Egypt welcomes visitors to the Cong Pyramid.

Egyptian Minister of Antiquities Khaled al Anani led a delegation of foreign ambassadors to the Dahshur Royal Cemetery on Saturday (July 13) to inaugurate the Cong Pyramid. Thanks to a restoration project, tourists can now visit the inside of the pyramid, with a 79-meter-long passageway leading to two burial chambers.

The Curved Pyramid, dating back 4,600 years and standing 101 meters tall, is one of three pyramids built for Pharaoh Sneferu around 2600 BC. Located 40 km south of Cairo, Egypt, this unique structure is so named because of its unusual shape with two different angles of inclination. It is believed that the pyramid builders noticed signs of instability during construction and adjusted its angle midway. Later, as the Curved Pyramid began to show signs of wear and tear, the Red Pyramid was built nearby as a royal burial site.

The unusual shape of the Curved Pyramid, however, served as a crucial link in the construction of Egyptian pyramids, bridging the gap between the earlier stepped pyramid architecture and the later straight-sided pyramids, such as the Great Pyramid of Giza.

Thus, for the first time since its excavation in 1965, this unique architectural structure has opened its doors to visitors as part of a plan to boost tourism, especially in less-visited areas.

Hai Anh