The Pyramid of Djedefre at Abu Rowash

Djedefre, 3rd Ruler of 4th Dynasty of ancient Egypt, the son of King Khufu, for unknown reasons, abandoned cemetery Giza and built his pyramid at Abu Rawash. Was called "starry sky Djedefre. This step is very interesting, and often refers to Djedefre was a bit of a break with your family, or at least of his brothers, for this site is an individual choice. Immediate successor, Giza Governorate.

 However, this conflicts with your family is still Apart from some, and the latest evidence suggests that in fact there were not a problem at all.
Apart from the ruins of Lepsius pyramid number one, is north of the pyramid Djedefre full pyramid in Egypt. By Lepsius, PERRING investigation for a brief period under the rubble, and focus on infrastructure, and the pyramid Petrie later consideration of the 1880s.

However, only in the early 20th century pyramid was from systematic research, the first by a French archaeologist Emile Chassinat and then, some years later, his compatriot Pierre Montet. Still later, it was further investigation before and Maragioglio Rinaldi. In 1995,
    French Swiss team led by Michel Valloggia began drilling at the site, and perhaps this new effort will answer questions about the pyramid and Djedefre that since a long time without an answer.
 
Unfortunately, this pyramid has become a target for thieves popular band in early.

Has been shown that since the late 19th, a stone was being withdrawn at a rate three hundred camel loads per day. Previous results had indicated that the pyramid was probably never end, but it seems that today is the bulldozers to refute this claim.
 
We do not know a thing of the valley temple might be associated with this pyramid, and very little from the road that leads to the hierarchy. Perhaps the road was very long. I would be about 1700 meters (5,577 feet), which reached the pyramid complex of the valley. The road was very unusual for this period, as it is working from north to south at a time when most of the roads stretching from east to west.
 
Resort is surrounded by an outer wall around it about two and a half feet thick. It is directed towards the north a little whisper, with the road, approaching from the north. Interestingly, in the area within the perimeter fence in the north where the road leading in, is a large open space. This is the place where he should be a funerary temple, where the road connected to this temple, as in others, but still not been discovered. The problem is that until the end of the dynasty 3rd, and funerary temples erected on the north side of the pyramids, but the 4th dynasty onwards, at the foot of the eastern part of the pyramid. If there is already a funerary temple in the north, and the unexplored area of the complex, then this could be the backbone of the designs in earlier. However, it also should be noted that the passages and burial chamber of the pyramid itself, rather then in the superstructure, as in the lap, and while the surfaces of this infrastructure was damaged, and it seems that the design may be a similar style by the pyramid of Djoser at Saqqara.

However, it can be discoveries made in the north side of the pyramid. However, recent excavations uncovered an internal wall in the vicinity of about six meters (20 feet) from the base of the pyramid to the north, stretching to the east, where mud and brick structure is believed that the remaining and funerary temple. Believes that a covered walkway leading from the northeastern entrance of the enclosure inside the mouth of the road. Outside this corridor, and recent excavations have revealed the existence of a cache of votive pottery, which shows a continuous presence for worship this king.

The design of this "mortuary temple" on the east side of the pyramid is very different from other known examples in the Old Kingdom, and seems to have been in a hurry. Fieldstone was formed instead of thick walls, with the completion of the bricks to form the compartments and rooms around the courtyard is open. In the courtyard, and some of the original floors, warehouses and other architectural elements still exist today. In the center of north-eastern part of the structure of a row of columns, it seems, with the marking Djedefre cartridge, if the evidence is fragmented and can not be believed. This is an interesting, because it is outside of some of the columns and half columns found in the complex of King Djoser at Saqqara, and this will be only the appearance of the columns of the temple pyramid by a family funeral 5th.
There is a recession in the middle of the eastern wall of the base of the pyramid. Because of the location, Egyptologists believe that the market can occur on a false door, in front of which could be the altar, all part of the display room.

In the area near the columns, were found fragments of statues Djedefre three sons and two daughters, along with the Sphinx of limestone as possible. If the Sphinx, perhaps this is the first way to explore these statues.
Like a number of pyramids in Egypt, and used part of the cliff, which was reformed as part of the base. The rest of the core is composed of blocks of local sandstone. Was about fifteen core set of horizontal layers of limestone, but very little of the fine, leaving a blanket of pink granite.
At the outset, due to the sloping surface blocks it was thought that the pyramid was very steep slope. Some even thought it had been planned as a step pyramid, where these structures have been much larger than the slope of the pyramids is true. But with new research,
Right: Descending Corridor
I have decided to cover the blocks will not horizontal, but tilted slightly toward the center of the pyramid to create, rather than at an angle of 60 degrees, the slope of 48, even 52 degrees more standard. This method was also used in the step and built the pyramids. Because the basis has been identified accurately 106.2 meters (348 feet), would that the pyramid has risen to the level of theory between 57 and 67 meters (187 feet to 220 feet), much smaller than his father Djedefre pyramid in Giza Governorate.
While the infrastructure was severely damaged, we can see that the builders of the use of open-pit method of construction, which was also a throwback to earlier times. On the northern wall of the pyramid, he built a moat, which now contains the remainder of the vestibule. Here Valloggia found copper ax blade in one part of the deposit base was buried there when he began building the pyramid. Generally follow the corridor north-south axis, which led to the area that probably contained two rooms, a waiting room and the burial chamber. Petrie, in his research, he found part of what was with that part of the coffin of pink granite in this area.
On the east side of the pyramid inside of the wall is a trench that because of its form in the form of a boat, it was originally a boat real solar energy. However, there is still a ship here. Rather than fragments of approximately 120 of the sculptures, mostly representing Kjedefre sitting on his throne, was discovered.
More or less than three heads were found in full, including the one in the Louvre Museum in Paris and one in the Museum of Egyptian Antiquities in Cairo. Deliberately destroyed the statues, it seems. This can be done by Khafre, and his half-brother and successor, which may lead to the death of Djedefre perhaps in revenge. There is a possibility that Djedefre gained the throne after the death of his half-brother, Kauab.


However, this theory has been dropped significantly in recent days. In the opinion of most experts on what appears to be due to the pyramid in a remote area, local residents have been destroyed statues. This theory maintained that the destruction began during the era of the modern state, and became particularly intense during the Romanian and Christianity. At that time, a Coptic monastery was built in the valley close to Karen.
Interestingly, the graves of family Djedefre and senior officials had been found inside the compound, despite the existence of a structure near the south-western corner of the pyramid that could serve as a subsidiary tomb is one of the peers. However, Egyptologists, and Stadelmann Janosi and I think that this is in fact a cult of the pyramid has not been buried. Once again, there will be a need for exploration in the future be the answer to this question.
In the northeast corner of the enclosure interior, workshops, homes and found that apparently was used by the builders of the pyramid. Here, the layers of chips remains of what appear to be stoneyard where he worked blocks of the pyramid.
We must also mention that Petrie found a part of the Statue of diorite with ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics, which represent potential Menkaure. And some Egyptologists believe that this king carried out restoration work on the pyramid.
• Height 60m
• base of 106m
• volume of 131,043 cubic meters. M
• 52 ° Tilt
• A family 4
• Satellite Pyramids (1)
• Queens Pyramids (0)