Chimney's two slabs seen as construction fittings, not true portcullises

October 13, 2026EgyptArchitectureShare

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Key facts

• The upper chamber has a genuine, highly detailed double portcullis, whereas the two simple slabs in the chimney lack any locking mechanism
• The video argues the chimney slabs functioned as work platforms at various levels and at minimum closed off the pit against sand and debris between building seasons
• The lower chamber's northern entrance carried no portcullis and was advertised by an oversized architrave, while the plug stone concealing the upper chamber entrance was not removed until the 20th century
• Two stones meeting at the top of the chimney show a central seam; the video says only physical testing or radar survey can determine whether they are movable and whether a void lies beyond
• The upper chamber needed no chimney because it was built above ground level, allowing beams to be withdrawn before the horizontal passage was roofed over
• The Bent Pyramid lower chamber stands about 17 m (56 ft) high, while the next tallest corbeled chamber, the third chamber of the Red Pyramid, is about 15 m (50 ft) and corbels only on its long sides

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