home Exit permit The Pyramid of Mikerin is the third of the grand tombs of Giza. A few facts from the history of the pyramid

The Pyramid of Mikerin is the third of the grand tombs of Giza. A few facts from the history of the pyramid

Pyramid of Mikerin one of the famous three Egyptian tomb pyramids located on the Giza plateau on the outskirts. In comparison with its famous neighbors - the pyramids and - this is the lowest pyramid, built later than the others. Its construction was completed by 2505 BC. The height of the ancient Egyptian landmark is 62 meters. The peculiarity of the Mykerinus pyramid, which distinguishes it from other famous tombs, is that it was made by the ancient Egyptians from materials of two colors. The lower part of the famous tomb was made of red granite, and the upper part was made of white limestone. Unfortunately, most of the cladding was destroyed in the 16th century.

Pyramid of Mikerin - photo

Peculiarities

Despite the relatively low height, Pyramid of Mikerin is an example of the amazing construction technologies of the Egyptians, which amaze contemporaries to this day. The largest stone slab of the tomb, covering the burial room of the pharaoh, weighs more than 200 tons. The relative "miniature" nature of the Mykerinus pyramid, according to scientists, is explained by the fact that it was erected at the beginning of the "decline" period of the ancient era of the great pyramids. After the construction of this tomb of the pharaoh, the Egyptians stopped building grandiose pyramids. Later tombs usually no longer exceeded 20 meters. Another feature of the tomb is the complex internal organization. The pyramid has a kind of vestibule, burial chambers, tunnels and special niches for funeral utensils. To this day, a sarcophagus made of basalt has been preserved in the main burial chamber.

The ancient landmark is well preserved and is important today historical monument Egypt and the era of the pyramids. In 1995, restoration work on the pyramids began in the country, including the pyramid of Mikerin. The interior of the tomb was cleared of tourist inscriptions, and the sarcophagus was completely restored. Thanks to such restoration work, the throughput of the pyramid has also increased. Currently, the ancient tomb receives up to three hundred people daily.

Excursions

Most tourists visit the Pyramid of Mykerinus during a special excursion to Cairo with a visit to the famous Egyptian pyramids. On average, the cost of such an excursion trip is 60-70 dollars. This price includes a bus transfer to the Egyptian pyramid complex, entrance tickets and the excursion program itself with guide services. For tourists wishing to visit the ancient landmark of the country, this is the easiest way to travel from Egyptian resorts to the pyramids.

Pyramid of Mikerin - video

Pyramid of Mikerin - how to get there

To get to the pyramid on your own, you need to take a direct bus in the center of Cairo that goes to the famous tombs. Buses stop at Tahrir Square and Cairo Ramses Station. Alternatively, you can take a local taxi.

Pyramid of Mikerin - opening hours, ticket prices

The usual opening hours of the Mykerinus pyramid are from 8:00 to 17:00 in summer, and from 8:30 to 16:00 in winter. Since the number of visitors who can enter the Mykerinus Pyramid is limited to 300 people per day, there are certain nuances regarding the purchase of entrance tickets. Tickets are sold to 150 early in the morning and then another 150 at lunchtime. As a rule, the morning limit of tickets is reserved by tour guides for groups, so it is easier for independent tourists to get into the famous Egyptian pyramid by purchasing entrance tickets in the afternoon. The entrance fee to the Pyramid of Mykerinus is approximately $4.

Today we will talk about the third pyramid, which was built in Giza. The first two were the pyramid of Khafre, as well as the pyramid of Cheops. Of those mentioned, it is the smallest. The length of the base reaches 108.5 meters, the total volume of the pyramid is also small and equal to 260 thousand m. cube An interesting fact is that the pyramid of Mikerin is called high. This name comes from the translation of the nickname “Heru”. Its actual height is 66 meters, which is lower than most pyramids in Egypt. And it was built at an even smaller height. But as the status of the emperor increased, the pyramid was gradually completed. Today we will talk about the third pyramid, which was built in Giza. The first two were the pyramid of Khafre, as well as the pyramid of Cheops. Of those mentioned, it is the smallest. The length of the base reaches 108.5 meters, the total volume of the pyramid is also small and equal to 260 thousand m. cube An interesting fact is that the pyramid of Mikerin is called high. This name comes from the translation of the nickname “Heru”. Its actual height is 66 meters, which is lower than most pyramids in Egypt. And it was built at an even smaller height. But as the status of the emperor increased, the pyramid was gradually completed.

