Religion is just one of many influences on architecture throughout history. The need for religion to be reflected in architecture led to innovation and inspired many different styles. It is fascinating to learn that religions separated by miles, even oceans, developed their architecture in similar ways. This similarity is seen in the pyramids found in Egypt and Mesoamerica. This essay will discuss the influence of religion on the construction of the Mayan and Egyptian pyramids. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay In Egypt and Mesoamerica, the pyramids had a strong connection to their culture and the afterlife. The Egyptian pyramid complexes represented the rebirth of the king "until eternal life in heaven." These complexes were built in order to help the king pass to the next world. The Mayan pyramids were built on nine levels to represent the nine levels of the Mayan underworld seen in Figure 1b. Likewise, Egyptian pyramids are often linked to the idea of ​​a staircase leading to heaven. Ancient Egypt is studied from 3100 BCE to 641 CE, while Mesoamerica is studied from 500 to 1521 CE. There is such little overlap between the two cultures, which is fascinating when you look at their similarities. Based on what remains of the Egyptian pyramids from the Early Dynasty and Old Kingdom (3100 - 2150 BCE), they appear to be uniformly constructed, with four identical pyramids. sides, minus the entrance. The tallest stone of the pyramid was thought to be the king's eye, from which he could gaze upon his kingdom. Inside the pyramids there were boats for the king's journey to the afterlife, as well as "air shafts" leading outside. This is an example of the integration of the religious beliefs of the Egyptians and the purpose of the pyramids. The pyramids were both intended to aid the king in the afterlife and give him a connection to the earthly plane. In contrast, the Mayan pyramids have two religious connections. Like the Egyptians, the Mayans used the pyramids as burial spaces. However, the Mayans built their pyramids to mimic the mountainous landscape. The altepetl, also known as the water mountain, connected groundwater and the sky through stepped pyramids. These mountains were considered sacred. This in turn would be an influential aspect on the appearance of the pyramids they built, since they were also used as sacred spaces. Looking at the Egyptian and Mayan pyramids side by side, the Mayan pyramids appear to be a baroque version of the Egyptian pyramids. In a side by side comparison, the Cheops Pyramid is very simple and has a perfect pyramid shape. In contrast, Temple 1 is much more ornate with a staircase leading up to the temple as well as very clear levels of steps. It could be that there is a richer connection to the afterlife shown by the Mayan pyramids, with an obvious physical representation of the layers of the afterlife. While the connection between the Egyptian pyramid and the afterlife is demonstrated by what it contains. Both pyramids contain inscriptions and paintings in the walls of the structures that explain not only who is buried there and their achievements, but also their beliefs about the afterlife. For Egyptian pyramids, the connection to the afterlife shown through the interior is much more discreet, whereas Mayan pyramids incorporate their beliefs into the very design of the structure. This is not to say that the Egyptians did not do this too, their pyramids. 833-854