mastaba

or mas·ta·bah

[ mas-tuh-buh ]

noun

1. an ancient Egyptian tomb made of mud brick, rectangular in plan with sloping sides and a flat roof.
2. (in Islamic countries) a fixed bench, especially one of stone.

mastaba

/ ˈmæstəbə /

noun

1. a mudbrick superstructure above tombs in ancient Egypt from which the pyramid developed

Word History and Origins

Origin of mastaba¹

First recorded in 1595–1605, mastaba is from the Arabic word maṣṭabah

Word History and Origins

Origin of mastaba¹

from Arabic: bench

Example Sentences

One of its two big monuments, “Complex One,” the very first segment of “City” that Heizer built, can bring to mind an immense mastaba or altar.

From Seattle Times

If the Middle East mastaba never sees the light of day, the Arc de Triomphe will most likely end up being Christo’s last hurrah.

From New York Times

Another, a mastaba, or flat-topped pyramid, made of more than 300,000 oil drums, was to be built in Abu Dhabi as Christo’s only permanent large-scale work.

From New York Times

The Mastaba is part of the summer program of the Serpentine Galleries, and it’s paired with an exhibition of sculptures, drawings and collages focusing on Christo’s work with barrels and with the mastaba shape.

From New York Times

He designed a Texas mastaba in 1975, for example, and is devising plans to build a permanent one in Abu Dhabi, which he says will be the largest art structure in the world.

From New York Times

Related Words

• edifice
• memorial
• monolith
• shrine
• tomb