DEATH ON THE NILE
MASTABAS Traditional royal tombs were one level stone structures with “basements” of rooms, false passages, tunnels, and, of course, the tomb.
Ins and outs of a Mastaba
SAQQARA DJOSER 3rd Dynasty King
King Djoser’s right-hand man was an architect, an astrologer, a highly regarded doctor even by the Greeks, a poet, a priest, a scribe, and the King’s vizier. You of course, would know him as the great….
IMHOTEP
BUT, not that one….this one
He designed the STEP PYRAMID
The STEP PYRAMID is the first elevated stone building on earth The STEP PYRAMID is the first elevated stone building on earth. A tomb for King Djoser, it is a series of 6 mastabas stacked on top of one another, with each one in succession being of shorter width and length.
MEIDUM SNEFERU
First attempt at a true pyramid
Begun as a stepped pyramid, as it neared completion the steps were packed with stone and the whole structure was cased in limestone. Today, the center core levels are all that remain. The sides, which were attached separately, collapsed some time prior to the New Kingdom. In its complete form, the pyramid was 310 feet high. The rubble of the sides lies at the base.
DASHUR After becoming the 1st king of the 4th Dynasty, Sneferu begins construction of his future tomb at a spot approximately 15 miles south of Saqqara. Here he builds A rather unusual building….
….known as the BENT PYRAMID
The structure became unstable during construction at its original angle of 52 degrees. The angle was altered to 43 degrees and the pyramid completed. The resulting visual effect gives the pyramid its name. Surprisingly, most of the limestone sheathing is still in place.
BENT PYRAMID http://www.richard-seaman.com/Tral/Egypt/veDahshur/BntPyeramid/index.html
Most Egyptologists agree that this pyramid was never used as Sneferu’s burial site. Rather he decided to build another, more suitable tomb at Dashur about 1 mile north of the Bent pyramid site. It is known as the….
RED PYRAMID
The Red Pyramid gets its name from the red color of the limestone used at the pyramid’s core. Polished limestone sheathing, used to cover the tomb’s sides, were removed over the years and used for local construction projects. The red core was therefore exposed.
The view below is the Red Pyramid as seen from the Bent.
The Red Pyamid is Egypt’s first true pyramid and is designed with a ceiling and wall support system called CORBALLING. The walls lean in toward each other in steps and finally touch at the top taking pressure off the walls.
CORBALLED CEILLING
Giza - 4th Dynasty Great Pyramid (Khufu/Cheops) - Khafre’s Pyramid - Menekaure’s Pyramid - Son, grandson and great grandson of Sneferu
KHUFU
The Great Pyramid
KHUFU INTERIOR
KHAFRE
Khafre’s Pyramid
SPHINX
SPHINX AND COMPANY
MENKAURE
MENKAURE AND CAIRO
MENKAURE CAUSEWAY
PYRAMID SITES ON THE NILE
AVENUE OF KINGS
Crocs on the Nile
Although THESE are fairly harmless….
….THESE are another story.
Nile Perch
Hippos have a limited sense of humor.