The first pyramids were not really pyramids! They were flat-topped, mud brick tombs called mastabas. The rooms of the tomb were built under the rectangular mastaba. A person's mummy was placed at the end of a long passageway. At ground level, a room was made to place food for the dead person's spirit. A statue of the dead person was placed in a room connected to the "food" room so the dead person's spirit could look out at the world.

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The next pyramid built was the Step Pyramid. It was built for the Pharaoh Zoser. His architect, Imhotep, built seven mastabas. Each mastaba was built on top of the previous mastaba. Inside the pyramid, there were many large rooms with paintings on the walls.

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	This is a picture of the Meidum Pyramid. This was the first pyramid built by Pharaoh Sneferu. It was a straight-sided pyramid until the sides collapsed. Sneferu was never buried in it.
	Next comes the Bent Pyramid. This pyramid, built at Dashur, was Sneferu's second pyramid. He and his engineers got worried half way up. They thought that the walls were not strong enough to hold the top of the pyramid. They then bent the top inward to make it stronger.
	This is the Red Pyramid. It was the third pyramid Sneferu built and the first straight sided pyramid. Can you guess why it was called the Red Pyramid? If you guessed that it was because it looks red in the sun, you're right. Sneferu was probably buried in the Red Pyramid. Like the other pyramids, it was robbed by tomb robbers.

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This is the Great Pyramid. It was built by Sneferu's son, Khufu. It is the tallest building of the ancient world. The Great Pyramid is 482 feet tall and 13 acres wide at the base. It was the tallest building in the world until the Eiffel Tower was built.

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