The broken pyramid was built in the 26th century. BC. in the royal necropolis, located in the vicinity of Memphis, the first capital of ancient Egypt. The necropolis itself is located near the village of Dakhshur, 26 km. south of Cairo. It is unique in that it is the first pyramid of the classical type (the previous ones were stepped).
pyramid builder
The pyramid was erected during the reign of Pharaoh Snefru, the founder of the IV dynasty, the father of the famous Cheops. Inscriptions bearing his name have been preserved in burial chambers. According to most historians, Sneferu reigned from 2613-2589. BC.
Snefru became famous both for his successful military campaigns in Nubia and Libya, and for his active work within the country. Under subsequent pharaohs, he was considered one of the ideal rulers. His main achievement is the conquest of Sinai with its copper mines. In fact, the age of metal began in Egypt with the reign of Sneferu. For the annexation of the peninsula, for many centuries the Egyptians considered Snefru a benefactor. He was even declared the patron god of Sinai.
Sneferu's activities in organizing the effective government of the country led to the flourishing of Egypt under subsequent pharaohs. He also established trade relations with the Phoenicians.
Pyramid Features
The height of the Bent Pyramid is 101 meters, the length of the side of the base is 198.4 m. Previously, the height, according to calculations, was 3.5 m more, but the top was destroyed by erosion.
The pyramid got its name because of the features of the shape. The “brokenness” of the silhouette is explained by at least a three-fold restructuring of the pyramid. The initial angle of inclination of the sides was about 58°. During construction, apparently, design flaws that affected strength were revealed, and the angle of inclination was reduced to 54 °. But already at a height of 49 m, the angle again decreases to 43 °.
Of all the points of view on the causes of restructuring, two are the most common. According to the first, at the final stage of construction, deformations of stone blocks were discovered due to the pressure of the overlying levels. Therefore, it was decided to reduce the load on the interior by reducing the angle of inclination and, accordingly, the weight of the entire structure.
According to the second opinion, Sneferu's sudden death necessitated the urgent completion of construction, and the angle was lowered to expedite the work.
Another unique feature of the Bent Pyramid is the presence of two entrances. One traditionally faces north, and the second faces west. The main entrance is located at a height of 11 m, the western one - 33 m. At the same time, the second entrance is perfectly preserved, since it was closed with a turning stone slab with a locking mechanism, which merged with the sheathing of the western face.
Inside the pyramid there are two systems of premises that are not connected with each other by the original plan, since the passage between them was broken after the completion of construction. All rooms are below ground level. The upper room is considered to be the royal burial chamber. It is the largest, and supporting beams made of valuable Lebanese cedar were found here. According to them, the approximate date of the construction of the pyramid was established by radiocarbon dating.
Even in ancient times, robbers visited here, breaking floors and walls in search of treasures.
An unresolved mystery is the red spots protruding on the walls and floor of the pyramid, the nature of which is unknown.
Bent Pyramid satellites
The burial complex of Sneferu included another small pyramid, erected 55 meters south of the main one. Its height is 23 m, the length of the side of the base is 52.8 m. It was believed that this was the tomb of Snefru's wife Hetepheres, but now researchers believe that the structure was built as a receptacle for Ka, the immortal soul of the pharaoh.
To the east of the Bent Pyramid are the ruins of a small temple. The entire complex was surrounded by a two-meter-thick stone wall.
Two stone steles with the name Sneferu were found near the temple. Scientists have established that the temple was reconstructed several times, the last time before the Persian conquest. This testifies to the deep veneration of Sneferu by the Egyptians for thousands of years.
Around 2575 BC e. pharaoh named Sneferu (or Sanfara- "Creating beauty", "He who improves", "Created flawlessly") founded the IV dynasty. His reign lasted until 2551 BC. e. So he reigned for twenty-four years, and perhaps longer. Unfortunately, very little information has been preserved about the identity of this pharaoh. It can only be assumed from many sources that Sneferu was the greatest builder in the history of Egypt and that his reign combined gigantic construction, a spirit of peace and harmonious economic development. In the memory of the Egyptians, Sneferu will remain a good king, a noble monarch, “the benefactor king of the whole country.” The name Sneferu is included in the names of many places. He knew how to be simple with close associates and courtiers, he called them "my comrades", "my friends". The first pharaoh of the IV dynasty personifies the golden age, when the power of the king was inseparable from his kindness. The evidence of the country's tranquility is still alive - the pyramids of Sneferu.
Not satisfied with the achievements of Imhotep, Sneferu continued experiments in the field of pyramid formation. The "cosmic" form of the step pyramid in Saqqara, apparently, did not satisfy him. He wanted to find a more solid and majestic image of the funerary structure. The priest's advice about the multi-stage form of the pyramid, which we quoted above, apparently was taken into account, but did not receive implementation. The pharaoh-architect created a pyramid with smooth edges. In total, he built three pyramids: the Medum tomb (most likely a cenotaph - a “false” burial), the South (“Rhomboid”) pyramid in Dashur and the North (“Red”) pyramid in the same place.