There are many historical documents and evidence that the most beautiful Egyptian pyramid is the pyramid of Mikerin. Well, or she was. It was built after the construction of the first two pyramids. This means that the experience of successes and failures accumulated in the past was used here. It’s worth mentioning right away that in the tomb inside the pyramid there is a block of stone whose weight reaches a record 200 tons. Agree that this already speaks in favor of the skill of the builders and the architect. If we consider all the lands of Giza, here it is the heaviest monolithic pebble. In general, here it was clear to the naked eyes of scientists that everything inside testified to the desire to build everything beautifully and correctly. The statue of the king, which stands in the central chapel of the tomb, looks simply magnificent.

As for the external frame of the structure, here too the builders showed originality of thinking and ideas. The cladding of the lower part of the pyramid was very beautiful. Its third was lined with red granite, the middle part was hidden by another material - it was Tura limestone, and the upper part repeated the coating of the lower one. This is how the layers were made different colors. Today, learned Egyptologists believe that it was the pyramid of Mykerinus that marked the end of the era of construction of such structures. Pyramids were also built in the future, but they were all more modest and the height of none of them exceeded 20 meters.

Let's take a look at the cross-section diagram of the Mikerin pyramid:

In the picture everything can be seen extremely clearly. Here in the plan there are two burial chambers, as well as corridors, one of which comes to a dead end. Near the pyramid there are two more tombs, which were most likely built for the wives of the pharaoh. Here, during the excavations, scientists were lucky, and inside one of the burial chambers a sarcophagus was found, inside which was a mummy. It is believed that this was Mikerin himself. There was no study of the mummy, since the ship with it sank while transporting it to its destination. Mysticism and nothing more.

Of course, as happened with other pyramids, the original exterior design was also not preserved here. The pyramid was destroyed as a result of numerous wars.

In the 16th century AD, severe damage was caused by an attack by the Mamluks. Residents stole granite slabs and the walls were significantly damaged. Today, the pyramids are a large influx of profit for the state treasury at the expense of tourists. Therefore, the Egyptian government wants to reconstruct appearance pyramids.

Pyramid of Mikerin - the third of famous pyramids Giza, the smallest and youngest of them. It was built by order of Pharaoh Menkaure (in Greek Mikerin) next to the pyramids of his grandfather Khufu and father Khafre.

Menkaura reigned around 2520-2480. BC e. Reliable information about his reign has not survived. Ancient authors call him a kind and merciful ruler, in contrast to his father and grandfather. Herodotus in his “History” cites a legend that tells about the riotous lifestyle of Menkaure. That's all that is known about this pharaoh.

The Last Great Pyramid

Mikerin became the last pharaoh of the IV Egyptian “dynasty of pyramid builders”, who built for himself the “Sacred Height” (the official name of the pyramids in Ancient Egypt). His successor was content with a mastaba (trapezoidal tomb), albeit a very large one.

The Pyramid of Mikerin has a height of 66 m and a side length of the base of 108.4 m. Its volume is 10 times less than that of the Pyramid of Cheops. Moreover, in ancient times it was considered the most beautiful in all of Egypt.

The relative “miniature” nature of the Mikerin pyramid, according to historians, indicates an economic decline caused, among other factors, by the excessive construction activity of the pharaohs of the 4th dynasty. This is the last of the great pyramids of antiquity. The height of later burial structures rarely exceeds 20 meters.

