The Great Pyramids of Egypt--all kids over the age of five recognize them instantly. These massive tombs were built thousands of years ago, and still no one knows exactly how the ancient Egyptians did it! In this informative account, Dorothy and Thomas Hoobler tell the story of the powerful pharaohs who commissioned the pyramids at Giza and offer a fascinating look at the culture of the afterlife in ancient Egypt, explaining exactly how mummies were made. Easy to read and scrupulously researched, this explores the mysteries that have attracted countless visitors to the pyramids for centuries.
Dorothy and Thomas Hoobler are historians and authors of over sixty books, both fiction and nonfiction, mostly for young readers. They are the authors of the well-loved American Family Album series, including The Japanese American Family Album, which was named a Carter G. Woodson Honor Book in 1997.

The Society for School Librarians International chose their book Showa: The Era of Hirohito for a best book award in 1991, and they have been cited for excellence by the Library of Congress, the Parents' Choice Foundation, Bank Street College, the International Reading Association, the National Conference of Christians and Jews, and the New York Public Library. The Hooblers make their home in New York City. They have one daughter and are active in community affairs.

copyright © 2000 by Penguin Putnam Books for Young Readers. All rights reserved.

View titles by Dorothy Hoobler
Dorothy and Thomas Hoobler are historians and authors of over sixty books, both fiction and nonfiction, mostly for young readers. They are the authors of the well-loved American Family Album series, including The Japanese American Family Album, which was named a Carter G. Woodson Honor Book in 1997.

The Society for School Librarians International chose their book Showa: The Era of Hirohito for a best book award in 1991, and they have been cited for excellence by the Library of Congress, the Parents' Choice Foundation, Bank Street College, the International Reading Association, the National Conference of Christians and Jews, and the New York Public Library. The Hooblers make their home in New York City. They have one daughter and are active in community affairs.

copyright © 2000 by Penguin Putnam Books for Young Readers. All rights reserved.

View titles by Thomas Hoobler
Who HQ is your headquarters for history. The Who HQ team is always working to provide simple and clear answers to some of our biggest questions. From Who Was George Washington? to Who Is Michelle Obama?, and What Was the Battle of Gettysburg? to Where Is the Great Barrier Reef?, we strive to give you all the facts. Visit us at WhoHQ.com View titles by Who HQ

Where Are the Great Pyramids?

 
The Great Pyramids of Egypt are the most famous buildings in the world. They stand outside Cairo, the capital and biggest city in Egypt. Almost everybody has seen a picture of them. They are also among the world’s largest buildings, the oldest buildings still standing, and the most closely studied buildings. In ancient times, they were one of the Seven Wonders of the World.
 
Today, all of those wonders have disappeared—except the pyramids.
 
The pyramids were not built for people to live in. They were tombs for the pharaohs, the rulers of Egypt. Pharaohs were the link between the Egyptian people and their gods. In fact, the pharaohs themselves were regarded as gods. Whatever the pharaohs wished people to do, it was done. Thus, when pharaohs commanded thousands of people to work for many years to build their tombs, they did it.
 
There are more than one hundred pyramids still standing in Egypt. But many of them are little more than heaps of rubble. The three largest are known as the Great Pyramids. The oldest of the three was built about 4,500 years ago.
 
The ancient Egyptians believed the pharaoh would live in another world after death. That’s why it was important to preserve his body and place it somewhere safe—like inside a pyramid.
 
In an elaborate process, the body was turned into a mummy. It was dried, preserved, and wrapped in linen bands before being placed in a sarcophagus, or coffin. The pharaoh’s servants put food, jewelry, furniture, and many treasures in the pyramid with him.
 
The pharaohs wanted to make sure their tombs were not disturbed. So the pyramid builders carefully hid the passages that led to the pharaoh’s burial chamber. They set traps for anyone who tried to break in. Even so, tomb robbers managed to get inside and steal treasures.
 
Over the centuries, Egypt declined. But the Great Pyramids remained. When later visitors arrived, they were astonished by what they saw. No one had seen anything like the pyramids. A Greek known as Herodotus arrived in Egypt in the fifth century BC. The pyramids were already thousands of years old then. Like so many others, he asked, “Who could have built these pyramids? How did they do it?”
 
Today, scientists still seeking the answers to such questions. We know more about Egypt than Herodotus did, yet unsolved mysteries remain. Today’s scientists are making new discoveries, but the pyramids still hold many secrets.

