mastaba
A mainly solid masonry monument with a rectangular base, sloping sides, and a flat top.
A mastaba is a construction of solid masonry with a rectangular base, sloping sides, and a flat top. It is historically a precursor to the pyramidal form in ancient Egypt.
The sides slope inward while the upper surface remains flat. The rectangular base and flat top distinguish the form from a pointed pyramid.
The masonry forms a largely solid mass. An ordinary hollow building with a superficially similar outline has a different structural organization.
