Why were pyramids and cemeteries built on the west side of the Nile?

Why were pyramids and cemeteries built on the west side of the Nile?

The pharaoh would first establish an “engineering department” composed of an overseer of all the king’s construction work, a chief engineer, and an architect, as well as, in effect, a “department of manpower.” The pyramids were usually placed on the western side of the Nile because the pharaoh’s soul was meant to join …

Why were Egyptian mortuary temples located on the west bank of the Nile?

The Nile River splits Luxor into two parts, the East Bank and the West Bank. The West Bank of Luxor is where the ancient Egyptians buried the dead. Each night, the sun sets on the West Bank, so this became the necropolis, the area that is filled with the tombs and mortuary temples.

Why were tombs placed on the east side of the Nile?

Egyptian civilization developed along the river. The vast majority of the cities were located on the east side of the river, whereas the majority of the tombs were built on the west side of the river. The ancient Egyptians considered it too precious to use for anything other than growing crops.

Did the Nile protect Egypt from the West?

The Egyptians were protected from invaders due to their geographical features. For example, they had the Mediterranean Sea to the north along with the Nile Delta. This body of water blocks off land on the other side. Furthermore, the cataracts in the Nile to the south protected the Egyptians from lands below them.

Why did Egyptians build pyramids?

Pyramids were built for religious purposes. The Egyptians were one of the first civilizations to believe in an afterlife. They believed that a second self called the ka lived within every human being. When the physical body expired, the ka enjoyed eternal life.

Why were temples built on the west bank of the Nile River?

Early Egyptologists referred to them as funerary or mortuary temples, but in fact they were temples built for the worship of the deceased kings, and were even used for his worship while he lived.

Where is Thebes today?

Thebes (Arabic: طيبة‎, Ancient Greek: Θῆβαι, Thēbai), known to the ancient Egyptians as Waset, was an ancient Egyptian city located along the Nile about 800 kilometers (500 mi) south of the Mediterranean. Its ruins lie within the modern Egyptian city of Luxor.

Why were tombs important in ancient Egypt?

The tombs of the Ancient Egyptians were a place where people would be buried when they died. This was important to the Egyptians because they believed that life continued even after someone died, as long as they were buried properly in their tomb.

Why were pharaohs buried with their treasures?

As part of their religion, the Egyptians believed that the Pharaoh needed certain things to succeed in the afterlife. Deep inside the pyramid the Pharaoh would be buried with all sorts of items and treasure that he may need to survive in the afterlife.

Why was the west of the Nile important to ancient Egyptians?

For the ancient Egyptians, the west (specifically the desert west of the Nile) was the destination of the dead. This is because the sun died every day in the western horizon, only to be reborn the next morning in the east. Most Egyptians were buried to the west of the Nile with their heads facing the west.

Why did the Egyptians bury the dead in the west?

This is because the sun died every day in the western horizon, only to be reborn the next morning in the east. Most Egyptians were buried to the west of the Nile with their heads facing the west. The “Goddess of the West” (a woman shown with the hieroglyph of the West on her head) would receive the blessed dead in the afterlife.

Where was the city of the dead in ancient Egypt?

The ancient pharaohs (kings) and queens of Egypt established several royal cemeteries, along the Nile River valley. On the western riverbank, these necropoli (cities of the dead) were built on a gravelly desert plateau formed of limestone and clay overlooking the river.

Why was the goddess of the west buried to the west?

This is because the sun died every day in the western horizon, only to be reborn the next morning in the east. Most Egyptians were buried to the west of the Nile with their heads facing the west. The “Goddess of the West” (a woman shown with the hieroglyph of the West on her head) would receive the blessed dead in the afterlife.