The ancient wonders of Egypt have always captivated the imaginations of historians, archaeologists, and adventurers alike. In the grand tapestry of Egypt’s ancient wonders, the Pyramids of Zawyet El-Aryan stand as a testament to the ambition and ingenuity of the ancient Egyptians.
The Pyramids of Zawyet El-Aryan are a lesser-known yet captivating part of Egypt’s ancient architectural heritage, located in the northern part of the country, between Giza and Abusir. Zawyet El Aryan (زاویة العریان) is a town in the Giza Governorate of Egypt, located between Giza and Abusir. Almost directly east across the Nile is Memphis. The town of Zawyet el Aryan near Giza in north-eastern Egypt contains the remains of two relatively obscure Egyptian pyramids, known as the Layer Pyramid and the Unfinished Pyramid.
Unfortunately, since 1964 much of the site at Zawyet el Aryan has been restricted due to a nearby military base. The necropolis has been completely built over by military housing and the Unfinished Pyramid has allegedly been used as a rubbish dump.
Although Zawyet el Aryan is not an easy place to get to, some bespoke tour operators may offer guided visits. Only an 18 minute drive from the Great Pyramid of Giza, the Zawyet el Aryan Pyramids are a half hour drive out of Giza via the ring road and Route 75M.
The Layer Pyramid
The Layer Pyramid is generally attributed to the Pharaoh Khaba while the Unfinished Pyramid is more of a mystery. The Layer Pyramid was built in the Third Dynasty, probably during the reign of Khaba. The Layer Pyramid, believed to have been constructed during the reign of Pharaoh Khaba in the Third Dynasty, dates back to approximately 2670 BC. It was meant to be a step pyramid of possibly five to seven steps.
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While its core remains largely unexplored, the surrounding area boasts large mastabas, which are believed to have served as dwellings for high-ranking officials. The site was excavated in the early 20th century, and archaeologists found several large Mastabas nearby which would have been dwellings for high officials.
No casing stones have been found, suggesting that the pyramid was never finished. The layout of the underground chambers resembles that of the Buried Pyramid.
The area of Zawyet El Aryan is surrounded by a total of five cemeteries dating to the 1st Dynasty, 2nd Dynasty, late 3rd Dynasty, 18th Dynasty and Roman Period. Of these cemeteries, only the one dating to the late 3rd Dynasty contains large tombs, of which are four mudbrick mastabas.
Reisner and Fisher observed that this is to be expected of the necropolis surrounding the pyramid of a pharaoh, the large tombs being those of the royal family and court officials. In particular, around 200 metres (660 ft) north of the Layer Pyramid is a huge mastaba, today known as "Mastaba Z500", which yielded eight marble bowls inscribed with the serekh of king Khaba.
Reisner and Fisher therefore conclude that "if the mastabas belong to people connected with the king who built the pyramid, it is probable that the king’s name was Khaba".
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The Unfinished Northern Pyramid
The Unfinished Northern Pyramid, sometimes referred to as the Pyramid of Baka or Bikheris, is a testament to the remarkable architectural prowess of the Old Kingdom period. The Unfinished Northern Pyramid of Zawyet El Aryan, also known as Pyramid of Baka, Pyramid of Bakare and Pyramid of Bikheris is the term archaeologists and Egyptologists use to describe a large shaft part of an unfinished pyramid at Zawyet El Aryan in Egypt.
Archaeologists and Egyptologists suggest that this pyramid, a colossal structure, belongs to the early or mid-4th Dynasty, dating from 2613-2494 BC. Archaeologists are generally of the opinion that it belongs to the early or the mid-4th Dynasty (2613-2494 BC) during the Old Kingdom period. Yet the identity of its builder remains a subject of debate among scholars.
The most notable monument in Zawyet El-Aryan is the Unfinished Pyramid, which is believed to date back to the Fourth Dynasty, around the time of Pharaoh Khufu or slightly later. The Unfinished Pyramid was built by an unknown king during the Fourth Dynasty or ‘Golden Age’, the inscription illegible. This unfinished pyramid belongs to a king with an illegible name and comprises little more than a massive descendry. All that stands now is a square base on which the core of the pyramid would have been constructed.
Next to nothing is known about the superstructure of the pyramid as indeed only the square base, made of natural bedrock, was finished. It measures 200 m × 200 m (660 ft × 660 ft) and shows traces of a surrounding pedestal, preserved for the limestone covering. The exact planned size and slope cannot be evaluated because no covering blocks nor any pyramidion were ever found and pyramid pedestals were always larger than the base of the pyramid itself.
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The base of the pyramid, along with the trench surrounding it and the descending corridor leading into the subterranean chamber, are the main features that can be observed today.
