|
Here's the diagram of the internal passageways and chambers. We'll enter through the lower entrance, the top entrance is sealed off by a door, as seen in the last section. This pyramid contains 2 known chambers. One chamber is subterranean, carved into the very bedrock. The other has its floor carved into the bedrock while its upper walls and ceiling pierce into the base of the pyramid.
This level passageway is higher, almost a hallway, with a large empty
niche in the wall on the left side, just past the mid point of the passage:
To the right, across from the niche, is a short descending passageway, shown here with its open grating:
Looking into the passageway that leads to the first chamber:
This chamber which is carved in the plateau bedrock is 34' x 10'. It contains no sarcophagus and also includes a pointed ceiling. This chamber may have served for storage of offering material, treasure, or have been the equivalent of a serdab. Perhaps it is this pyramid's equivalent of the middle or so-called Queen's Chamber of the Great Pyramid, which also has a pointed ceiling. However, this room does not contain any niche in the wall for the life-size statue of the king, instead its east wall frames the entrance.
As you exit this chamber and continue to the right, at the end of the passageway lies a ramp which ascends into the next passageway. Once you climb this ramp, if you turn around, you can also see the passageway that leads back up to the higher entrance on the north side. Continuing south down the passageway leads to the main burial chamber.
On this higher level there is a chamber which is ft. 46.5 ft. long and 16.5 ft. wide. The ceiling also comes to a point. There is a unique black granite sarcophagus in this room in that it was built to be sunken into the floor. The original lid, though no longer attached, lies propped up next to the coffer near the west wall. It is possible that the open niche against the east side of the coffer held the king's canopic chest, the box containing the mummified organs of the king, within ceremonial vases. There are a few other examples of this style in other Old Kingdom tombs:
By the time this pyramid was reopened in 1818 by Giovanni Belzoni, the body of the king and any sign of royal treasure had been long gone. Belzoni left his graffiti in this chamber on March 2, 1818, which is still present today on the south wall of the burial chamber.
RETURN TO Khafre Pyramid - Part One Learn more about pyramids at Guardian's Pyramids RETURN TO Guardian's Egypt - Main Gate RETURN TO Guardian's Giza - Main Gate Guardian's CyberJourney To
Egypt
|
As
you enter the short descending passageway through the lower opening on the north side of
the pyramid, you descend until the passageway levels off:
