Bent Pyramid of Sneferu. "Red" and "Broken" Pyramids of Sneferu - Dahshur, Egypt
Stages of building a pyramid
Archaeologists have found that the pyramid was rebuilt three times. That this is so is confirmed by the arrangement of the stone blocks. The pyramid was rebuilt in order to give it a more stable structure, but it turned out quite differently. The restructuring led to an increase in the pressure of the blocks on the internal chambers, which led to the appearance of cracks and even the real possibility of collapse.
At the first stage, the sides of the base had a length of 157 m, and the angle of inclination was about 58° (or 60°). With such values of the base and angle, the height of the pyramid would be about 125 m.
When half of the pyramid was already assembled, problems with the strength of the entire structure were discovered and the builders had to abandon the original plan.
At the first stage, about 12.70 m of entrance tunnels (descending corridor) and about 11.60 m of ascending corridor have already been made.
2nd stage of construction
To increase the reliability of the structure, the builders had to reduce the angle of inclination to 54 °. Accordingly, the length of the side of the base of the pyramid had to be increased by 15.70 m. Now the total length of the base became 188 m. Calculations show that with an angle of 54 ° and a base length of 188 m, the height of the pyramid would be 129.4 m, and the volume - 1.592.718.453 m3. However, at an altitude of 49 m, construction stops again.
3rd stage of construction
In order to reduce the load on the internal chambers of the pyramid, at the third stage of construction, the slope of only the upper part of the pyramid was changed - it was reduced to 43 °. Due to the decrease in the angle of inclination, the total height of the pyramid also decreased - up to 105 m.
Western entrance to the pyramid
The western entrance to the pyramid is absolutely unique and has no analogues both in terms of direction and in terms of preservation. It opens onto the western side of the pyramid with its plating intact, and had a retaining turning plate that camouflaged it. The plate was removed and transferred to the Egyptian Museum in the 50s of the 20th century. Thanks to its preservation, we can now know exactly how the entrances to the pyramids were arranged and masked.
Pyramid features
The pyramid contains 2 actually unrelated (initially) systems of premises - Upper and Lower. The passage between them was broken after construction through the layers of masonry. At present, the design of these premises looks very strange, but this is due to the fact that in the premises (probably by ancient diggers) huge volumes of floors and structures lying on the floors were broken down and removed. So, for example, according to the preserved traces of cement in the form of steps in the lowest chamber, it becomes clear that there was a very steep stone staircase to go to the chamber above. The chamber above also had a high floor or plinth, and the lower "window" into the vertical well was inaccessible to the pharaoh's contemporaries. In the upper rooms, in the so-called. the king's chamber, now visible is a large array of spacer beams made of Lebanese cedar. In the original, this system was deeply recessed into the masonry and the floor of the chamber. Radiocarbon analysis of the tree indicated the approximate time of the creation of the pyramid and the reign of Sneferu.
Bent Pyramid's lower room system
Drawing explaining the locking porticuli of the Bent Pyramid
The Upper Room System of the Bent Pyramid
satellite pyramid
View of the satellite pyramid
Location interior spaces small pyramid
Entrance to the small pyramid
South of the Bent Pyramid at a distance of 55 meters.) The laying of stone blocks of this pyramid is quite primitive, and the blocks themselves are roughly processed. As scientists have found out, limestone for the pyramid was delivered from Tourah, a southern suburb of Cairo, located on east coast Nile (from there the pharaohs of the Late and Middle Kingdom took limestone for the construction of their tombs). Unlike the Bent Pyramid, this one no longer has a lining and is very quickly destroyed by erosion.
The entrance to the pyramid is located on the north side at a height of 1.10 m above the ground and begins with a descending tunnel. This tunnel slopes 34° and is 11.60 m long. Then there is a short horizontal corridor. Further, the corridor begins to go up at an angle of 32 ° 30".
Horizontally descending passage (above it) found a tunnel and stone blocks in it. According to the plan of the builders, the blocks were supposed to roll down an inclined plane (32 ° 30 ") and block the path to the ascending tunnel. Today, two blocks are still visible there. There is a small void at the end of this passage.
This pyramid has one feature - numerous red lines of an unknown nature protrude on the walls and floor.
The arrangement of the premises of the pyramid resembles their location in the pyramid of Cheops. Here an ascending corridor precedes the gallery, and at the end of the gallery there is an entrance to the burial chamber. The chamber is only 1.6 m long, no sarcophagus was found in it and, apparently, the pyramid was never used as a tomb. In the southeast corner of the room, a shallow hole (4 meters) is visible, dug presumably by treasure seekers.
This is the only satellite pyramid of such a large size and with such a complex system of arrangement of internal chambers.
Herbert Ricke originally suggested that this pyramid was the tomb of Queen Hetepheres. However, modern researchers think otherwise, because no traces of the fact that it was ever used as a tomb have been found. The purpose of this pyramid is rather cult (Rainer Stadelmann) - carrying out rituals and making sacrifices. This hypothesis is also confirmed by the fact that an alabaster altar with two 5-meter steles on the sides was discovered not far from the eastern side.
upper temple
On the east side of the pyramid are the remains of a small temple. Two destroyed 9-meter limestone steles with the name of Sneferu were found here. One of the stelae can be seen in the Cairo Museum. The temple was never used as a tomb, but only as a place for religious ceremonies. Archaeologists have found out that the temple was repeatedly reconstructed - first during the XII dynasty, and then in the Late Period. This proves that Sneferu was the object of worship of the Egyptians for several thousand years.
see also
- The Pink Pyramid is another Sneferu pyramid in Dahshur.
Notes
External links
Coordinates : 29°47′25″ N sh. 31°12′33″ E d. / 29.790278° N sh. 31.209167° E d.
- DASHUR -
Bent Pyramid of Sneferu
Dashur. Bent Pyramid of Sneferu. Senefru, Se-nefer-ru - that's what the Ancient Egyptians called her. That is how we know her. But the history of her name (which in ancient Egyptian means "double harmony") and her original purpose is shrouded in mystery for millennia. In the meantime, the most mysterious and impregnable pyramid of Egypt pleases the eye with its graceful and original forms, towering among the yellow sands of Dashur, either in the bright radiance of the Sun, or under the shadow of clouds, or in the morning fog, which is inherent in Egypt. It is closed to the public due to its complex and dangerous interior, completely unsuitable for a person to stay in it. The expedition has been preparing for a year. During this time, we have raised all the material available on the Internet. But, unfortunately, there was practically no photographic material. Drawing on the blueprints of the early explorers of the Bent Pyramid (John Perring, Ahmed Fakhri and Hassan Mustafa), we have set ourselves the task of showing you what has been hidden behind the iron door of the Northern Descending Corridor until now.
- 1839 John Perring explores the interior of the Pyramid for the first time, penetrating the upper connecting tunnel and the southern chamber.
- 1882 British archaeologist Flinders Petrie explores the northern descending corridor of the Pyramid.
- 1946-1949 Abdel-Salam Hussein spends four seasons in the Pyramid (until his death), but his records are lost.
- 1951-1955 Ahmed Fakhri works in Pyramid for 4 seasons a year. His notes concern mainly its external architecture.
- 1962 Vito Maragioglio and Celeste Rinaldi publish detailed description and drawings of the exterior and interior of the Pyramid, as one of the results of his 20-year work on the study of the pyramids of Memphis.
- 1997 Enryu Baiyuk publishes color photographs taken inside the Bent Pyramid for the first time on the website "Guardians Dahshur".
- 2001 Charles Rigano visits the Bent Pyramid, as described in his article in The Ostracon magazine.
Our group has been visiting Dashur since 2010. In 2011, for the first time, I managed to visit the companion of the Bent Pyramid and make a detailed photo report on its interior.
- 2012 The Bent Pyramid of Snefru opens its doors to our filming and research team.
The composition of the expedition and the administration of the ISIDA Project are grateful to the historian Joseph Avian and the Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities for the opportunity to visit the Bent Pyramid.
Welcome to the Bent Pyramid of Snefru...
