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menk98.jpg Copyright (c) 1998 Andrew Bayuk, All Rights Reserved

Guardian's Giza
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menkstat.jpg (10332 bytes) The Pyramid of Menkaure
The 3rd Pyramid of Giza 

The north face with modern steps leading to the entrance

Menkaure       

The pyramid of Menkaure is markedly smaller than the other two main
pyramids of Giza. To set it apart from the others, it's builder tried
to encase the lower portion in granite. The effort was possibly
stopped by the early death of the king. Here is the north face with
its opening into the pyramid:
menkno.jpg Copyright (c) 1997 Andrew Bayuk, All Rights Reserved
mendoor2.jpg Copyright (c) 1997 Andrew Bayuk, All Rights Reserved
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At the end of the steps leading to the opening, there are a few steps
downward into the descending passageway:
mendoor1.jpg Copyright (c) 1997 Andrew Bayuk, All Rights Reserved
mendesc1.jpg Copyright (c) 1997 Andrew Bayuk, All Rights Reserved
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As the descending passageway ends we enter into the first antechamber.
This room is relatively small and there is another opening at the far
end. Both openings are flanked by a carved "palace facade" design, the
first such carved relief seen in any major pyramid since that of
Zoser:
mendesc2.jpg Copyright (c) 1997 Andrew Bayuk, All Rights Reserved
menante1.jpg Copyright (c) 1997 Andrew Bayuk, All Rights Reserved

Two views looking back at the north wall of the antechamber toward the
entrance:

menk98b.jpg Copyright (c) 1998 Andrew Bayuk, All Rights Reserved
menante2.jpg Copyright (c) 1997 Andrew Bayuk, All Rights Reserved

. menk98a.jpg Copyright (c) 1998 Andrew Bayuk, All Rights Reserved

This antechamber is smaller than it appears in this photo since a wide
angle lens was used to see the palace facade design carved into its
walls. The opening at the end of the first antechamber leads to
another passageway. Off of this passageway is the opening into the
next set of chambers.

This next chamber is unique because it offers a view of the top of the
vaulted ceiling of the main burial chamber through a space that you
can look through at the far end. In the first photo you can see the
grating which now covers this vantage point at the far end of the
room. The 2nd view shows the roughly hewn top of the ceiling in the
main chamber below.. You will see the finished bottom of this ceiling
when we enter the main chamber through the short descending passageway
shown in the 3rd picture:

menk98e.jpg Copyright (c) 1998 Andrew Bayuk, All Rights Reserved
menceil1.jpg Copyright (c) 1997 Andrew Bayuk, All Rights Reserved
mendesc3.jpg Copyright (c) 1997 Andrew Bayuk, All Rights Reserved
mencham1.jpg Copyright (c) 1997 Andrew Bayuk, All Rights Reserved

Looking back at the east wall toward the entrance to this chamber:

This descending passageway levels off and to the right, just before
the main burial chamber lies another passageway into a mysterious
chamber, sometimes known as the "cellar". This chamber has six obvious
niches within it:

menk98e.jpg Copyright (c) 1998 Andrew Bayuk, All Rights Reserved

The first picture was taken looking into the chamber from its
entrance, facing northward. This room may have been used to store
treasure or for offerings. Or perhaps the king's family was buried
here, although this would be unusual compared to the layout preceding
pyramids.

menk98g.jpg Copyright (c) 1998 Andrew Bayuk, All Rights Reserved

This view was taken from the north end of the chamber looking south
back toward the entrance to the chamber. Walking back out of this
chamber and taking a right into the passageway leads to the final
burial chamber.

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Down the passageway from the previous chamber leads to the main burial
chamber. Notice the finely finished interior of the vaulted ceiling
that we saw from above in an earlier chamber. The niche in the floor
housed the original sarcophagus. This sarcophagus was removed from the
pyramid and shipped on a boat to England. The boat sank on the way,
and the sarcophagus of Menkaure has not been seen since:
menk98c.jpg Copyright (c) 1998 Andrew Bayuk, All Rights Reserved
menking3.jpg Copyright (c) 1997 Andrew Bayuk, All Rights Reserved
menk98d.jpg Copyright (c) 1998 Andrew Bayuk, All Rights Reserved

The last picture was taken looking back east toward the entrance on
the far left.
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Copyright © 1997-2001 Andrew Bayuk
All Rights Reserved 
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