Bent Pyramid

[Amon Ra]

The Bent Pyramid, located at the royal necropolis of Dahshur, approximately 40 kilometres south of Cairo, of Old Kingdom Pharaoh Sneferu, is a unique example of early pyramid development in Egypt.

The lower part of the pyramid rises from the desert at a 55 degree inclination, but the top section is built at the shallower angle of 43 degrees, lending the pyramid its very obvious "bent" appearance.

Archaeologists now believe that the Bent Pyramid represents a transitional form between step-sided and smooth-sided pyramids, (see Step pyramid). It has been suggested that due to the steepness of the original angle of inclination the structure may have begun to show signs of instability during construction, forcing the builders to adopt a shallower angle to avert the structure's collapse. This theory appears to be borne out by the fact that the adjacent Red Pyramid, built immediately afterwards by the same Pharaoh, was constructed at an angle of 43 degrees from its base.

The Bent Pyramid has a small satellite pyramid of unknown purpose immediately to its south, and an early form of offering temple on its eastern side. It is also unique amongst the approximately ninety pyramids to be found in Egypt, in that its original polished limestone outer casing remains largely intact.

The ancient formal name of the Bent Pyramid is generally translated as, (The)–Southern–Shining–Pyramid, or Sneferu–(is)–Shining–in–the–South.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bent_Pyramid

[Amon Ra]

The Bent Pyramid

NOW, FOR THE FIRST TIME:
Enter the Bent Pyramid!

Read more about the Bent Pyramid HERE




The interior of the Bent pyramid is largely unpublished and there are no color pictures easily available to visit it. Now, for the first time, HERE, you can explore much of the interior.


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The Bent Pyramid is the only known pyramid from the Old Kingdom to have two separate entrances on two different faces. One is on the traditional north face, while the other is on the west face. We will enter from the north side. The entrance is presently protected by a metal door which is locked. I was granted special permission to photograph the interior. This first picture shows the uppermost portion of the descending passageway just beyond the door. In the foreground are leather buckets which are used to excavate and carry away sand and debris. You can see displacement of some of the blocks which line that passageway.

At the bottom of the descending passageway is a short section that levels off into a shallow depression. Presently there are wood planks across this. Past this, we enter the antechamber for these chambers. 
 Here's the bottom of the descending passageway looking back up from the beginning of the antechamber. This antechamber is narrow and has a corbelled ceiling, which has a roughened appearance. The walls also appear undressed in places suggesting that this passage may have been unfinished.
BELOW: Looking up in the antechamber at the corbelled ceiling.
 



RIGHT: At the south end of the antechamber is a steep ledge. A wooden ladder is in place which leads to the main chamber.

 
 

To the left is a view of the corbelled ceiling of the antechamber as seen from the first chamber. The wooden pieces seen in this photo are modern. You can see how the closer section of the corbelling is rougher and the portion further back is more finely finished. As you turn around 180 degrees you take your first look into the lower chamber.
 

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Entering the chamber looking upward, you can see the corbelled ceiling with the modern scaffolding. A ladder, almost 50 foot in length, leads to a connecting passage between this set of chambers and the passageway and chambers that are accessed from the western entrance.

[Amon Ra]

Entering the chamber looking upward, you can see the corbelled ceiling with the modern scaffolding. A ladder, almost 50 foot in length, leads to a connecting passage between this set of chambers and the passageway and chambers that are accessed from the western entrance. 

 
 


ABOVE: At the southeast corner of the first chamber is a niche-like opening, which, when this picture was taken was filled with rubble.  This area continues upward rising to a blind passage.

Looking up the south wall from the base of the same short passage. If you look carefully above this short passage you can see a small corbelled niche which is an outlet to the blind passage that rises upward from the bottom opening:
 
http://guardians.net/egypt/cyberjourney/dahshur/bentpyramid/images/bentchamb3.jpg
 Left: This opening has since been cleaned and underneath the rubble is a smooth finished floor.



 
Above: This picture, taken more recently, is a view looking up from within this opening. You can see the inside of the corbelled niche to the right. In the center you can see that the upward shaft ends blindly with a smoothly finished ceiling.



 

Here's a better look at that corbelled niche from within the lower main chamber:



 Climbing the long ladder leads to a passageway that connects the main lower chamber with another chamber that is accessed from the opening on the western face. Here is the top of the ladder and the opening of that connecting passageway:


 

The top portion of the corbelling of the main chamber as seen from the connecting passageway.

 

 
 

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BELOW: A look back at the connecting passage after exiting into the next east-west passageway:



 LEFT: After climbing the long ladder you enter the connecting passageway. Here is a view looking back toward the first chamber from within this passageway
BELOW: Turning around and looking into the connecting passage:

 
 http://guardians.net/egypt/cyberjourney/dahshur/bentpyramid/images/bentconn2.jpg
 
 

The connecting passageway leads to the east-west passageway that has its entrance on the west face of the pyramid. This passageway is very interesting in that it contains two portcullis blocking systems which were built to seal the main chamber after the burial of the king. These blocking systems are unique because they utilize a system where the blocks slide down diagonally, as opposed to vertically as seen in other pyramids. The first block is in place with a rectangular hole cut through it. You can see this looking west. Between the end of the connecting passage and the block is a shallow shaft, also seen here:
 



Looking east toward the burial chamber you can see the other portcullis block which is not in its closed position, but instead is help up by a wooden timber. The space that houses this block has a corbelled ceiling (right).


 

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Looking past the portcullis block you can see a two other shallow shafts. This terminates at a ledge which leads to the main burial chamber (right).

BELOW: The easternmost end of this passageway.
 

 
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 LEFT: Looking up into the south edge of the burial chamber from the passageway.

For this trip, this is as far as we go.


 
 

TO BE CONTINUED.....

http://guardians.net/egypt/cyberjourney/dahshur/bentpyramid/bent_pyramid_interior.htm

[Amon Ra]

http://www.wikimapia.org/#y=29790321&x=31209304&z=17&l=0&m=s

Satellite images of Bent Pyramid - at WikiMapia