, built approximately in 26th century BC e., under the pharaoh Sneferu. This is one of a kind pyramid, it exemplifies the first true pyramid, not a step pyramid. The pyramid is located in the desert, on the western bank of the river, near ancient Memphis, on the territory of the royal necropolis of Dahshur. ( 11 photos)
1. For your wrong and unusual shape the pyramid is called "broken", "cut" or "rhomboid". BUT ancient name pyramids looks something like this - the Southern Shining Pyramid. The pyramid is also unusual in that there is a unique burial complex around it: a small satellite pyramid, an embankment road, a stone wall-fence.
2. The pyramid is also different in that what is in it equipped with two entrances, northern and western. Western, additional entrance, perfectly preserved to this day, bringing to modern scientists complex system of locking rotary plate, which reliably concealed the entrance to funerary structure.
3. According to scientists, the pyramid was rebuilt several times, at least three times. This is explained by the presence of two levels of rooms that are not connected to each other. So the base started was rebuilt, the angle of inclination of the sides was changed and amounted to 54 °, but at a height of 49 meters the construction was stopped and the angle of inclination rises to 43 °.
4. The reason for such construction can be both the premature death of the pharaoh and the instability of the structure.
Brief information about the broken pyramid.
5. Time of construction: 4th dynasty, approximately 2596 BC. e. The pyramids are made of limestone. The size of the base is 189.4 meters. The height of the Pyramid was 104.7 meters, today the height of the broken pyramid is 101.1 meters.
7. The laying of the stone blocks of the pyramid is quite primitive, and the blocks themselves are roughly processed.
8. This pyramid has one distinctive feature; numerous red lines of an unknown nature protrude on its walls and floor.
9. The broken pyramid amazes and fascinates with the extraordinary and mysterious differences of the crowd of tourists.
S-nfr-ḫˁ
"The Appearance of Sneferu"
(There is a determinant of the Southern Pyramid)
height: 26 m;
base: 52.80 m;
incline: 44°3".
The southern pyramid at Dahshur is called "broken", "cut" or "rhomboid" for its irregular shape. It is different from other pyramids ancient kingdom in that it has an entrance not only on the north side, which was the norm, but also a second entrance, which is open higher, on the west side. The northern entrance is located at a height of about 12 m above ground level, leading to a sloping corridor that descends underground into two rooms with ledges. From these two rooms, a passage leads through the shaft to another small chamber, which also has a ledge in the form of a roof. The entrances on the north side of the pyramid were made during the Old Kingdom. This was due to the religious beliefs of the ancient Egyptians. Why there was a need for a second, western, entrance - this remains a mystery. In this pyramid, no trace of the presence of the sarcophagus, which would be located in these rooms, was found. Sneferu's name was written in red ink in two places in the "broken" pyramid. His own name was found on the stele, which stood inside the fence of the small pyramid.
To explain the non-standard form of the pyramid, the German Egyptologist Ludwig Borchardt (1863-1938) proposed his "increment theory". According to her, the king died unexpectedly and the angle of inclination of the faces of the pyramid was sharply changed from 54 degrees 31 minutes to 43 degrees 21 minutes in order to quickly complete the work. Kurt Mendelsohn proposed an alternative: the pyramid at Meidum and the southern pyramid at Dahshur were built at the same time, but an accident occurred at Medum - perhaps after the rains the casing collapsed - and this incident forced a hasty change in the angle of the sides of the pyramid at Dahshur, when it was already half built.
burial complex
The burial complex consists of a large pyramid of the pharaoh and a satellite pyramid. Both of them are surrounded by a stone wall 2 meters thick. The stone fence is connected to the burial temple by a long causeway. The temple is located 704 meters from the pyramids, which is why it is called the Temple of the Temple (or Temple of the Valley). Moreover, the remains of another road leading from this temple deep into the valley to another temple were found. Such an arrangement of the objects of the burial complex is unique and is not found anywhere else in Egypt.
Pyramid
- Height: 105.07 m (~ 200 royal cubits)
- Base side length: 188.60 m (~ 360 royal cubits)
- Perimeter: 754.4 m;
- Area: 35 570 m2
- Volume: 1,237,040 m3
- Tilt angle: 54°34" and 43°21"
- Slope: lower part - 7/5; top - 17/18
- Orientation of the sides of the pyramid to the four cardinal points (error): ~ 9"12"
- There are 2 entrances: from the north side at a height of 11 m and from the west at a height of 33 m.
