinking and inebriation. However, the liquid depicted may not be alcohol, but a hallucinogenic potion derived from mushrooms or even peyote.

Pyramid of Cestius, Rome, Italy

There’s not an awful lot to say about this pyramid, other than it’s white, it’s Roman and it’s pyramid shaped! Nestled in the city’s fortifications this pyramid is possibly one of the best-preserved ancient buildings in Rome. The brick-faced concrete structure covered white marble slabs was built between 18 – 12BC as a tomb for the magistrate Gaius Cestius Epulo.

Measuring just 30 m² at the base and standing 36.4 m high, the interior burial chamber is a simple barrel-vaulted rectangular cavity measuring 5.95m long, 4.10m wide and 4.80m high. There is no exterior entrance as the tomb was sealed when it was built.

In 1660 it was (re)discovered and there are recordings of frescoes decorating the chamber, but only the scantest traces of these now remain. Like most tombs, there was no trace of any contents as all had been long since plundered.

Pyramid of Hellinikon, Argolid Plain, Greece

The ancient Greek scholar Pausanias described this structure as "Something that resembled a pyramid with the decorations of Argolic shields, showing the military connection to it". He thought the building was " a cenotaph for the dead fallen in a fratricidal battle 4,000 years ago". No one believed him then, but modern dating has put the building at 2730BC.

Although a lot smaller, (the base is 9m x 7m), its style is very similar to those found in Egypt. The limestone was quarried locally and the stones cut to fit. Some argue this pyramid can’t be classed as a pyramid as its construction would make it difficult to come together in a point and it’s thought the top would have been a platform.

No remains or graves have been found in or near the structure and interestingly, the rooms inside the building were made to be locked from the inside. This, coupled with the platform roof theory, suggests the structure could have been a watchtower rather than a tomb.

Pyramid of the Sun, Teotihuacan, Near Mexico City, Mexico

The towering Pyramid of the Sun, the third largest in the world, is a striking structure in the ancient city of Teotihuacan. Its base is nearly the same size as Great Pyramid of Egypt, and it towers over the other numerous pyramids seen along the ‘Avenue of the Dead’. Construction was believed to have started around the year zero, in two construction phases.

Something of an enigma, the pyramid’s original name and function are unknown. However, as the Mesoamerican belief saw caves as gateways to the spiritual world and this pyramid is built over a natural cave, it may have been a focus for shamanistic rituals from a much earlier period.

Further more, the upper layer was covered with a think sheet of granulated mica. Removed and sold for profit in the early 1900’s, the mica had been transported thousands of miles from South America. How the great quantity had been brought from such a distance and for what purpose the pyramid had been covered with the rare stone is unknown.

Image of the pyramids at Meroe (top) by Grete Howard. Image of the Pyramid of Cholula (middle) by Rosa Graciela Montes. All rights reserved.

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About The Author

Annie Waddington-Feather

Last three pieces by this author:

Camping Deluxe: Glamp Your Way Around the Ancient World | The Dating Method Stretches Back the Human History of Australia | Honey for my Honey: Ancient Aphrodisiacs

Annie partly satiated her travel lust and fascination with the ancients as a tour leader for an adventure travel company. She now lives in Australia and writes for a number of publications ranging from travel and martial arts to insurance and finance trade.