While Egypt's pyramids are world-famous, many other cultures and civilizations have also built incredible pyramids throughout history.
The Nubian pyramids in Sudan are lesser-known than Egypt's, but just as remarkable. Located about 125 miles northeast of Sudan's capital, Khartoum, Meroe was the heart of the Kingdom of Kush from the 8th century BC to the 4th century AD.
Sudan has more pyramids than Egypt, including those in the Jebel Barkal area. Jebel Barkal, or Pure Mountain, was considered the home of the Egyptian god Amon.
El-Kurru is another important Nubian archaeological site. Its pyramid cemetery was a royal resting place for kings of the Napatan dynasty. Though many structures were looted, hieroglyphic inscriptions discovered in the early 20th century reveal much about the ancient Kushite civilization.
The Pyramid of the Sun is the third-largest pyramid in the world, with a base of about 720 by 760 feet. Its sister, the Pyramid of the Moon, is smaller but equally impressive, situated in front of the Cerro Gordo mountain.
Hidden in northern Guatemala’s Peten rainforest, the pyramids of Tikal were built between AD 300 and 900. Tikal was once a powerful Mayan city known as Yax Mutal. The site includes six temples, plazas, pyramids, and Mayan art.
Located in the ancient Maya city of Chichen Itza on Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula, El Castillo is a pyramid shrouded in legend. Built by the Toltec people between AD 1050 and 1300, it also hides a secret dating back to AD 500-800.
The pyramid structures of ancient Mesopotamia, known as ziggurats, differ from those in Giza but inspire similar awe. The ziggurat in Ur, a former Sumerian city in modern-day Iraq, is the best-preserved.
If you’ve wondered whether a pyramid larger than the Great Pyramid of Giza exists, the answer is yes. The Great Pyramid of Cholula, often mistaken for a hill due to its earth and tree-covered mound, is actually the largest pyramid on Earth.
These amazing pyramids showcase the ingenuity and architectural brilliance of ancient civilizations across the globe, proving that the fascination with pyramids extends far beyond Egypt.