At the same time, the skill of engineers and builders remained at their best. This is evidenced, for example, by the use of huge stone blocks in the construction, which have no analogues in earlier construction. Thus, to cover the mortuary temple, a monolith weighing more than 200 tons was used, the largest in the Giza necropolis.

Approximately one third of the height the facing was made of red granite, then there were slabs of white limestone, and the top and pyramidion were again granite. The pyramid looked so unusual until the 16th century, when the cladding was dismantled by the Mamluks.

The structure of the building makes us think that Menkaura, when starting construction, foresaw his rather imminent death. Apparently he was in poor health or took the throne as an elderly man. The second entrance discovered in the pyramid suggests that initially the base should have had a size of 60 x 60 meters, but then it was increased. The use of huge blocks may indicate the need for speedy completion of construction, and the stone was not cut as carefully as in the buildings of Menkaure’s predecessors.

The pharaoh never lived to see the completion of his tomb. Most likely, this explains the transition to cladding with white limestone instead of granite, which is more expensive and more difficult to process. Mortuary Temple, which was initially built of stone, was completed with brick. At the same time, an inscription was found in the ruins indicating that this was done by order of Pharaoh Shepseskaf, son of Menkaur.

Interior and satellite buildings

The internal structure of the pyramid is quite complex. There are two corridors, from the original entrance and from the main one, a room resembling a vestibule and two burial chambers - the first is carved into the rock at a depth of 6 meters, the second, the main one, is located under the first. In the main chamber there is a basalt sarcophagus; in its walls there are niches for ritual vessels - canops.

Interestingly, when the burial chamber was opened in 1837, a wooden coffin with mummified remains was discovered, which they tried to deliver to the British Museum. The ship carrying the coffin sank off the coast of Spain, but the lid was recovered. As it turned out much later with the help of radiocarbon analysis, the burial belonged to the 1st century AD. and how it got into the pharaoh’s chamber is unknown.

Next to the main pyramid there are three small ones, but only one was completed. Judging by the inscriptions, the daughter of Pharaoh Khentkaus, who died much later than Menkaure, was buried in it. Having been a regent, the wife of a pharaoh and the mother of two others at the time of her death, she still chose to be buried next to her father.

Nearby is the funeral temple of the pharaoh, in which a huge, well-preserved statue of Menkaure, made at a high artistic level, was found. Other sculptures were also discovered, including the later very common “triad” type, which appeared under Menkaure.

The Pyramid of Mykerinus is preserved in better condition than others, and the Egyptian government plans to restore the tomb, returning it to its original appearance if possible.

The tomb of Pharaoh Mikerin, erected in the 26th century BC. BC, was destined to become the last of the Great Pyramids of Giza. Despite the fact that this pyramid is not so impressive in scale, many important archaeological discoveries and interesting facts are associated with it.

In ancient times, the pyramid of Mikerin was known as "Necher er-Minkau-Ra", which meant "Minkau-Ra is divine". Mikerin or Menkaure (literally “the unshakable genius of Ra”). – this is the 6th pharaoh IV dynasty The Old Kingdom, which ruled around 2530-2510 BC. Few sources about the time of his reign have been preserved, so it is difficult to give an unambiguous description of the personality and state policy of this ruler, but the appearance of the pharaoh was reconstructed from statues found near his pyramid.

Mikerin triad

Mikerin was a direct descendant of the creators of the other two great pyramids of Giza, the grandson of Cheops and the son of Khafre. He ascended the throne already in adulthood. Herodotus writes about him as a fair ruler who, unlike his predecessors, forced people less into construction work. It is generally accepted that he died before the construction of the pyramid was completed.

Description of the Pyramid of Mikerin

Dimensions. At the time of completion of construction, the base of the pyramid was 102.2 m x 104.6 m, and the height was 65.55 m (currently 62 m). This structure is significantly smaller in size than the tombs of Cheops and Khafre, but occupies an honorable third among the Great Pyramids. The Pyramid of Mikerinus is located 200 m from the above tombs.
Peculiarities. The Pyramid of Menkaure largely repeats the layout and technique. At the same time, its construction was associated with a lot of difficulties, because the plateau in the chosen location was uneven. For the main masonry, limestone was used from a quarry located near the pyramid.