A pink granite sarcophagus was found in a trench which cuts through the structure, although it may date to a later time period. The existence of underground chambers has been suspected, but excavations have not been possible as the structure is now part of a military restricted zone.
Since 1960, much of the area near Zawyet El Aryan has been restricted for use as a military base. Access to the pyramids has been restricted since 1964. No excavations are allowed, the original necropolis is overbuilt with military bungalows, and the shaft of the Unfinished Pyramid has allegedly been misused as a trash dump.
Unlike the pyramids of Khefren and Kheops, the burial chamber of this pyramid was constructed in a pit that was dug some 21 metres deep in the ground. The pyramid itself was intended to measure about 200 by 200 metres. Had it been finished, it would risen almost as high as Khefren’s pyramid in Giza.
Research History
The first descriptions of the monument were made between 1842 and 1846 by the German egyptologist Karl Richard Lepsius. The Unfinished Pyramid of Zawyet El-Aryan first garnered attention in the mid-19th century when German Egyptologist Karl Richard Lepsius documented it as "Pyramid XIII."
The pyramid shaft was examined more closely in 1904-1905 by the Italian archaeologist Alessandro Barsanti. Subsequent explorations by Italian archaeologist Alessandro Barsanti in the early 20th century uncovered the monumental scale of this structure, leaving an indelible impression on Egyptologists like Gaston Maspero. Barsanti undertook further work on the site in 1911-1912 but the First World War brought all excavations to a halt and Barsanti died in 1917.
Gaston Maspero, then director-general of the Supreme Council of Antiquities of Egypt, visited Barsanti's excavations and was struck by the monumental size of the construction.
Unfortunately, World War I and Barsanti's untimely death in 1917 halted further excavations, consigning the pyramid to obscurity until 1954. As a consequence, nothing happened on the site until 1954 when a set was needed for the epic film Land of the Pharaohs. It was then that the pyramid's striking landscape was chosen as a backdrop for the film "Land of the Pharaohs," prompting the clearance of sand and rubble that had concealed the site.
The landscape of Zawyet El Aryan seemed to be the perfect place and the pyramid of Baka was chosen as a backdrop for the movie.
Superstructure and Substructure
The knowledge surrounding the superstructure of this pyramid remains exceptionally limited. Only the square base, hewn from natural bedrock, has been completed, measuring an impressive 200 meters by 200 meters (660 feet by 660 feet). There are faint remnants suggesting the presence of a surrounding pedestal, likely intended to support a limestone covering. Unfortunately, the exact dimensions and planned slope of the pyramid remain elusive due to the absence of covering blocks or the pyramidion, and it is worth noting that pyramid pedestals were consistently larger than the pyramid's base itself.
The substructure of the pyramid, on the other hand, presents a more detailed picture. It comprises a T-shaped shaft, with the corridor oriented from south to north and the chamber extending from east to west. Intriguingly, the entire shaft lacks any remaining ceiling, raising the possibility that it was never roofed.
A steep stairway descends to the chamber, yet midway along its length, it encounters a horizontal surface of unknown purpose. The walls of the shaft are remarkably smooth but have never been adorned with stones, and regrettably, the chamber itself was left incomplete. Only the chamber's floor was fully realized and paved with massive granite blocks, each measuring 4.5 meters (15 feet) in length, 2.5 meters (8.2 feet) in thickness, and weighing up to an astonishing 9 tons each.
Within close proximity to the western extremity of the chamber, an unusual vat was unearthed. Sporting an oval shape, it was embedded into one of the stone blocks constituting the chamber's floor. The intriguing aspect is that this vat appears to have been brought into the chamber during the foundation's construction, as its dimensions render it impossible to pass through the passageway leading to the chamber.
The vat is 3.15 m (10.3 ft) long, 2.22 m (7.3 ft) broad and 1.5 m (4.9 ft) deep. The presence of an intact oval lid suggests that the vat was sealed at some point. According to Barsanti, small traces of a substance were found inside the vat, but unfortunately they were never examined closer and today they are lost.
The alignment of the pyramid complex, intriguingly, bears a striking resemblance to that of the pyramid of Djedefre. It encompasses a vast enclosure wall measuring 465 meters by 420 meters (1,526 feet by 1,378 feet), within which one would expect to find a mortuary temple. However, the absence of any progress beyond the initial layer of the pyramid's construction has resulted in the surrounding complex remaining equally unfinished.
Dating the Pyramid
Egyptologists and historians continue to debate the dating of the pyramid of Baka. They point to several graffiti made of black and red ink, which were found in the chamber and in the descending stairway. Alessandro Barsanti recorded at least 67 inscriptions. They record the names of different workmen crews as well as the name of the planned pyramid complex: Seba ?-Ka, meaning "The Star of ?-Ka".
