Unfinished Pyramid at Zawyet el-Aryan

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Unfinished Pyramid at Zawyet el-Aryan

Description: The Unfinished Pyramid at Zawyet El-Aryan is the least known of all great pyramids in Egypt. In early 20th century, Alessandro Barsanti, a famous Italian Egyptologist, excavated and documented the Pyramid for several years. His archeological reports are the only sources with a detailed description of the monument’s structure. The Pyramid, if completed, would have been the same size as the other pyramids of the Giza Plateau and the pyramids at Dahshur. The unique feature of the Unfinished Pyramid is a granite oval-shaped sarcophagus oriented along the north-south axis, embedded into the floor of the burial chamber. Unfortunately, nowadays the Unfinished Pyramid is located in the restricted area, so the only sources available for the researchers are the old black-and-white photographs and the excavation reports.
Alternative names: Great Pit
Lepsius No: 13
Type: True Pyramid
Location: Zawiyet el-Aryan
Country: Egypt

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Builder (Owner)

Zedefhor or Baufra.

Chronological Dating

Dynasty IV.

Pyramid Name

Translation: 'Luminary (light) of Bicheris'.

Additional Data

This structure is considered an unfinished pyramid. A square stone platform is visible on which the core of the pyramid was going to be erected. In the middle of the unfinished building is a huge, east-west-oriented pit. On its floor are large blocks of limestone and granite - the base of the burial chamber.

Complex Location

???

Upper Temple

Height

???

Length

???

Width

???

Building Material

???

Additional Data

???

Lower Temple

Height

???

Length

???

Width

???

Building Material

???

Additional Data

???

Causeway

Height

???

Length

???

Width

???

Building Material

???

Additional Data

There are no traces of a causeway on the east side, but in the north a large area is seen between the Pyramid and the wall, as shown in the drawing by A. Barsanti, which might suggest that there is an access way from this side. The study of the soil actually made it possible to establish that the causeway most likely had run from the north.

Enclosure Wall

Height

???

Length North Side

465.0 m

Length South Side

465.0 m

Length West Side

420.0 m

Length East Side

420.0 m

Width

2.1 m

Building Material

Limestone

Additional Data

Around the Unfinished Pyramid are the remains of a stone enclosure wall, which runs rectangular and is noticeably oriented along the north-south axis. This strongly resembles the Pyramid Complex of Djedefre at Abu Rawash.

Satellite Pyramids

Quantity

???

Location

???

Additional Data

???

Boat Pits

Quantity

???

Location

???

Additional Data

???

Additional Information about the Pyramid Complex

The Unfinished Pyramid was no doubt a gigantic project launched with the confidence of a long reign.

Height

???

Base side length

North Side

209.0 m

South Side

209.0 m

West Side

209.0 m

East Side

209.0 m

Azimuth

North Side

???

South Side

???

West Side

???

East Side

???

Angle of slope

???

Number of stone courses

???

Structural Features

The limestone plateau was simply hollowed out, but the horizontal walls of the pit were smooth.

Pyramid Base

43681.0 m2

Volume

???

Weight

???

Main Building Material

Limestone

Casing Material

Rose granite

Additional Data

The length of the sides of the core base is 180 m (this means that the side of the base of the would-be Pyramid was planned to be a bit over 200 metres).

Pyramidion

Base side length

???

Height

???

Angle of slope

???

Material

???

Additional Data

???

Entrance

Location

The North Side of Pyramid

Entrance location above ground level

11.0 m

Additional Data

The dimensions of the central axis of the descending ramp in the north-eastern corner are about 101 m and about 102 m up to the cut in the rock in the western corner. The ramp starts 16 m north of the Pyramid core.

Descending corridor

Height

???

Length

110.7 m

Width

6.35 m

Angle of slope

26.0 °

Casing Material

???

Additional Data

The ramp, which consisted of a smooth central section and a steep staircase with frayed steps on each side, was intended for the descent of building materials.

Portcullis

Quantity

???

Location

???

Description

???

Material

???

Additional Data

???

Burial chamber

Height

21.0 m

Length

24.0 m

Width

11.7 m

Casing Material

Rose granite

Type of Ceiling

???

Additional Data

In the middle of the unfinished building is a huge, east-west oriented pit. On the floor are large blocks of limestone and granite, which were supposed to serve as the floor of the burial chamber.

To the south of the ramp there is a wide rectangular pit, entirely hewn out of rocks of varying density. The sides of the excavation have a pronounced slope, and they were clearly smoothed, lined and cemented with a pink mortar, which left visible traces. Around the upper edge of the excavation, both the ramp and the pit, there is a low stone wall that holds sand and rubble above the cliff. This wall is located at some distance from the edge of the excavation; it has a height of about a meter and consists of small stones. The layer of rubble and sand held back by the wall is approximately 2.5 m high. Perhaps the wall was built by A. Barsanti. The ramp is shifted to the east in relation to the north-south axis of the pit (the ramp enters the pit at 6.2 m from its eastern wall), and this indicates a deliberate asymmetry. Proof of this is the sketch of the ramp and excavation system found on a block, as well as a red line drawn on the southern wall of the excavation along the axis of the ramp. The excavation of the pit and the last horizontal part of the ramp was carried out at a considerable depth in the rock. The pit was then partially paved to form a kind of platform, 4.5 m high, which reached the level of the lower end of the double staircase. The platform consisted of three or four superimposed layers of large and well-worked blocks of granite and limestone, held together with a very hard mortar. All blocks are huge in size with an average weight of over 8 tons. We assume that the ancient Egyptian builders were not originally going to erect such a massive foundation at the bottom of the pit and at the bottom of the ramp. But, having reached a certain level, they came across a loose layer of rock and doubted the reliability of this layer as a foundation, which needed to support the masonry of the entire Pyramid. Then they removed the entire layer of unreliable rock, thereby continuing to cut beyond the originally set goal. To raise the premises to the level required according to the plan, they made a large platform for the foundation. Where the rock was pliable, and also in the lower horizontal part of the ramp, they reinforced the boundaries of the excavation with a low wall of limestone blocks. On the south and west walls of the pit there are vertical plastered stripes with a red line in the middle. The southern line corresponds to the central axis of the descending ramp and is located 2 m above the pit floor and 15.9 m from the western wall. The western strip is longer and corresponds to the central east-west axis of the pit and, probably, to the planned chamber.

Sarcophagus

External dimensions. Height

1.5 m

External dimensions. Length

3.15 m

External dimensions. Width

2.22 m

Internal dimensions. Height

1.05 m

Internal dimensions. Length

2.1 m

Internal dimensions. Width

1.06 m

Sarcophagus lid. Height

0.43 m

Sarcophagus lid. Length

2.95 m

Sarcophagus lid. Width

1.9 m

Material

Rose granite

Additional Data

The granite sarcophagus was in the form of a large oval bath, recessed into the ground. The lid was intact, but the sarcophagus was empty.

Additional Data

As reported by Alessandro Barsanti, in 1903, a significant event happened, which gave rise to another mystery of this monument. After heavy rain filled up the pit by 3 metres, the water level suddenly dropped by one metre. This led to the assumption of the existence of hidden and still undiscovered chambers under the pit. Unfortunately, it was impossible to prove this, since the building had long been located at a military site.

Unfinished Pyramid at Zawyet el-Aryan

Historical Data

The Pyramid Complex

External Features of the Pyramid

Internal Features of the Pyramid

Other structures and chambers of the Pyramid