The Bent Pyramid is approximately 4,600-year-old (Image via: Memphis Tours)

The Bent Pyramid of Egypt is Now Available For Tourist

Kirana Chandra Mumpuni Budiana
Business & Industry
Construction & Infrastructure
Jul 14, 2019
1990
Egypt had decided to improve their tourism by opening the Bent Pyramid. It is located at the royal necropolis of Dahshur, approximately 40 kilometres south of Cairo. The Bent Pyramid is one of the three monuments built under the Fourth Dynasty of Pharaoh Sneferu (c. 2600 BC). The Bent Pyramid has a captivating and unique structure. The first 49 meters are built at 54 degree angle of steep before gets narrower towards the top. From the way it was built, the Bent Pyramid considered as a transitional form of pyramid construction between the Djoser Step Pyramid (2667-2648 B.C.) and the Meidum Pyramid (about 2600 B.C.). This is the first time Egypt opens the pyramid since 1965.

Now visitors can reach deep inside the extraordinary pyramid by clambing down a narrow tunnel (79 metres) from the northern side. They can also enter its adjoining monument, which is another pyramid with the height of 18 metres. It is possibly built for Hetepheres, the wife of Sneferu. The Secretary general of Egypt’s Supreme Council of Antiquities, Mostafa Waziri, revealed that the angle of Bent Pyramid was changed when cracks started to appear. Furthermore, a collection of stone, clay and wooden sarcophagi, some of them with mummies, were found in the area by Egyptian archaeologists. They also found large stone blocks, as well as limestone and granite fragments. The materials indicate the ancient graves may be there.

The opening of Bent Pyramid is one of the efforts from Egypt to fix its tourism sector. The sector was devastated due to the uprising towards Hosni Mubarak in 2011. They already uncovered many historical discoveries, including the tomb of Sa Eset. Right now Egypt strives to promote Dahshur as much as they can. Dahshur is an important location because it is the part of the Memphis Necropolis, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The country depends on the improvement of tourism sector as the source of foreign revenue.

Source: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/jul/14/bent-pyramid-egypt-opens-ancient-oddity-for-tourism

Pyramid , Egypt , Tourist , tourism , Memphis , Necropolis , Dahshur , UNESCO