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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History of archaeological exploration

1842-1845: Karl Richard Lepsius, a German archaeologist and Egyptologist, carried out archaeological excavations of Egyptian pyramids, including the first superficial examination of the ruins of the Unfinished Pyramid at Zawyet El-Aryan. He recorded the Pyramid in the list of the Egyptian pyramids under number XIII (13).

1904-1911: Alessandro Barsanti, an Italian architect and Egyptologist, conducted the only major archaeological exploration of this Pyramid. Using cranes and a lot of manpower, he managed to clear what remained of the Pyramid, as well as a very large pit and a yet sealed sarcophagus, which appeared to be empty. Barsanti was convinced that the Pharaoh's body was nevertheless resting somewhere under the pavement at the bottom of the pit. He carried out deep excavations and moved floor blocks, but all his attempts to find the ‘hidden’ burial chamber ended in failure.

1954: Warner Bros., a US film company, cleared the sand off the Unfinished Pyramid site to film the epic movie ‘Land of the Pharaohs’ directed by Howard Hawks. The movie was released in 1955.

1967: Vito Maragioglio and Celesta Ambrogio Rinaldi, Italian architects, published a detailed description and large-scale drawings of the Pyramid as part of their two-decade exploration of the Memphis pyramids.