The cladding of the first tiers and the top was made of red granite, while the middle was decorated with white limestone. The remains of the cladding have survived to this day. Blocks were used to build this pyramid bigger size, than for the tombs of Cheops and Khafre, however, they were less polished. Herodotus writes that the latter feature was explained by the order of the pharaoh, who wanted to make life easier for the workers.

What is inside? The entrance to the pyramid is at a height of 4 m. It opens a passage 32 m long, which leads to a panel chamber. There were several false doors here. You can get into the burial chamber where the sarcophagus was located through the vestibule and a horizontal tunnel. The burial chamber was not immediately discovered by researchers, since the tunnels were deliberately camouflaged.

Mikerinus's burial chamber is 6.5 m long, 3.5 m high and 2.3 m wide. It is worth mentioning the side chamber with small niches. There is controversy regarding her appointment. In general, in terms of the level of preservation of the mummy, the tomb of Menkaure is ahead of the other Great Pyramids. The burial chamber is located deeper, fenced stronger and better camouflaged.

A few facts from the history of the pyramid

The tomb of Mikerin differs from the neighboring great pyramids not only in size, but also in the large groove on the surface. This is not the architect’s idea, but the result of the work of Sultan al-Aziz, the son of the famous Saladin. In the 12th century, this sultan decided to dismantle Egyptian pyramids. Whether he was looking for treasure or simply wanted to become famous in such an unconventional way is unknown, but he decided to start with the pyramid of Mikerin. But Sultan al-Aziz did not take into account that dismantling pyramids is no less difficult than building them. The crazy idea ended after 8 months. Its only result was a large furrow.

Speaking of treasures. According to assumptions scientists pyramid Cheops, Khafre and Mikerin were robbed 4 thousand years ago during the so-called “first transition period”. The first known European to enter the burial chamber of the Menkaure pyramid was Colonel Howard Weiss. This happened in the second third of the 19th century. But instead of treasures, he found two sarcophagi here.

One was wooden and belonged to the Roman era. It is now in the British Museum. The other was made of basalt and most likely belonged to Pharaoh Menkaure. True, during transportation to England, this sarcophagus sank somewhere in the Strait of Gibraltar.

Archaeological discovery related to the Pyramid of Mikerinus

During the reign of Mikerin, the funerary complex, in addition to the pyramids, included a funeral temple, where former pharaoh they prayed and made sacrifices to the deity. The temple of Mikerin was discovered in 1908. During excavations, archaeologists found 7 large statues made from slate. 4 sculptural compositions depicted the pharaoh accompanied by two goddesses. They eventually became known as the Mykerinus triads. Researchers note that in the triads the image of the ruler replaced the Egyptian god Horus.

The described discovery became another sensation, because the found statues were perfectly preserved. "Triads" can be seen at the Cairo Museum and the Boston Museum of Art. A sculptural couple of a pharaoh and his wife and a life-size alabaster statue of a seated Egyptian ruler were also discovered in the temple.

The reduction of the state treasury and the relative modesty of Mikerinus caused his tomb to be noticeably smaller in size than the pyramids of his predecessors. At the same time, it was the location next to the grandiose tombs that made the pyramid of Menkaure world famous.

Not many people know, but you can not only walk around the Great Pyramids of Giza and climb its lower tiers, but also climb inside through ancient tunnels left by the builders. The main tourist flow does this in the pyramid of Cheops, but I will show you what is inside the pyramid of Mikerin.

The third, the smallest of the pyramids, belongs to the 4th dynasty pharaoh Mikerin (Menkaur), who lived in the 26th century BC, at a time when no Ancient Greece there was no sign of it. It is 65.5 meters high, the base is 103 meters.

