The Meidum Pyramid may be found in the Fayoum Governorate and was constructed during the Old Kingdom’s 4th Dynasty. Unlike the Giza pyramid, this pyramid is not the same.
Location:
It is in the middle, about 80 kilometers south of Memphis, on the western bank of the Nile, and to the east of Lake Moris and the oasis of Fayum.
Why was it built at all?
Ancient Egyptians believed in the afterlife, so they built this pyramid. The pharaoh was buried in this pyramid because ancient Egyptians believed there was life after death.
Explanation:
The first part of this pyramid was built in the style of a Step Pyramid, and this carried on a tradition started by the tomb of Horus Netjerikhet in Saqqara. The one at Meidum was the second large Step Pyramid to be built. The pyramid of Sekhemkhet at Saqqara and the pyramid at Zawyet el-Aryan, thought to have been constructed by Khaba, were left unfinished.
Archaeologists think that Snofru built this pyramid before he turned 15 and then moved on to create a new royal cemetery at Dashur, about 40 kilometers to the north. Snofru gave the order to change the original Step Pyramid into a real pyramid at some point during his reign. Some sources put the date at a high end in his rule, like the 28th or 29th year of his power. One thing is for sure.
Snofru had already built two other pyramids at Dashur, so it seems unlikely he would have taken over this one. We don’t know why this king wanted to build three pyramids. If he had, he would have been the most prolific pyramid builder in Egyptian history. Also, no one knows if the original Step Pyramid was ever turned into a real Pyramid.
The idea that this building used to look like a pyramid is not backed up by much evidence. At this point, all that can be seen is a three-story tower standing on top of a pile of rubble. Even though the inside of the pyramid is more straightforward than that of its descendants, it was still a groundbreaking idea that set the bar for the next generation.
The entrance to the pyramid is above ground and on the structure’s north side. A horizontal passage at the bottom of a corridor goes down to below ground level. This tunnel leads to two smaller rooms or niches to the left and right. At the end of this section, there is a vertical shaft that goes up to the ground-level burial chamber.
This is the only pyramid ever built with a room in the actual center of the building. The fact that the burial chamber is only 5.9 by 2.65 meters, which is a tiny size, is another sign that the people who built it were trying things out. There are no signs of a grave or coffin on the site.
Even outside the pyramid, there were already several things that would become standard in later pyramid complexes, and these would be the rules for these kinds of complexes. A chapel measuring 9.18 by 9 meters was built on the eastern side of the building.
A small pyramid could be seen to the south of the main building. It has a door on the north side of its face, which leads to a corridor that leads down to the burial chamber. When it was found, it had already been hurt significantly.
Also found were the remains of a wall that surrounded this complex and measured about 236 by 218 meters. Also found were the beginnings of a causeway carved out of the bedrock and lined with limestone.
There was a change from the tombs of the Early Dynastic period to those of the Old Kingdom period. But the way it was built, and the fact that it has a satellite pyramid, an eastern chapel, and a causeway all point to the Old Kingdom. The original shape of the pyramid still shows the style of the 3rd Dynasty, but the way it looks offers the type of the Old Kingdom.
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