|
|
PYRAMID - EL LAHUN |
|
|
|
| This pyramid was built by Anupy, the architect of Senusret II, the 4th king of the 12th dynasty (1955-1750 BC), in the Middle Kingdom. It stands near the where the Bahr Yusuf (Water of Josef) enters Fayoum, coming from the Nile and "Lehone" in Coptic means "Mouth of the canal". Just before seeing the pyramid you pass the canal with its modern day sluices and see the women washing there clothes and dishes in the canal. |
|
|
|
The pit grave of his daughter Sat-Hathor-Int was found in 1914 and her treasures now are to be admired in the Egyptian Museum in Cairo. The book "The Fayoum History and Guide" calls it " a proud wart on a delicate skin". This pyramid stands on the East side of Fayoum close to Beni Suef, a little more to the East from the Hawara Pyramid. It is, like the former pyramid, also built of mud bricks on an inside of limestone, with the outside of limestone vanished. It is 48 meters high, but since it was built on a hill, it looks more impressive. |
|
|
|
The picture
above to the right shows, how it was constructed, with vertical stacks of
bricks in each corner. These bricks fill the corners of a skeleton of
limestone walls, which were built around a piece of natural rock.
Thereafter, the construction was surround by mud bricks to form a pyramid
and these bricks were on their turn covered by a casing of limestone,
which has unfortunately vanished. It was not taken away by nature but most
probably by thieves who wanted to use it elsewhere. The mud bricks are
less time resistant and therefore, the outline of the pyramid is
retracting day by day. |
|
|
|
Excavations are going on around
the pyramid and on the picture above to the left, you can see the first
parts of the famous boat surfacing. The strange thing in the middle is a
natural rock, maybe not unlike the one that was used to build the pyramid
around. On the picture above to the right you see the Queen's Pyramid, but
no tomb was found there. You cannot visit the pyramid by yourself; so you start off with one guy, who joins you in the car, whilst slowly more and more people join you and in the end there is a whole row of people behind you while you are admiring the pyramids; and obviously, they all want to be paid for their indispensable services. |
|
|