About

The Great Pyramids of Egypt--all kids over the age of five recognize them instantly. These massive tombs were built thousands of years ago, and still no one knows exactly how the ancient Egyptians did it! In this informative account, Dorothy and Thomas Hoobler tell the story of the powerful pharaohs who commissioned the pyramids at Giza and offer a fascinating look at the culture of the afterlife in ancient Egypt, explaining exactly how mummies were made. Easy to read and scrupulously researched, this explores the mysteries that have attracted countless visitors to the pyramids for centuries.

Author

Dorothy and Thomas Hoobler are historians and authors of over sixty books, both fiction and nonfiction, mostly for young readers. They are the authors of the well-loved American Family Album series, including The Japanese American Family Album, which was named a Carter G. Woodson Honor Book in 1997.

The Society for School Librarians International chose their book Showa: The Era of Hirohito for a best book award in 1991, and they have been cited for excellence by the Library of Congress, the Parents' Choice Foundation, Bank Street College, the International Reading Association, the National Conference of Christians and Jews, and the New York Public Library. The Hooblers make their home in New York City. They have one daughter and are active in community affairs.

copyright © 2000 by Penguin Putnam Books for Young Readers. All rights reserved.

View titles by Dorothy Hoobler
Dorothy and Thomas Hoobler are historians and authors of over sixty books, both fiction and nonfiction, mostly for young readers. They are the authors of the well-loved American Family Album series, including The Japanese American Family Album, which was named a Carter G. Woodson Honor Book in 1997.

The Society for School Librarians International chose their book Showa: The Era of Hirohito for a best book award in 1991, and they have been cited for excellence by the Library of Congress, the Parents' Choice Foundation, Bank Street College, the International Reading Association, the National Conference of Christians and Jews, and the New York Public Library. The Hooblers make their home in New York City. They have one daughter and are active in community affairs.

copyright © 2000 by Penguin Putnam Books for Young Readers. All rights reserved.

View titles by Thomas Hoobler
Who HQ is your headquarters for history. The Who HQ team is always working to provide simple and clear answers to some of our biggest questions. From Who Was George Washington? to Who Is Michelle Obama?, and What Was the Battle of Gettysburg? to Where Is the Great Barrier Reef?, we strive to give you all the facts. Visit us at WhoHQ.com View titles by Who HQ

Excerpt

Where Are the Great Pyramids?

 
The Great Pyramids of Egypt are the most famous buildings in the world. They stand outside Cairo, the capital and biggest city in Egypt. Almost everybody has seen a picture of them. They are also among the world’s largest buildings, the oldest buildings still standing, and the most closely studied buildings. In ancient times, they were one of the Seven Wonders of the World.
 
Today, all of those wonders have disappeared—except the pyramids.
 
The pyramids were not built for people to live in. They were tombs for the pharaohs, the rulers of Egypt. Pharaohs were the link between the Egyptian people and their gods. In fact, the pharaohs themselves were regarded as gods. Whatever the pharaohs wished people to do, it was done. Thus, when pharaohs commanded thousands of people to work for many years to build their tombs, they did it.
 
There are more than one hundred pyramids still standing in Egypt. But many of them are little more than heaps of rubble. The three largest are known as the Great Pyramids. The oldest of the three was built about 4,500 years ago.
 
The ancient Egyptians believed the pharaoh would live in another world after death. That’s why it was important to preserve his body and place it somewhere safe—like inside a pyramid.
 
In an elaborate process, the body was turned into a mummy. It was dried, preserved, and wrapped in linen bands before being placed in a sarcophagus, or coffin. The pharaoh’s servants put food, jewelry, furniture, and many treasures in the pyramid with him.
 
The pharaohs wanted to make sure their tombs were not disturbed. So the pyramid builders carefully hid the passages that led to the pharaoh’s burial chamber. They set traps for anyone who tried to break in. Even so, tomb robbers managed to get inside and steal treasures.
 
Over the centuries, Egypt declined. But the Great Pyramids remained. When later visitors arrived, they were astonished by what they saw. No one had seen anything like the pyramids. A Greek known as Herodotus arrived in Egypt in the fifth century BC. The pyramids were already thousands of years old then. Like so many others, he asked, “Who could have built these pyramids? How did they do it?”
 
Today, scientists still seeking the answers to such questions. We know more about Egypt than Herodotus did, yet unsolved mysteries remain. Today’s scientists are making new discoveries, but the pyramids still hold many secrets.

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