In front of the eastern side of the pyramid you will find a small funerary temple that is still intact. The pyramid at Meidum is thought to be just the second pyramid built after Djoser's and may have been originally built for Huni, the last pharaoh of the Third Dynasty, and continued by Sneferu. There we found some great paintings considered the best and the oldest ever found in a tomb, exhibited in the Egyptian Museum in the same room as you will see the statues of Ra hotep and his wife. In the XV century Egyptian historian and geographer Al-Maqrizi was the first, who reported about the unusual shapes of the Pyramid. The burial chamber is very small if compared with other burial chambers found inside other pyramids. They investigated the inside of the pyramid and discovered the pyramid temple, an approach causeway, and a series of private tombs in the area around the pyramid. I just hope they keep doing this. The entrance that you use to get inside was actually made by the tomb robbers. He was also the father of Khufu, who later built the Great Pyramid of Giza. The pyramid of Maidum was originally a seven-stepped pyramid. I have noticed in the last few years that some travel agencies have been trying to organize trips to the pyramid of Mydoum together with the pyramid of Dahshour in a one-day trip. There you have to pay an entrance ticket, it costs 16LE( 3$) and to use your camera you have to get a camera ticket that will cost you 5 LE (1$). They do not store any information about you other than that which is strictly required for navigation and function, and I have no aceess to any of the data. Nearby the tomb of RA- HOTEP, another one was found, the great tombs of Nefer-Matt. The pyramid at Meidum is thought to be just the second pyramid built after Djoser's and may have been originally built for Huni, the last pharaoh of the Third Dynasty, and continued by Sneferu. I can simply call it a virgin site. These tombs yielded great treasure to the Egyptian Museum. When the pyramid was complete it is estimated that its proportions were similar to those of the Great Pyramid but it is likely that the pyramid began to crumble during the reign of Sneferu and that this may have contributed to his decision to alter the angle of his pyramid at Dashur in mid construction. The pyramid was Egypt's first straight-sided one, but it partially collapsed in ancient times.The area is located around 62 miles (100 km) south of modern Cairo. But nobody was ever actually buried in the Meidum pyramid, and the two stelae inside remain unmarked, furthering the idea that it was abandoned mid-construction. This discovery has not been released to the public yet. Egyptian archaeologists excavating the ruins of a pyramid 60 miles outside of Cairo have discovered the skeletal remains of a 13-year-old girl huddled inside a tomb. There was also a causeway cut into the bedrock and paved with limestone but this is largely ruined. It was built a long way south of most of the pyramids, at Meidum, which is about 60km south of Cairo. It is known as “el-haram el-kaddab” (the “False Pyramid”) in Arabic because it now barely resembles a pyramid. According to researchers, Meidum might have been the second pyramid completed after Djoser’s. However the name of king Huni has never been found at Meydum. There underneath the lid, you will notice a small ancient hammer stuck underneath the heavy led, forgotten by the ancient tomb robbers. You can drive on the Fayoum oasis road and then join the Asyout desert road, after about 77KM you can see the pyramid of Mydoum on your left side. This pyramid was 25 miles north of the Meidum Pyramid. Archaeologists agree that the stepped pyramid was built by pharaoh Huni who reigned about 2599 - 2575 BC and that Snefru who reigned about 2575 to 2551 BC converted it to a true pyramid . The builders of the pyramid constructed a long passage from near the center of the northern face of the pyramid, leading to the alleged burial chamber. In front of the temple you can see the causeway that traditionally led to the mummification temple located at the end of the causeway. The pyramid was 93 m high and built on square base that measures about 114 m long. Required fields are marked *, One of the forgotten sites and rarely found in the regular tourist itineraries, as most of the visitors nowadays follow a very traditional itinerary, which mainly includes the traditional sites such as Giza pyramids and the step pyramid in Sakkara. Which cookies and scripts are used and how they impact your visit is specified on the left. Today it is strongly believed it had been the work of Huni in the first place and then completed by his son after his death. To the east of the pyramid, there is another set of tombs dating back to