The first to be built was the three-stage pyramid at Meidum. Its height is 75 meters, that is, it has surpassed the pyramid of Djoser in its size (Fig. 2.13, 2.14).
Rice. 2.13. Two-stage pyramid of pharaoh Snefru in Medum, IV dynasty.
Wall fragment, general view
It is possible that the construction of this pyramid on a site located twenty kilometers south of Saqqara was begun under a pharaoh named Khugga, the last ruler of the III dynasty. But there is no complete certainty in this. Not satisfied with the first experience, Sneferu builds the second - "Southern" - pyramid in Dashur (Fig. 2.15).
Rice. 2.14. Two-stage pyramid of pharaoh Snefru in Medum, IV dynasty. aerial photography
It has a broken, "rhomboid" shape. Probably, during the construction of this pyramid, unforeseen changes took place, since at the beginning its angle at the base was 54º31`. But approximately at half the height of the plane of its faces, as it were, "break", giving it an unusual and strange appearance - the angle at the same time decreased to 43º21`. Apparently, the pharaoh fell ill and the builders hurried to complete the work. However, this result was outstanding. The total height of the "rhomboid" pyramid has grown to 102 meters, and the total weight of the structure was 3.59 million tons.
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Rice. 2.15. "Southern" ("Diamond-shaped") Pyramid of Pharaoh Snefru in Dashur, IV dynasty:
a - general view; b - the corner part of the pyramid; c - "Northern" ("Red") Pyramid of Snefru
in Dashur, IV dynasty.
The final version of the "classic" pyramid is the third ("Northern") tomb of Snefru in Dashur, called the "Red" or "Pink" pyramid. It got its name from the color of the limestone blocks from which it is built. The stone is saturated with inclusions of iron oxides. The dimensions of its base are 218.5 × 221.5 m, the total height is 104 meters, the angle of inclination of the faces is 43º36`11``. The construction of the "red" pyramid took a record amount of material. Its total weight of the tomb was 4 million tons (Fig. 2.15). The third option is flawless both in concept and execution. The "Red" Pyramid is in no way inferior to the Great Pyramids of Giza. In the interior of the pharaoh's tomb, one can see a perfectly preserved stepped vault, reaching fifteen meters in height and covering a hall approximately four meters wide.
Or the Northern Pyramid (less commonly referred to as "red") is the largest of the three large pyramids located on the territory of the Dahshur necropolis. The name is associated with the color of stone blocks, which acquire a pink color in the rays of the setting sun. It is the third tallest pyramid in Egypt, after Khufu and Khafra at Giza. The Pink Pyramid did not always have its current color. Previously, its walls were covered with white limestone. But at present, white limestone is almost completely absent, since even in the Middle Ages a significant part of it was removed for the construction of houses in Cairo, as a result of which pinkish limestone was exposed.
This pyramid is attributed to Sneferu, as his name was found inscribed in red paint on several blocks of casing. The interiors retain traces of ancient organized archaeological work, as well as minor cosmetic repairs. The temple of unbaked bricks was added on the eastern side, obviously much later than the time of the construction of the pyramid itself and using completely different (primitive) technologies. The "pyramidion" installed here is assembled from separate fragments of cladding and modern concrete, clearly for the needs of tourists and has clearly never been at the top of the pyramid (because it has never even been a single whole).
Northern Pyramid of Pharaoh Snefru in Dahshur, at the time of its construction in 2640~2620 BC e. was the tallest building in the region. It is also considered a very successful attempt to build a "real" isosceles pyramid (has the correct stereometric pyramidal shape), although the angle of its sides has an error of only 43 ° 22 "compared to the late norm of 51 ° 52". In addition, it has an extremely low slope of the walls (the base is 218.5 × 221.5 m at a height of 104.4 m).
The volume of the limestone pyramid is 1,694,000 m³. The size of the base is 220 m. Its original height was supposedly 109.5 m, now its height is 104 m.
Within a radius of 2 km from the pyramid are other pyramids and ancient structures.
The entrance through the sloping passage on the north side leads down to three adjacent chambers, about 17 meters high, which are accessible to the public. The pyramid should be visited with caution due to the strong smell caused by the concentration of ammonia in its premises.
More photos (click to enlarge):
| Video of the pyramid: |
| Pink (red) pyramid of Snefru on the map: |
Pharaoh Sneferu (Sneferu) - 2613-2589 BC - is considered the ancestor of the Quadruple Dynasty, the son of Pharaoh Huni - the last ruler of the Third Dynasty.
Sneferu earned himself the fame of a great, wise and merciful ruler of the Old Kingdom, whom descendants remembered with love and respect.
Pharaoh Sneferu ruled for twenty-four years - a fairly long period for Ancient Egypt. He married Princess Hetepheres, possibly a close relative of his. She is also known as mother Khufu (Cheops)- the son and heir of Pharaoh Sneferu.
In 1925, archaeologists discovered the luxurious burial decoration of Queen Hetepheres.
