MYTH*ING LINKS
An Annotated & Illustrated Collection of Worldwide Links to Mythologies,
Fairy Tales & Folklore, Sacred Arts & Sacred Traditions
by Kathleen Jenks, Ph.D.
Pacifica Graduate Institute

GEOGRAPHICAL REGIONS
EGYPT & THE SAHARA:

Pyramids
 [Unless indicated, all annotations date from 1998 and are still current]

Detail of a Blue Faience Wall Panel in the Burial Chamber of
Djoser's Step Pyramid, the first pyramid in the history of architecture
Saqqara, 3rd Dynasty, built after 2650 BCE
(Photo from the University of Haifa Library site: see annotation below)

NOTE:
Also check under Egypt: General Information

http://guardians.net/hawass/index.htm

This is the official webpage of Dr. Zahi Hawass, a University of Pennsylvania-trained Egyptologist who is now Director General of the Egyptian Pyramids.  The website offers excellent press releases about recent discoveries; small but good photographs of art and excavations; good essays on "Kings and Pyramids"; and three interviews with Hawass, including excerpts of one for PBS's NOVA. (Note:  the 1997 "Guardian" interview is especially interesting for Hawass' convincing refutation of  writers who link the layout of Giza to the stars in Orion's Belt; in this interview, a frustrated Hawass expresses his chagrin at the millions of dollars being made on these improperly researched "New Age" books while he has to go begging for funds to preserve the actual monuments.)  Exploring this site allows one to experience a taste of behind-the-scenes life from the perspective of the pyramids' ardent and articulate Director General.

"Hawass Harassed by Pyramidiots" is an informative 1997 reprint from Sphinx on Dr. Hawass.

This is PBS's NOVA site on the Pyramids.  Although very attractive, this site is somewhat awkward to navigate because different menus appear on different pages, making it easy to miss things you'd like to explore from earlier pages.  Thus, the link I'm providing is to the overall Table of Contents.  What I especially like here are the writings and photos on new discoveries along with interviews with Dr. Zahi Hawass (see above) and archaeologist Mark Lehner (who discovered the living quarters for the Egyptian workers who built the pyramids).  In line with its educational goals, this NOVA site is accessible to children as well as adults.

 FYI:  In October 1998, I had trouble getting through to this site -- I kept being told that the document contained no data.  The following backup URL seems to work, however, and from this one you can access the rest:    http://www-lib.haifa.ac.il/www/art/Djoser.html

This is a basic, informative site on the pyramids designed by the University of Haifa Library.  There is a beautiful map of the Delta (see directly below), good data, fine photos (including the Saqqara tiles at the beginning of this subsection), and computer model reconstructions.  (Note: similar sites from the University of Haifa are available for Greece and the Near East: see listings in those sections.)

Map of Lower Egypt from the University of Haifa Library (see directly above)

This University of Pennsylvania site gives a clickable map of Djoser's Step Pyramid at Saqqara -- the map is linked to photos and reconstructions of each area.  It gives one a good sense of the brilliance of architect Imhotep's design.

This is an informative little site on the design and construction of the pyramids, starting with the step pyramid.  Colored drawings of how the ramps might have worked, etc are included, also a lovely color photo of the step pyramid.  Site is very easy to navigate, hypertext tends to give only minimal definitions but sometimes there's a useful essay.  If you click on the meta-category for "Monuments," you'll find a huge number to explore, ranging through all periods of Egyptian history.

 [Annotated revised 24 January 2003]:  This site is on the Great Pyramid of Giza as one of the Seven Wonders of the ancient world.  There are some color photos and a good historical and descriptive overview of the pyramids; hypertext links are offered for those wishing to explore further.

Start of EGYPT & THE SAHARA
(from here you can get to the opening AFRICA page)

Alexandria/ Amarna/ Art & Artifacts/Daily Life in Ancient Egypt/Egypt: General Information, Travel, Etc./
Egypt: through the Eyes of Photographers & Artists/ Hieroglyphs, Papyrus & Texts/ Links to the Links/
Men of Ancient Egypt/ Multiple Category Sites/ Mythology/ Other Archaeological Sites/ Pyramids/
Religious Beliefs&Practices/ Women of Ancient Egypt/ The Sahara

Please note that I cannot help with homework questions -- you will find useful links with tips for doing your own web searches on my Search Engine page.  You will also find excellent resources on my General Reference page.  Good luck with your projects!