The workmen crew whose name appears most often - thus being the leading crew during the building works - was Wer-ef-seba ?-Ka, meaning "Great Like the Star of (King) ?-Ka". Inscription No.35 gives the name Neferka-Nefer (meaning "His Beautiful Ka is Flawless"), but otherwise lacks any reference to known people from the 4th Dynasty. Graffiti No.15 and No.52 also mention an interesting royal name: Nebkarâ, meaning "Lord of the Ka of Râ". It is unknown if this is actually the name of a yet unknown king or that of a prince.
A further inscription, No.55, mentions a possible Gold name: Neb hedjet-nwb, meaning "Lord of the Golden Crown". Some egyptologists propose that this is either the Horus name of king Huni or the Gold name of king Nebka.
The main problem is the correct reading of the cartouche name found within at least six ink inscriptions. Whilst the lower and therefore second hieroglyphic sign is certainly a Ka-symbol, the first sign is illegible.
Jürgen von Beckerath and George Reisner instead think that the pyramid was planned as the tomb for a well attested prince of the 4th Dynasty named Baka, a son of king Djedefre. Baka's name is written with the hieroglyphs of a ram together with the Ka-symbol. Beckerath assumes that Baka changed his name into Bakarê ("Soul and Ka of Râ") when he ascended the throne but then died unexpectedly, leaving nothing more than an unfinished tomb shaft. Thus, Beckerath and Reisner read the mysterious name at Zawyet El Aryan as Ba-Ka ("His Ka is his Ba").
Aidan Dodson instead sees a sitting Seth-animal and therefore reads the name found in the pyramid as Seth-Ka ("Seth is my Ka"). He believes that the pyramid was planned as the tomb of prince Setka, another son of king Djedefre. Dodson doubts the reading "Baka" and wonders why the cartouche name at Zawyet El Aryan contains no sun-hieroglyph when it was meant to be addressed to the sun god.
Either way, both theories, if correct, would place the pyramid of Baka firmly in the 4th Dynasty. Supporting this datation, von Beckerath, Reisner and Dodson point to the architectural features of the burial shaft, in particular the use of hewn granite blocks for bases in such sizes occurs no earlier than the reign of Khufu. Additionally, according to Barsanti, fragments of a similar oval sarcophagus were found in the ruins of the pyramid of Djedefre.
Kurt Sethe, Nabil Swelim and Wolfgang Helck contradict the former arguments and date the shaft to the late 3rd Dynasty. They point out that, in general, the use of hewn granite as a floor covering in royal tombs was a tradition since the reign of king Khasekhemwy, the last pharaoh of 2nd Dynasty.
Furthermore, the tradition of building shaft-like tombs beneath a pyramid was a tradition of the 3rd Dynasty, not of the 4th Dynasty. The alignment of the pyramid complex on a South to North axis was also a common during the 3rd Dynasty.
Additionally, W. Helck and Eberhard Otto point out, that the design similarities between the pyramid of Baka and that of Djedefre might be striking, but the design of Djedefre's pyramid was atypical for the 4th Dynasty anyway. Thus, to use Djedefre's tomb design as a comparison argument cannot confirm a 4th Dynasty datation.
Military Restriction and Modern Investigation
Since 1964, the Unfinished Pyramid of Zawyet El-Aryan has been within a restricted military zone, prohibiting further excavations and leading to the unfortunate overbuilding of the surrounding necropolis with military structures. The shaft has even been misused as a local dump, casting uncertainty on its present condition.
The site's accessibility took a dramatic turn in the mid-1960s when the Egyptian military seized control of the area, establishing a restricted military zone that has blocked all modern excavations and public tours for nearly six decades. Since 1964, no archaeological work has been permitted at Zawyet El Aryan, leaving Barsanti's century-old photographs as the sole detailed record of what lies beneath.
The military installation has since expanded, with barracks and facilities built directly over parts of the original necropolis. The restricted status of Zawyet El Aryan has turned it into one of Egypt's most tantalizing archaeological mysteries. Unlike the nearby Giza Pyramids, which receive millions of visitors annually, this site remains completely inaccessible to researchers and the public alike.
The military lockdown has effectively frozen the site in time, preventing any modern scientific investigation that could employ ground-penetrating radar, advanced dating techniques, or detailed structural analysis that might finally reveal its true purpose.
Whether Zawyet El Aryan represents an abandoned pyramid project, an experimental structure, or something else entirely remains unknown. The site's enigmatic features continue to fuel speculation and debate. Without access for modern archaeological investigation, the early 20th-century photographs remain our only window into this forbidden underground complex, earning it the designation as Egypt's very own Area 51.
The Zawyet El-Aryan Pyramids, particularly the enigmatic Unfinished Northern Pyramid, continue to baffle historians and archaeologists alike.
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