This article is about pyramid-shaped structures.

For the geometric term, see Pyramid

(geometry). For other uses, see Pyramid (disambiguation).

The Egyptian pyramids of the Giza Necropolis, as seen from the air

Prasat Thom temple at Koh Ker, Cambodia

Pyramid of the Moon, Teotihuacan

Candi Sukuh in Java, Indonesia
Pyramids of Güímar, Tenerife(Spain)

Pyramid Shaped Hindu Temple

A pyramid (from Greek: πυραμίς pyramís)[1][2] is a structure whose outer surfaces are triangular

and converge to a single step at the top, making the shape roughly a pyramid in the geometric
sense. The base of a pyramid can be trilateral, quadrilateral, or of any polygon shape. As such, a
pyramid has at least three outer triangular surfaces (at least four faces including the base).
The square pyramid, with a square base and four triangular outer surfaces, is a common version.
A pyramid's design, with the majority of the weight closer to the ground,[3] and with
the pyramidion at the apex, means that less material higher up on the pyramid will be pushing
down from above. This distribution of weight allowed early civilizations to create stable
monumental structures.
Civilizations in many parts of the world have built pyramids. The largest pyramid by volume is
the Great Pyramid of Cholula, in the Mexican state of Puebla. For thousands of years, the largest
structures on Earth were pyramids—first the Red Pyramid in the Dashur Necropolis and then
the Great Pyramid of Khufu, both in Egypt—the latter is the only one of the Seven Wonders of
the Ancient World still remaining.