Since the Pyramids are accepted as the integral part of the Egyptian civilization, the visitors expect to see a number of small and huge Pyramids scattered all over the country. The Pyramids in Egypt are considered to be the huge source of information about the past of the country. The Pyramid at Meidum is among the well known Egyptian Pyramids which has stood the test of time and has been able to retain much of its form.
The Meidum Pyramid is noted as Step Pyramid which has a height of 65 meters and a base of 144 meters. The Pyramid at Meidum is located about 100km south of modern Cairo. This large pyramid is surrounded by several large mud-brick mastabas. The pyramid at Meidum is believed to have been built for Huni, the last pharaoh king of the Third Dynasty. Historical information suggests that Sneferu turned this step pyramid into a true pyramid and filled in the steps with limestone encasing.
The Pyramid at Meidum was built at frequent intervals. Although it was a seven-step pyramid in the beginning, an additional step was added at a later stage. The Pyramid has acquired the title of the ‘collapsed pyramid’ as it appears to have collapsed during the New Kingdom. After its collapse, the core of the Pyramid was exposed and it earned the name of el-haram el-kaddab which means ‘False Pyramid’ in Arabic. Much before the Napoleon's expedition in 1799 the Pyramid was brought down to its present 3 steps from its five-stepped mountain shape in the 15th century.
As the Pyramids in Egypt are known as the major attractions of the historians and archaeologists, the Pyramid of Meidum was also excavated by John Shae Perring, Lepsius and Flinders Petrie. If you pay a visit to this place, you will find the Pyramid has come down to a minimal height, with the entrance 20m meters above the present ground level.
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