Pyramid name:
| |
Pronunciation: cha (ḫˁ)
1 stage of construction
Archaeologists have found that the pyramid was rebuilt three times. This is confirmed by the arrangement of stone blocks. The pyramid was rebuilt in order to give it a more stable structure, but it turned out quite differently. The restructuring led to an increase in the pressure of the blocks on the internal chambers, which led to the appearance of cracks and even the real possibility of collapse.
At the first stage, the side of the base had a length of 157 m, and the angle of inclination was about 58° (or 60°). With such values of the base and angle, the height of the pyramid would be about 125 m.
When half of the pyramid was already assembled, problems with the strength of the entire structure were discovered and the builders had to abandon the original plan.
At the first stage, about 12.70 m of entrance tunnels (descending corridor) and about 11.60 m of ascending corridor have already been made.
2nd stage of construction
To increase the reliability of the structure, the builders had to reduce the angle of inclination to 54 °. Accordingly, the length of the side of the base of the pyramid had to be increased by 15.70 m. Now the total length of the base became 188 m. Calculations show that with an angle of 54 ° and a base length of 188 m, the height of the pyramid would be 129.4 m, and the volume - 1,592,718.453 m3. However, at an altitude of 49 m, construction stops again.
3rd stage of construction
In order to reduce the load on the internal chambers of the pyramid, at the third stage of construction, the slope of only the upper part of the pyramid was changed - it was reduced to 43 °. Due to the decrease in the angle of inclination, the total height of the pyramid also decreased - up to 105 m.
Western entrance to the pyramid
The western entrance to the pyramid is absolutely unique and has no analogues both in terms of direction and in terms of preservation. It opens onto the western side of the pyramid with its plating intact, and had a retaining turning plate that camouflaged it. The slab was removed and given to the Egyptian Museum in the 1950s. Thanks to its preservation, we can now know exactly how the entrances to the pyramids were arranged and camouflaged.
Pyramid features
The pyramid contains 2 actually unrelated (initially) systems of premises - Upper and Lower. The passage between them was broken after construction through the layers of masonry. At present, the design of these rooms looks very strange, but this is due to the fact that huge volumes of floors and structures that lay on the floors were broken out in the rooms (probably by ancient diggers) and removed. So, for example, according to the preserved traces of cement in the form of steps in the lowest chamber, it becomes clear that there was a very steep stone staircase to go to the chamber above. The chamber above also had a high floor or plinth, and the lower "window" into the vertical well was inaccessible to the pharaoh's contemporaries. In the upper rooms, in the so-called king's chamber, a large array of Lebanese cedar spacer beams is now visible. In the original, this system was deeply recessed into the masonry and the floor of the chamber. Radiocarbon analysis of the tree indicated the approximate time of the creation of the pyramid and the reign of Sneferu. [ ]
satellite pyramid
To the south of the Bent Pyramid, at a distance of 55 meters, there is a small pyramid (or satellite pyramid). It is assumed that it was created for the "Ka" (soul) of the pharaoh.
The original dimensions of the pyramid: height - 26 m (now 23 m), length of the sides - 52.80 m. The angle of inclination of its sides is 44 ° 3 "(which is almost identical to the angle of inclination of the Pink Pyramid). the blocks themselves are roughly processed.As it was found out by scientists, the limestone for the pyramid was delivered from Tourah - the southern suburb of Cairo, located on the east bank of the Nile (the pharaohs of the Middle and Late Kingdom took limestone from there to build their tombs).Unlike the Bent Pyramid, this one no longer has a lining and is very quickly destroyed by erosion.
The entrance to the pyramid is located on the north side at a height of 1.10 m above the ground and begins with a descending tunnel. This tunnel slopes 34° and is 11.60 m long. Then there is a short horizontal corridor. Further, the corridor begins to go up at an angle of 32 ° 30".
Above the descending passage (horizontally) a tunnel and stone blocks were found in it. According to the plan of the builders, the blocks were supposed to roll down an inclined plane (32 ° 30 ") and block the path to the ascending tunnel. Today, two blocks are still visible there. There is a small void at the end of this passage.
