The first pyramid was built during the reign of King Djoser, in the third dynasty. But the origins of pyramid construction can be traced to the reign of Khasekhemwy in the second dynasty. Khasekhemwy was the first Egyptian ruler to be built in a mastaba tomb. A mastaba tomb looks like the base of a pyramid and later Egyptian rulers would extrapolate outwards and upwards from this simplistic design.

Although there are many notable exceptions, throughout ancient Egyptian history, Egyptians were most likely to build burial tombs and monuments on the west bank of the Nile. This is because the Egyptians believed that the deceased entered the afterlife from the west (imitating the behavior of the setting sun) and therefore needed to be buried on the west of the Nile in order to gain entrance into heaven.

A mortuary complex is a building, or series of buildings, designed to house the Pharaoh’s body after he has died. Mortuary complexes were first built during the early years of the dynastic era and were henceforth common throughout ancient Egyptian history. The purpose of a mortuary complex was to ensure the survival and prosperity of ancient Egyptian rulers in the afterlife. Many Pharaohs provided substantial endowments for the maintenance of their mortuary complexes after they had died and many settlements sprang up to provide for the needs of the deceased Pharaohs.

Before pyramids were first developed, the mastaba was a small, flat-roofed structure that sat above the underground chamber known as a serdab, which held the statue believed to hold the spirit of the deceased, or ka. These were often grouped together in one location known as a necropolis.

The mastaba, or flat-topped funerary structure, at the Funerary Complex of Djoser eventually was expanded into the large, stepped pyramid that characterizes the complex. 

Many historians consider Imhotep to be the “father” of Ancient Egyptian medicine. Imhotep possessed a wide array of talents; he excelled at dozens of complex subjects and skills, including architecture, medical care, poetry, astronomy, writing, and religious knowledge. He first rose to prominence during the Old Kingdom, in the midst of the reign of the Pharaoh Djoser, who employed him as both his court’s Chief Physician and Chief Architect. He is credited with designing two pyramids: the Step Pyramid Complex at Saqqara and the Pyramid of Sekhemkhet. His medical talents were so widely renowned through Egypt that dozens of temples and monuments scattered around the nation bear inscriptions praising his treatments and acts of healing.  Although definite proof no longer exists, many historians believe that Imhotep also founded the famous Memphis medical school and/or authored the Edwin Smith Papyrus, a medical scroll detailing how to diagnose and treat many ailments.

Besides perhaps the Great Pyramid of Giza, the Great Sphinx is one of the most majestic and enduring symbols of Ancient Egypt. Although it has been much altered due to the depredations of time and weather, today the Sphinx is as enigmatically compelling as ever. The Sphinx was built sometime during the Old Kingdom and carved entirely out of a single limestone mass. Although neither the name of the architect nor the original name of the monument is known, it is believed that the Sphinx’s face was deliberately styled to resemble the face of the Pharaoh Khafre, for whom the Middle Pyramid was also built. The structure seems to have some sort of connection with the Egyptian deity Horus (the god of the sky and warfare); many later sources reference it as the “Horus of the Horizon” and the “Horus of the Necropolis,” all the while admitting that these monikers are not the monument’s original name.

In Ancient Egypt, different burial practices were employed depending on the deceased individual’s level of social status. As the highest-ranking figure in the entire nation, pharaohs had the most options available and many chose their own burial structure and site years before their passing. Pharaonic burial customs also changed with the times, so while most Old and Middle Kingdom rulers preferred to be buried in pyramids, New Kingdom pharaohs favored elaborate rock-cut tombs and temples. Highly-elevated court officials and nobles, on the other hand, were much more stable and traditional in their burial preferences; for centuries, these valued courtiers and officials were buried in either rock-cut tombs or mastabas. Especially coveted amongst the nobility were burial sites located in the Valley of the Queens, where the deceased could count lesser (but still prestigious) members of the royal family as their neighbors.

Rock-cut tombs seemed to have first become popular during the Fourth Dynasty and reached their true peak of popularity during the New Kingdom. This particular style of tomb would be carved into the sides of mountains or cliffs, using the naturally strong stone native to the area. The most elaborate and advanced rock-cut tombs were located along the Nile River. Over time, this style of tomb was favored by pharaohs, members of the royal family, and high-ranking nobles alike. A great variety of architectural and decorative features could be found in rock-cut tombs, but a few elements were considered essential to all such structures, regardless of the stylistic preferences of their owners. The most important feature of any rock-cut tomb was the small room or niche that housed the tomb’s sacred honor statue, from which the tomb’s spiritual protection flowed. Regarded as the tomb’s proverbial heart, this honor room was the spiritual center of the structure, on a similarly revered level as the actual burial chamber. The likeness of any god or goddess could be chosen as a particular tomb’s sacred statue (many deceased individuals had an especially favorite deity) but it was imperative that every rock-cut tomb have this sacred statue room.

From the beginning of the Old Kingdom until the fall of the New Kingdom, it was considered traditional for the interior walls of a deceased pharaoh’s tomb or pyramid to be decorated with elaborate artwork. Over time, a very specific artistic canon developed, so that a few main motifs became traditional and necessary. These motifs were scenes from the deceased pharaoh’s reign, scenes from religious funerary books (usually showing the path into the afterlife), scenes showing everyday life (such as food production), and depictions of the lives of various gods and goddesses. Often, these motifs would be combined, so that one wall might depict the average day in the life of the pharaoh’s subjects, while another wall might highlight important moments in the pharaoh’s own life. On the contrary, it was considered extremely transgressive for artwork depicting scenes of religious rituals to be placed anywhere but on the inner walls of a temple.