Mastaba tombs

Mastaba tombs were ancient Egyptian burial structures that predate the famous pyramids. They are flat-roofed, rectangular buildings made of mudbrick or stone, with sloped sides. Mastabas served as tombs for important individuals, typically nobility, and contained a burial chamber beneath the surface. The above-ground portion often featured religious symbols and paintings to honor the deceased and facilitate their journey in the afterlife. These structures represent an early form of Egyptian funerary architecture and played a crucial role in the development of later, more elaborate tombs, like those found in the Valley of the Kings.