History
Early Egyptian kings were buried in mounds called mastabas. In approximately 2780 BC the first Egyptian pyramid was built as the burial chamber for King Djoser. Located at Sakkara near Memphis, Djoser's burial chamber was a step pyramid. According to the Smithsonian Museum the first smooth-sided pyramid was built during the reign of King Snefru, sometime between 2680-2560 BC. Snefru's son, Khufu, is responsible for building the most famous of all the pyramids, the Great Pyramid at Giza. The great era of the pyramids ended following the Sixth dynasty around 2150 BC, although smaller pyramids continued to be built for another millennium.