Bent Pyramid

The Bent Pyramid is an ancient Egyptian pyramid located at the royal necropolis of Dahshur, approximately 40 kilometres (25 mi) south of Cairo, built under the Old Kingdom Pharaoh Sneferu. A unique example of early pyramid development in Egypt, this was the second of four pyramids built by Sneferu.

The Bent Pyramid rises from the desert at a 54-degree inclination, but the top section (above 47 metres [154 ft]) is built at the shallower angle of 43 degrees, lending the pyramid a visibly "bent" appearance.

Overview

The Bent Pyramid represents a change from the step-sided pyramids of before to smooth-sided pyramids. It has been suggested that due to the steepness of the original angle of inclination the structure may have begun to show signs of instability during construction, forcing the builders to adopt a shallower angle to avert the structure's collapse. This theory appears to be borne out by the fact that the adjacent Red Pyramid, built immediately afterwards by Sneferu, was constructed at an angle of 43 degrees from its base. This fact also contradicts the theory that at the initial angle the construction would take too long because Sneferu's death was nearing, so the builders changed the angle to complete the construction in time. In 1974, Kurt Mendelssohn suggested the change of the angle to have been made as a stability precaution in reaction to a catastrophic collapse of the Meidum Pyramid while it was still under construction.

Since Mendelsohn, authors urged stability problems the reason for the unusual bent shape, supported by the obviously damaged stones in the interior and the fact parts of the interior remained unfinished. This hypothesis contradicts the fact that there are no signs for deformations at this pyramid, even the curved flanks of the Cheops Pyramid have not been observed here. As the idea of a sloped pyramid was totally new, it is possible that the iconic design of later pyramids only emerged after a process in which the Dahshur pyramids are steps towards the perfect result. The sun temples of Abu Sir and the obelisks of the New Kingdom had the shape of a bent pyramid, too. Another explanation for the reduction of the slope is the building process with the utilization of ramps. The most challenging part of ramp construction was the top, becausing manoeuvring space became tight there. .

The Bent Pyramid was the second pyramid project by king Sneferu who constructed three pyramids in his long reign, all of them of changed shape and the result of lessons learnt from the previous building in the continuous search for the perfect symbol and tomb which only his son Cheops was determined to achieve. The three buildings reflect an experimental stadium of the pyramid program that made its eventual climax possible. Whether the building decisions coincide with changes in religious concepts is hypothetical.