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The pyramid of Menkaure was built by the
pharaoh Menkaure and is the smallest pyramid from the three Giza
pyramids. The purpose of this pyramid was the same with the
other two: a tomb for the king Menkaure. Since there are not
exactly information about the period of the Menkaure reign, it
is not exactly known the year of the pyramid's construction. The
estimated period is the 26th century BC. The pyramid has an
upper antechamber where were found a coffin remains. The
coffin had human bones inside of it and had the king Menkaure’s
name inscribed on it. The coffin can be seen at the British
Museum, being one of the most visited exhibits. A sarcophagus,
made from basalt and being very beautiful, was also found inside
the pyramid but unfortunately the sarcophagus sunk with a ship
in the Mediterranean Sea in 1838. The pyramid`s entrance from
the North side goes to a descending corridor that opens in
passage that is horizontal and short and also it opens into a
chamber which has panels from craved stone as decorations.
Another corridor goes to an antechamber, rectangular and large,
which may had been built in the first place as the burial
chamber. That is the place where the coffin was discovered. The
king Menkaure also built another three pyramids for his queens,
situated in the south of his pyramid. There are some remains of
the mortuary temple that can be seen in the pyramid Eastern
zone. Inside the temple were discovered some royal statues
fragments. It seems that the Menkaure pyramid was finished by
Shepseskap who didn't use limestone but mudbrick. The tourists
who want to see the three pyramids of Giza have to know that the
only pyramid that is open for the public is the pyramid of
Menkaure. |
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