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Pyramid Arena

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On the banks of the Mississippi River in downtown Memphis, Tennessee, you're sure to come across the Pyramid Arena—a 20,142-seat arena. Built in 1991 in the shape of a stainless steel pyramid, the original owners were the city of Memphis and Shelby County. Its unique structure is a throwback to the original in Egypt with which it shares its name.

Specifications: It is 98 meters tall and its base sides measure 591 feet. It has 32 stories and is the world's sixth largest pyramid, after the one at Giza, Egypt. In height, it is 16 feet taller than the Statue of Liberty.

Its official name is "The Great American Pyramid." This structure is a replica to the tune of 60 percent of the Great Pyramid of Egypt and is one of the world's largest pyramids. The pyramid's interiors are more than half a million square feet and its exterior is entirely in stainless steel. It has a statue of Ramesses the Great at its entrance.

So, what is the Pyramid Arena? It was used as the home court of the men's basketball program by the University of Memphis. It also hosted several prestigious basketball tournaments for men and women between 1993 and 2001. A boxing mega-fight was held here between Mike Tyson and Lennox Lewis in 2002 in which the latter won by a knockout in the eighth round. It also was the venue of the 25th death anniversary concert of Elvis Presley in 2002.

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