It all started in ancient Egypt around 3150 B.C. with the political unification of Upper and Lower Egypt. According to the Egyptians' beliefs when a pharaoh died, he became king of the dead called Osiris. The massive tombs were built to shelter a pharaoh's soul that remained with his body. Firstly they had constructed flat-roofed structures called mastabas, later they developed the art of tomb-building into the impressive pyramids. See below when Egyptians built their first pyramid and who managed to construct the highest one.
