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Glite Dictionary
mastabah

mastabah

9.9
An ancient Egyptian tomb with a rectangular base, sloping sides and a flat roof often made of mud bricks
  • noun
  • /mæˈstæbə/
  • Specialized
: mastabah
  • The earliest Egyptian pharaohs were buried in rectangular mastabas before the development of pyramids.

Examples

  • Each mastabah contained a chapel and burial chamber for the deceased.

  • Many mastabahs can be found in the Saqqara necropolis.

  • Archaeologists discovered a well-preserved mastabah near the site of the Great Pyramid.

  • The ancient Egyptians built a mastabah for their pharaohs.

  • Archaeologists discovered a well-preserved mastabah near the site of the Great Pyramid.

  • Each mastabah contained a chapel and burial chamber for the deceased.

  • The earliest Egyptian pharaohs were buried in rectangular mastabas before the development of pyramids.

Synonyms

tomb
vsmastabah
227 3.0

A large stone building or underground room where people put a dead person

is the specific ancient Egyptian rectangular mud brick form rather than general burial structures
mastaba
vsmastabah
  • Specialized
1 9.9

A low ancient Egyptian tomb with a rectangular base, sloping sides, and a flat roof

has the same meaning but uses an alternate spelling

How Big

mausoleum
25 7.5
mastabah
  • Specialized
9.9
grave
641 1.0

Surface Forms

mastabah singular
mastabahs plural

Etymology

Mastabah comes from the Arabic word mastaba, which means 'bench' because these tombs look like low, rectangular benches with flat roofs. That's why mastabah refers to an ancient Egyptian tomb with a rectangular base and a flat top.