King Sneferu may have built the Seila pyramid! Located south of Kafr El-Ham in Egypt's Fayum region. A step pyramid (possibly converted to a true pyramid) on a natural mound — base measured around 30 m per side, reduced to 25 m today due to missing stone. No internal chambers discovered. Artifacts found at the site suggest Sneferu-era attribution. First discovered by Flinders Petrie in 1889/1890 and revisited in 1898 by Ludwig Borchardt.
Pyramid of Senusret I: Sneferu's fourth pyramid discovered in Fayum region
EgyptArchitecture
Key facts
- Pyramid of Senusret I is a four-step pyramid built by King Sneferu
- Located south of Kafr El-Ham in Egypt's Fayum region
- Situated approximately 6 miles (10 km) from the Meidum pyramid
- Built on top of a natural mound around 20 m in height
- Base measured around 30 m per side, reduced to 25 m today due to missing stone
- Current height under 7 m, originally 7-8 m high
- Made from local limestone with Nile mud and sand mortar
- First described by Flinders Petrie in 19th century as a mastaba
- Ludwig Borchardt identified it as a step pyramid in 1898 and found inscriptions of King Sneferu
- André Pochan visited in 1937, noting its imposing landscape near Lake Moeris
- Jean-Philippe Lauer conducted first serious study in 1962
- C. Wilfred Griggs led extensive excavations in 1980s
- Pyramid is a solid structure with no internal passages or burial chambers
- Archaeologists found broken statue of King Sneferu and stela bearing pharaoh's name
- No sarcophagus or burial chamber present
- Robbers breached the structure in antiquity but found nothing inside
Sources
Seila Pyramid | Explore Fayoumfayoumegypt.com
The pyramid at Seila (Silah or Sila) is located to the North Eastern part of the Fayoum city. It is sit to the south of Kom el-Hammam on the east of the Fayoum ...
Sneferu: King of the Pyramids - Discovery Educationapp.discoveryeducation.com
Lesser-known than Tut and company, Sneferu gets the credit for making Egypt an international power. He and his sons built the pyramids, the region's most ...
Pyramid of Seila - Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org
The pyramid is located on an outcrop between the Faiyum Oasis and the Nile Valley, about 6 km north of the motorway from Wasta to Faiyum.
Seila Pyramids in Fayoumfayoumtravelguide.com
The remains of builders marks and inscriptions on a limestone stele and an offering table confirm that the pyramid was built by Sneferu's name ...
Seneferu, the World's Greatest Pyramid Builder - Answers in Genesisanswersingenesis.org
Seneferu was the greatest pyramid builder of all time. He must have used some nine million tons of stone to complete his monuments.
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