Though public works were mainly to benefit the people, many of the government projects revolved around the Pharaoh. Many of the people who worked on these projects were slaves, but they were proud to serve their Pharaoh (who was like a god on earth) and their nation. The public projects they worked on were pyramids, monuments, and temples. Along with this, they built large flat-bottomed basins along the Nile River in order to grow their crops.