the 4th dynasty. Its interior arrangement is innovative and one that would become standard in later pyramids. From the entrance on the north face an unusually high fifteen meters above ground level, a steep passage descends to meet a horizontal passage just below ground level. The one at Meidum is believed to have collapsed as the builders tried transforming it from a step pyramid to a smooth-sided one. You may change your settings at any time. The pyramid at Meidum is thought to have been patterned after Zoser’s pyramid and seems to have undergone several transformations during its construction.After carefully perusing some drawings on rocks, and from observations made on the site, the Egyptologists came to the conclusion that the pyramid was first built with two, three and then four steps. I usually take my groups there but first I always make sure that they are fit to do it, as it is tiring but worth the visit. Petrie recorded finding the remains of a wooden coffin possibly dating to the Old Kingdom, but he provided no specific evidence of this and his notes are a little confused on the matter. There is another way to reach Mydoum, it is longer but faster. The last King of the 3rd Dynasty, King Huni, built the Pyramid of Meidum in the style of a step pyramid. Fill out the form to book the Tour. On the south side of the courtyard there is a ruined satellite pyramid which is the oldest known example of a cult pyramid. The mummy was never found, most probably it was taken by the robbers. It contains a large pyramid and several mudbrick mastabas. Exactly how or when she died is a mystery, though the experts say the site itself dates back to the end of the Third Dynasty roughly 4,600 years ago. This site uses functional cookies and external scripts to improve your experience. In the last few years I have led special groups to that pyramid. Entering the tomb was a matter of quite a ways down, then up on some ladders, and finally arrival in the burial chamber which is unadorned, although the bats checking us out added a certain 'inside the pyramid' charm to the place. In 2001 a French team of Egyptologists found a small corridor at the end of the wooden ladder that takes you up to the burial chamber, it is about 3 meters long. There is some evidence that the pyramid was built within the first fifteen years of his reign and then he abandoned Meidum for Dashur. The Plan of the Pyramid . It was a step pyramid at first, like Djoser's. Because of its unusual appearance, the pyramid is called el-heram el-kaddaab — (Pseudo Pyramid) in Egyptian Arabic. It was then turned into the first true pyramid by filing in the steps and capping them with limestone. Inside the Bent Pyramid, an inscription with Snefru's name and a stela discovered by archaeologists alongside the neighboring, subsidiary pyramid shows Snofru himself.) The funerary set is very simple and constitutes one of the rare private sets of satellite pyramids. The pyramid of Mydoum has a special magic, in my opinion the visit to this collapsed pyramid of Mydoum is very worthwhile. The Pyramid of Meidum is built of limestone blocks. The pyramid is called today the collapsed pyramid as it looks from afar like a huge tower. The site includes one pyramid and a number of mastaba tombs and it lies to the south of Giza and Memphis.. Pyramid of Sneferu; satellite pyramid On your way up you will notice some huge beams of cedar wood that are 4600 years old. The Meidum Pyramid was originally built as a step pyramid and the limestone slab casing was added later making it a true pyramid. A cookie which helps me track how many visitors come to my site and what pages they look at. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. pyramid of Meidum, Egypt. When the workers were 2/3 finished the pyramid became unstable because the slope was too steep. However, the Meidum pyramid was named “Sneferu Endures” and it is surrounded by a number of mastabas in which the sons of Sneferu were buried, so it seems reasonable to ascribe it entirely to him. Yes, you will have to do the same way ancient tombs robbers once did it. The whole complex is surrounded by an enclosure wall, traces of which remain. Snefru was identified as owner of the pyramid … Meidum Pyramid is a bit off the normal tourist route. The Meidum pyramid may have been first built for Sneferu's father Huni, but Sneferu certainly finished it, and it is named after Sneferu. You simply drive along the road that takes you to Sakkara, past the site of Sakkara and drive straight for about an hour, or until you can see the pyramid. Like other pyramids, it was built in accretion layers. The Bent Pyramid at Dahshur marked a clear departure in architectural styles, signalizing the arrival of smooth-sided pyramids. The