Now all the pyramids are yellow and made of limestone, but in those days the pyramid of Mikerin was lined in its lower part (visible now) with red granite, the higher level was covered with white limestone, and the very top was again made of red granite. But over time, most of the cladding collapsed or was pulled away

To the left of the pyramid there are 3 more small pyramids - satellites - these are the pyramids in which queens were buried.

You can only get inside the Pyramid of Cheops and the Pyramid of Mykerinus, the first is located at the entrance to Giza and there is just a crowd of people standing there - hot, cramped, uncomfortable. In the case of Mikerin, I went down inside the pyramid alone. And the price is much better. Entrance to the Cheops pyramid costs about 10 dollars, while to Mikerin - 60 Egyptian pounds, that is, 3.5 dollars. True, you need to buy a ticket at the box office first. I agreed with the caretaker and handed him even a little more - 70 Egyptian pounds. But there were 4 of them at the entrance, including the police, and they wouldn’t pat you on the head for passing without a ticket.

One problem, they took my camera at the entrance. Perhaps you can’t film inside, or maybe because I’m a free rider... but inside I filmed everything on my phone

In this video I am in the first burial room and go down to the main burial room, where the sarcophagus of Mikerin was supposed to be located

Here I am in the main burial chamber, go up to the first burial chamber, examine it (perhaps we see the entrance to a false tunnel), and then through 2 tunnels and two small rooms I approach the exit from the pyramid

As is typical for most pyramids, there is only one small burial chamber inside, where the sarcophagus with the deceased was located. Moreover, this chamber is located at ground level or slightly lower. A simple narrow corridor leads to the cell. There are no tunnels or labyrinths in the pyramids - this is a fairy tale, and they are not needed. The existing passage was needed so that the body of the pharaoh was placed in the burial chamber, and then people left it. Therefore, the passages are small and very inconvenient. But if there are a lot of people and it’s hot (there’s air inside the pyramid, you know what it’s like), then this is a big problem for tourists. But in the case of the Mikerin pyramid, not everything is so difficult - the descent is not very large, of course, it’s hard on the knees, but tolerable. But if you end up in, then you will have to descend steeply for about 100 meters...

In the case of the Mykerinus pyramid, you will find a short descent, then two small corridors parallel to the ground with a small hall in the center, after which you find yourself in the first burial chamber. Here is a short descent into the real burial chamber, where the pharaoh’s sarcophagus was. It is worth noting - and this can be seen on the plan - another corridor is connected to the first burial chamber, which goes upward and ends in a dead end. It is difficult to say its purpose, most likely its task is to lead robbers away from the real burial of the ruler, hidden under the floor.

There are no inscriptions, drawings, or decorative elements in the pyramid itself - just tunnels and chambers. True, in some other pyramids there is minimal architecture - a stepped vault of chambers, stars... but nothing more.

As for the robbers, it is no secret that the burial rooms of the pharaohs often contained a large number of gold - masks, jewelry, royal regalia, and other valuable items. Because of this, most pyramids and other burial sites were robbed immediately after the burial ceremony or during the same ancient period. To prevent this from happening, the pyramid builders made one narrow entrance and then sealed it, and the entrance could be at different heights and not always in the center. The only thing that remained unchanged was that the entrance to the pyramid was always on the north side. In the pyramid itself there were false passages and even traps, as was the case with the false tunnel going upward in the pyramid of Mikerin.

In our case, the pyramid also did not remain untouched; the diagram and photo show that the robbers made a hole in the center of the pyramid, reached its core and began to dig a way down, but stopped at ground level. However, when a British archaeologist examined the internal chambers in 1837, while approaching the galleries he discovered a wooden (internal) sarcophagus with the bones of a man and a cartouche belonging to Mikerin. However, later research showed that these bones belonged to a person who died 2000 years ago, not 4500...that is, it was a human skeleton from the period of Roman rule in Egypt. Even further away, scientists found a basalt sarcophagus with the bones of a young woman. The sarcophagus itself subsequently sank during transportation along with the ship "Biatrice" in the Mediterranean Sea. Thus, to our time the pyramid has reached us empty.