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Egypt Just Opened A Legendary Pyramid To The Public

Egypt Just Opened A Legendary Pyramid To The Public

Egypt's 'Bent Pyramid' Reopens For The First Time In More Than 50 Years

One of Egypt‘s pyramids has just been reopened to the public for the first time in over fifty years. The Bent Pyramid of Sneferu was one of the earliest pyramids ever built, and now visitors can step inside and explore the depths of its ancient chambers.

The Bent Pyramid isn’t what people imagine when they think of the pyramids. Instead of the traditional steep, straight sides, this structure is known for having sloped walls that bend in the middle.

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Those walls represent a pivotal moment in Egyptian architecture – it’s one of the oldest pyramids, constructed almost 5000 years ago, when the the pharaoh of the time was still on a quest to build the perfect pyramid.

 

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The Bent Pyramid was originally planned with much steeper walls, but they became unstable halfway up. So the angle of the walls was reduced, and the sones were laid in a different pattern. It made the pyramid stable and gave it a unique shape.

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The pyramid was closed to the public in 1965 for massive restoration work. They fixed internal and external stairs, added lighting and repaired internal corridors and chambers.

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And now, finally, it’s open again. Visitors can walk down a 79-metre tunnel to reach two chambers, and can also enter an adjoining “side pyramid” that was possibly build for Sneferu’s wife.

It’s not the only revelation in Egypt lately. Earlier this year, archaeologists uncovered a tomb that was 4000 years old but looked like it was freshly painted, a 3200-year-old piece of cheese was found inside the tomb of an Ancient Memphis mayor, and a hidden room was recently discovered deep inside the Great Pyramid of Giza.

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(Lead image: Nacho Díaz Latorre / Unsplash)

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