This pyramid has one feature - numerous red lines of an unknown nature protrude on the walls and floor.
The arrangement of the premises of the pyramid resembles their location in the pyramid of Cheops. Here an ascending corridor precedes the gallery, and at the end of the gallery there is an entrance to the burial chamber. The chamber is only 1.6 m long, no sarcophagus was found in it and, apparently, the pyramid was never used as a tomb. In the southeast corner of the room, a pit 4 meters deep is visible, dug presumably by treasure seekers.
This is the only satellite pyramid of such a large size and with such a complex system of arrangement of internal chambers.
Herbert Ricke originally suggested that this pyramid was the tomb of Queen Hetepheres. However, modern researchers think otherwise, because no traces of the fact that it was ever used as a tomb have been found. The purpose of this pyramid is rather cult (Rainer Stadelmann) - carrying out rituals and making sacrifices. This hypothesis is also confirmed by the fact that an alabaster altar with two 5-meter steles on the sides was discovered not far from the eastern side.
upper temple
On the east side of the pyramid are the remains of a small temple. Two destroyed 9-meter limestone steles with the name of Sneferu were found here. One of the stelae can be seen in the Cairo Museum. The temple was never used as a tomb, but only as a place for religious ceremonies. Archaeologists have found out that the temple was reconstructed several times - first during the XII dynasty, and then in the Late Period. This proves that Sneferu was the object of worship of the Egyptians for several thousand years.
The broken pyramid is surrounded by an aura of mystery. It is considered the first pyramid on earth, its shape, purpose and internal structure raise many questions among scientists, and the location of the burial complex makes it truly unique.
This is majestic building, located in the Necropolis of Dashur, near Cairo, has a height of 101.1 meters, and is so named because of its irregular shape and the angle of the faces. It has two entrances - on the northern and western sides, and the purpose of the second entrance remains a mystery to this day. Despite its antiquity, the pyramid is well preserved. Part of the cladding and the locking plate remained in place, which is now in the museum.
The broken pyramid has a satellite pyramid, which also adds to its uniqueness. They are surrounded by a stone two-meter wall.
Historical information
Presumably, the Bent Pyramid was built during the reign of Pharaoh Sneferu and was originally called the Southern Radiant. Scientists believe that the pharaoh was not buried in it, but in the Northern Pink Pyramid, which was built simultaneously with the Bent Pyramid.
Some historians have come to the conclusion that it was rebuilt three times - either because of the early death of the pharaoh, or because of the instability of the original structure. Little is known about her, since no documents shedding light on her purpose have survived to our time.
cultural value
It is believed that it is the Bent Pyramid of Sneferu that is the progenitor of all pyramids. It was the first of its kind and the era of the construction of the Great Pyramids began with it, which, however, quickly ended.
The presence of a satellite pyramid, from which two roads lead to the temple, suggests that this building also had a religious purpose.
Attractions nearby
Of course, the main significant building near the Bent Pyramid is pink pyramid. Another visited place is the Dark Pyramid, which is located in a dilapidated complex. Curious travelers will certainly be interested in visiting as many complexes as possible - in Saqqara, Abusir, Meidum and Giza, where the Great Pyramids and the Sphinx are located. It will not be superfluous to visit the ruins ancient city Memphis - excavations are still underway there.
Start visiting interesting places stands from Cairo. Be sure to visit the mausoleums and mosques of the capital of Egypt, as well as National Museum Antiquities, where exhibits from the times of the ancient Egyptian civilization are presented.
Travel to the Bent Pyramid
To see this attraction and its surroundings, it is most convenient to purchase a two-day ticket to Dahshur at a travel agency - one day may not be enough to see all the sights and walk around Cairo.
You can also go on your own - first by bus to Saqqara, then by taxi to Dahshur. There is also an option to order a taxi for the whole trip or rent a car.
The Bent Pyramid is one of those places worth spending time visiting while traveling in Egypt. Being near this monument, as if you are immersed in history, you feel its greatness, and time seems to cease to exist. The construction of the Bent Pyramid was the impetus for the development of the most important stage in history ancient egypt, called the era of the Great Pyramids.