last layer, therefore, rested not on solid rock but rather on three layers of limestone blocks and sand. Pyramid of Meidum. With the pyramid of Sekhemkhet at Saqqara and the pyramid at Zawyet el-Aryan, credited to Khaba being left unfinished, the one at Meidum was the second large-scale Step Pyramid to have been completed. The pyramid of Meidum is often known as the “collapsed pyramid” because of its ruined state. And at the end of this room you will find a wooden ladder that leads up to the burial chamber. The pyramid of Mydoum was built by the last king of the third dynasty king “HUNI” in the style of a step pyramid, it was originally 8 steps on top of each other. You will rarely find it included in the regular tourist itineraries, as most of the visitors nowadays follow a very traditional itinerary, which mainly includes the traditional sites such as Giza pyramids and the step pyramid in Sakkara ! Then you will find a larger passage way and huge blocks of limestone, midway across this tunnel you will find the entrance to the burial chamber, it is so impressive, so elegant, all of limestone. Required fields are marked *, Enquiry about the Tour availability or anything you’d like to know. The burial chamber is the first to have been cut into the core of the pyramid and, to bear the weight of masonry above, it has a corbelled roof. Subsequently, the outside casing collapsed producing rubble around the bottom of the pyramid. It leads to a descending corridor that goes for 54m, it is unique among all the descending corridors in that you don’t have to bend down to enter it, unless you are really a tall person… Here you have to have a torch to light your way, as most of the lamps are broken (I have told the inspectors there several times to change them, but no one cared). When you enter the temple, notice that in front of the door at the western wall you can see the black graffiti that was left by the travelers from the 19th dynasty who came there and recorded their visit. The entrance of the pyramid is located almost 30 meters above the ground level in the northern side of the pyramid. The Bent Pyramid located at Dahshur was the next attempt to build a true pyramid. Finally, the first examinations of the Meidum Pyramid found everything below the surface of the rubble mound fully intact. While inside, look up to see a corbeled ceiling. It is the highlight of the visit. By the fifteenth century, the Egyptian historian al-Maqrizi recorded that only five steps remained and by the time it was surveyed by Napoleon’s men only three steps were still in place. Meidum, Maydum or Maidum is an archaeological site in Upper Egypt. After we went through the gates a car with 4 guards led us out to the pyramid and stayed while we went inside. It took the ancient Egyptians about 400 years to progress from using building materials such as wood, reeds, and mudbrick to smooth-sided pyramids. Here we found two beautiful limestone statues of them still in perfect condition and they are among the most famous master pieces in the Cairo Museum today. The pyramid of Meidum is often known as the “collapsed pyramid” because of its ruined state. Our stay inside the pyramid was short and rushed, as by that time it was nearing dusk. It was an optional extra on my Egyptian holiday so here I was. The entrance on the north face leads down to a small burial chamber in which fragments of a limestone stele bearing the image of Horus were found. It was Borchardt who first realised that this was because the pyramid was built in three stages with the design altering at each point. This pyramid was probably built during the reign of the 4th Dynasty King named Sneferu. It has a corbelled roof that is not well done and the rest of the room is empty. It was plundered by tomb robbers thousands of years ago. To get into the inner burial chamber, you will need to descend down a narrow passage and crawl through a hole, which is the highlight of the visit for many. In older literature king Huni of the Third Dynasty is often named as the owner of the pyramid at Meydum. It has often been assumed that the original builder of this Step Pyramid was Huni, the last king of the 3rd Dynasty. On the east side of the large open courtyard created by this wall there was a large mastaba possibly intended for the Crown Prince. At the end of the corridor you will find a small chamber roughly cut in the bed rock exactly underneath the apex line of the pyramid. It is great to see and touch, to put your hand on the handle of something that is thousands of years old. Malek, Jaromir (2000) “The Old Kingdom”, in. There you will find the tomb of Ra-Hotep and his wife Nofert. Others suggested they related to a burial in the pyramid, but no sarcophagus was found