After Saqquara we drove to Dashur to visit the Bent Pyramid and the Red Pyramid. These two give a great idea of the continuing evolution in pyramid design.
The base of the Red Pyramid on the right and the Bent Pyramid in the background
The Bent Pyramid is so-called because of its odd shape. Commissioned by King Sneferu in about 2595 BC, it is unique in that it is one of the only pyramids in Egypt to still have its outer limestone facing intact. The bent shape is a result of problem-solving during its construction: in the middle of building it was discovered that if the pyramid were completed at a 55º angle (as seen in the base), then the whole structure would collapse upon itself. Rather than abandon the project, it was decided to decrease the angle to 43º, therefore strengthening the monument, but giving it its bent shape. Unfortunately tourists are not allowed to visit the sight at the moment, so this is the closest we got.
The Red Pyramid. Also built by Sneferu, it is the first "true" pyramid, in that it was successfully built with smooth sides without any bending. The order in which we saw the pyramids on our last day was great, as we began with the oldest and ended with the newest (at Giza). You'll notice how empty this picture is, and that is because I think we saw only 4 or 5 other people at this sight. Like so many other things we saw in near isolation, it was delightful to be there alone, and because of this, and the fact that we were able to go inside (again with no one else there), I think it was my favorite experience of the trip.
Guard, and beginning of the ramp that leads to the inside
Closeup of the climb up to the entrance, and the few tourists we saw
Looking back down from the top of the climb
Inside!! Officially there are no photos allowed, but again, because there was no one else inside there weren't any guards and so we were able to snap a few.
Picture of Michael climbing down. The passage was sort of a combination of a ladder and stairs. The ceiling was incredibly low, forcing us to squat the entire way up and down. Our thighs were definitely complaining for the rest of the day.
Inside one of the main chambers. The stairs lead up to a smaller chamber on the right.
View directly up at the ceiling, which is constructed into the form of a corbelled arch. Given that the Egyptians had not "discovered" the use of a true, or rounded, arch, the corbelled system was used, where blocks of stone are gradually moved into the center as they are stacked up, as demonstrated here. This creates a strong and stable triangular shape. It was absolutely breathtaking inside, as the space was incredibly vast, and it makes one realize the genius of construction. These pyramids were not just solid piles of stone, but were made to contain the deceased, and therefore stable interior spaces had to be constructed as well. The fact that the Egyptians were able to achieve this without collapse, and the fact that the interiors are still structurally sound today is absolutely amazing. When you click and enlarge this picture and the one above you can see the precise cutting of the stones, and how closely they fit together. Remember, this was all done by hand, by stone on stone. Absolutely incredible. (I'm running out of adjectives!)
Climbing back up
We never made it inside the Great Pyramids at Giza (to be covered in the next blog post) because the tickets were only for certain times, and it was an extra cost. After our fabulous experience inside the Red Pyramid, we didn't feel like we needed to. I can only imagine that the climb inside the Great Pyramid would be like a cattle call, with wall to wall people, and therefore the experience wouldn't be the same. I think that's why our journey inside this one was so magical, and nothing could have compared to that. It was also incredibly lucky that it was so much cooler this day, as I can't imagine what these chambers are like in the stifling heat we experienced earlier.
View from the top of the stairway outside the pyramid. In the background on the left is the Stepped Pyramid. The flattish object second to the right is a mastaba tomb. The pale monument furthest on the right is yet another pyramid, but I don't know which one. Besides the main ones we saw, there are smaller pyramids scattered all around the area.
Closeup of a mastaba tomb. These were the predecessors of the Stepped Pyramid.
Closeup of the surface of the Red Pyramid
Back down at the bottom
The base of the Red Pyramid on the right and the Bent Pyramid in the background
The Bent Pyramid is so-called because of its odd shape. Commissioned by King Sneferu in about 2595 BC, it is unique in that it is one of the only pyramids in Egypt to still have its outer limestone facing intact. The bent shape is a result of problem-solving during its construction: in the middle of building it was discovered that if the pyramid were completed at a 55º angle (as seen in the base), then the whole structure would collapse upon itself. Rather than abandon the project, it was decided to decrease the angle to 43º, therefore strengthening the monument, but giving it its bent shape. Unfortunately tourists are not allowed to visit the sight at the moment, so this is the closest we got.
The Red Pyramid. Also built by Sneferu, it is the first "true" pyramid, in that it was successfully built with smooth sides without any bending. The order in which we saw the pyramids on our last day was great, as we began with the oldest and ended with the newest (at Giza). You'll notice how empty this picture is, and that is because I think we saw only 4 or 5 other people at this sight. Like so many other things we saw in near isolation, it was delightful to be there alone, and because of this, and the fact that we were able to go inside (again with no one else there), I think it was my favorite experience of the trip.
Guard, and beginning of the ramp that leads to the inside
Closeup of the climb up to the entrance, and the few tourists we saw
Looking back down from the top of the climb
Inside!! Officially there are no photos allowed, but again, because there was no one else inside there weren't any guards and so we were able to snap a few.
Picture of Michael climbing down. The passage was sort of a combination of a ladder and stairs. The ceiling was incredibly low, forcing us to squat the entire way up and down. Our thighs were definitely complaining for the rest of the day.
Inside one of the main chambers. The stairs lead up to a smaller chamber on the right.
View directly up at the ceiling, which is constructed into the form of a corbelled arch. Given that the Egyptians had not "discovered" the use of a true, or rounded, arch, the corbelled system was used, where blocks of stone are gradually moved into the center as they are stacked up, as demonstrated here. This creates a strong and stable triangular shape. It was absolutely breathtaking inside, as the space was incredibly vast, and it makes one realize the genius of construction. These pyramids were not just solid piles of stone, but were made to contain the deceased, and therefore stable interior spaces had to be constructed as well. The fact that the Egyptians were able to achieve this without collapse, and the fact that the interiors are still structurally sound today is absolutely amazing. When you click and enlarge this picture and the one above you can see the precise cutting of the stones, and how closely they fit together. Remember, this was all done by hand, by stone on stone. Absolutely incredible. (I'm running out of adjectives!)
Climbing back up
We never made it inside the Great Pyramids at Giza (to be covered in the next blog post) because the tickets were only for certain times, and it was an extra cost. After our fabulous experience inside the Red Pyramid, we didn't feel like we needed to. I can only imagine that the climb inside the Great Pyramid would be like a cattle call, with wall to wall people, and therefore the experience wouldn't be the same. I think that's why our journey inside this one was so magical, and nothing could have compared to that. It was also incredibly lucky that it was so much cooler this day, as I can't imagine what these chambers are like in the stifling heat we experienced earlier.
View from the top of the stairway outside the pyramid. In the background on the left is the Stepped Pyramid. The flattish object second to the right is a mastaba tomb. The pale monument furthest on the right is yet another pyramid, but I don't know which one. Besides the main ones we saw, there are smaller pyramids scattered all around the area.
Closeup of a mastaba tomb. These were the predecessors of the Stepped Pyramid.
Closeup of the surface of the Red Pyramid
Back down at the bottom
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