It is known from the texts that Sneferu led military campaigns to defend the borders of Egypt, especially in the south in Nubia, where fortifications were established in Aswan to guard and control the trade in gold, ivory, ebony, feathers and ostrich eggs.
Sneferu built ships about 170 feet long for river trade and government needs. He began trading with the North, sending an expedition of 40 ships to the Phoenician coast for the Lebanese cedar.
Pharaoh Sneferu also campaigned in the Sinai area so that the mining industry of copper and turquoise would not be devastated by the nomads on the borders of Egypt. The local tribes suffered a crushing defeat from his army, and Sneferu finally established Egyptian dominance in those parts. He was called the Lord of Both Countries. One of the mines was named after the pharaoh. Roads in the Eastern Delta also bore the name of Sneferu even 15 centuries after his death.
Snefru is credited with building a fortress near the Bitter Lakes on the Isthmus of Suez.
A thousand years later, subsequent rulers in these lands compared their exploits with the achievements of Sneferu, exclaiming that nothing like this had been done here "since the time of Sneferu."
Even after his death, the Egyptians considered Snefru the master and patron of this area - the soldiers and officials who risked their lives here for the glory of the pharaoh asked for his protection.
Sneferu's reign was peaceful, stable, and prosperous. Massive construction works give an idea of Egypt during his reign as a stable and highly developed state.
Unfortunately, most of the buildings from this period were destroyed. Supposedly, Sneferu was the builder of the three pyramids.
The first pyramid of Sneferu (at Medum) was started like that of Djoser, but the gaps between the individual horizontal lines were filled from top to bottom so that each side was a single plane.
Then Pharaoh Sneferu built the "Rhomboid Pyramid" near Dahshur, the reliefs and inscriptions of which represent Sneferu as its builder. This pyramid is considered to be the first "smooth" pyramid in Egypt. A stele of Sneferu was also found there, so far the only accurately identified image of the pharaoh.
Pyramids of Sneferu from left to right:
1. Stepped Pyramid (Medum), 2. "Rhomboid" Pyramid (Dahshur), 3. Red Pyramid
The last pyramid of Sneferu, known today as the "Red Pyramid", probably became the place of his burial.
E. Rudenko
List of literary sources
1. Ancient Egypt Magazine V5.1
2. B.A. Turaev "History of the Ancient East" (chapter "Ancient Kingdom") - Minsk: "Harvest", 2004. - 752s. 3. B. Turaev, D. Breasted "History of Ancient Egypt" - M:. AST, Minsk: "Harvest", 2006. — 576s.
All Egyptian pyramids have one entrance, one system of tunnels and one main burial chamber. There are only two in the Bent Pyramid.
Of course, more than a dozen burial chambers and several entrances can be found in the Step Pyramid of Djoser, but in this case it is clear that one burial chamber was intended for the pharaoh, and the rest for members of his family.
Inside the Bent Pyramid are two independent tunnel systems and two large burial chambers. One entrance is located on the western surface of the building, and the second on the northern side.
There are no reasonable theories about this. It is believed that the pharaoh did not like the first burial chamber, and he ordered a second one. This justification “the pharaoh did not like it” is very common in Egyptology. It is always used when there is nothing more to say.
The most reasonable theory says that the builders provided false premises from the robbers. If so, then it clearly didn't work. At the time of the “first transitional period”, all the tombs of the Old Kingdom were plundered, and the Bent Pyramid is no exception.
Naturally, information about the secrets of burials is always transmitted orally from the builders to their descendants. There are ways to completely hide it, as the Chinese did. When it was closed - the first emperor of China, all the workers were simply executed. Fortunately, the Egyptians were not fond of such excesses.
At the time of the discovery of the tomb by archaeologists from Europe, both systems of tunnels and chambers were already empty.
It turned out that someone had made a passage connecting these two tunnel systems. This passage was clearly not conceived by the builders of the monument, it looks very “handicraft”. It was impossible to break through it so accurately without knowing the exact location of both tunnel systems. That is, someone first opened both entrances, and only then cut through this passage. Who and why it was needed is another mystery.
Riddle - purpose
There are no traces of sarcophagi inside, which is very unusual for Egypt. It was supposed to bury someone in the pyramids, but obviously no one was buried in this monument.
Riddle - Satellite Pyramid
The largest of the satellite pyramids is located here. It is 26 meters high and 53 meters long at the base. Many pharaohs of the Middle Kingdom could not afford such large tombs.
At first, archaeologists assumed that Sneferu's wife, Queen Hetepheres, should have been buried here. Her real tomb was found at Giza, and there is no sign of a burial at all in this small pyramid. Now it is difficult to say whether her mummy ever lay here or not.
It is believed that the satellite pyramid played the role of the residence of one of the parts of the pharaoh's soul - Ka. The Egyptians had very complex ideas about the soul, it consisted of 9 parts. Ka is one of the parts that remained on earth.
This version is very doubtful, since there is no clear evidence for it. Only the alabaster altar indirectly confirms this hypothesis.