inside the chamber and there is no evidence that Sneferu or anyone else was ever buried in this pyramid. He was the first king of Egypt’s 4th Dynasty. With us you will discover Egypt, wander the Egyptian streets, ride a camel by the pyramids, watch the sunset over the Nile River from a luxury cruise, discover the tombs inside the Valley of the Kings, and much more. Sneferu is credited with having erected three pyramids: One at Meidum and two at Dahshur. It was originally designed as a seven step pyramid with a further step being added once construction was in a fairly advanced stage. Chambers inside the pyramid were found intact and king’s remains found even including the viscera (the group of tissues and organs inside the body) ... Pyramid of Meidum – Route from Cairo Pyramid of Meidum Map. In the midst of the 19th century a small wooden coffin was found here and later on it was taken to the Egyptian Museum. The inside of Meidum’s pyramid also features an important architectural mark. When Maspero first entered the burial chamber he found ropes and beams which he thought may have been left by tomb robbers. This site uses functional cookies and external scripts to improve your experience. This graffiti on the eastern wall of the temple, was left by some ancient Egyptian travelers from the time of the 19th dynasty (1300 BC) recording their admiration of the great structure that King Senfru had built in Mydoum. It is tempting to see this pyramid as a practice run for his later, better constructed, pyramids at Dashur. Height: 65 meters (213 feet) The Meidum Pyramid was built for, and during, the reign of Sneferu. The corridor connects with a vertical shaft which rises ten meters to meet a small burial chamber. Despite the fact that a last ruler of the Dynasty III, pharaoh Huni and father of Snefru, erected the Meidum Pyramid, the structure was definitely completed by Snefru, most probably after his father’s death. Choose to start, finish, or center your holiday on a trip to Meidum Pyramid by using our El Wasta trip planner. During the first two stages of building, the blocks were angled towards the middle of the pyramid (as was done with the pyramid of Djoser) which increased stability. Ricke has suggested that the myth of Osiris was incorporated into the worship of the dead king at around this time and that this caused a theological shift towards solar rather than stellar religion which in turn altered the form of the pyramid from step to true and the orientation away from North-South to East-West. It is one the greatest master pieces of the Egyptian museum. However, in the final stage blocks were laid horizontally, which both reduced the cohesion of the layers of the monument and made the work of stone thieves easier. Started as a Step Pyramid but then converted into a true pyramid, the pyramid at Meidum marks the transition from the Early Dynastic Period to the Old Kingdom. CTRL + SPACE for auto-complete. The first of these, the pyramid of Meidum, collapsed in antiquity, while the second, the Bent pyramid, had the angle of inclination altered from 54 ° to 43 ° in the middle of its construction. Unfortunately the mummification temple has been destroyed and nothing left of it.. We are a team of professionals who specialize in tourism in Egypt with over 15 years of experience. It is a beautiful scene of the 6 Egyptian geese together made on a mud brick wall that was covered with a coat of stucco and painted. Following the tradition that was started by the funerary monument of the Horus Netjerikhet at Saqqara, this pyramid was started as a Step Pyramid. Your choices will not impact your visit. Entering the tomb was a matter of quite a ways down, then up on some ladders, and finally arrival in the burial chamber which is unadorned, although the bats checking us out added a certain 'inside the pyramid' charm to the place. Every time I go there I get overwhelmed with the place and the feeling that there still dozens of secrets in this site uncovered, I feel it never had the chance to have a proper investigation. Cookies that are necessary to enable my site to function. Before the Pyramid at Meidum was built, the only preceding pyramids were all "step" or "layer" pyramids. At the end of the chamber there is a huge granite sarcophagus with the lid slightly set opened. Visitors Can Now Explore Hidden Tombs Inside Two Newly Opened Pyramids in Ancient Egypt. The entrance of the tombs leads through a descending corridor that is about 10 m long then you will find a small shaft inside of which there is a modern wooden ladder that takes you down to another tunnel, at the end of which you will find a hole in the wall, like the needle hole, you can’t get through so easily, you will have to crawl on your stomach.