Pyramid of Seilā - Pyramide von Seilā

The Pyramid of Seila (also Pyramid of Sila, Arabic:هرم سيلا‎, Haram Sailā / Sīlā) is a step pyramid of the king Sneferu, the founder of the 4th Dynasty, in the east of the Faiyūmwhich is also called el-Qalʿa, the citadel, by the locals. The pyramid is located 10 kilometers northeast of the name giving it egyptian Village Sīlā / Seilā (Arabic:سيلا‎, Sīlā / Sailā).

background

location

The village of Seilā / Sīlā is located in the east of Faiyūm, about 9 kilometers from the edge of the desert.

The step pyramid of Seilā is located outside the village and the fertile Faiyūm on the highest point of the Gebel er-Rūs (Arabic:جبل الروس), 10 kilometers northeast of the village of Seilā / Sīlā and 9 kilometers southwest of the ancient one Philadelphia. The mountain range originated in the Pliocene approx. 4 million years ago.

Research history

The pyramid was first created in 1889–1890 by a European, the British Egyptologist William Matthew Flinders Petrie (1853–1942) visited and described.^[1] He believed that the monument was a mastaba (bank tomb). This landmark, visible from Hawara, for example, was made of rough stone blocks arranged in layers, measuring 90 feet square and 25 feet high. Its dating to the 12th dynasty turned out to be wrong. But he too had to find out that he was not the first: Treasure hunters had already unsuccessfully tampered with the pyramid and dug a ditch on its north side. Almost ten years later, in 1898, the site was discovered by a German Egyptologist Ludwig Borchardt (1863–1938) who also recognized that this was a pyramid.^[2] Further investigations were carried out by the French doctor and Egyptologist André Pochan (* 1891)^[3] and Jean-Philippe Lauer (1902–2001)^[4] carried out.

In connection with the excavations at the step pyramid of Elephantine the other well-known step pyramids were also used by German archaeologists Günter Dreyer (* 1943) and Werner Kaiser (* 1926) re-examined in April 1979. In 1981 excavations were carried out by the American Egyptologist Leonard Lesko, but they were later discontinued by him.^[5] The void was made by the Egyptian Egyptologist Nabil Swelim closed, who completed the excavations at the pyramid in February / March 1987 and 1988 for Brigham Young University. His results are quite remarkable: he was able to prove a chapel on the north and east side. In the area of ​​the east chapel, two steles, one of them with the name of King Sneferu, and in the north chapel the remains of an alabaster seated statue of Sneferu without inscriptions and a triple sacrificial basin were found. For the time being, this pyramid is the only one of the small step pyramids for which there is written evidence and which can therefore be dated. In 1988 two more statues were found during illegal excavations, which may have come from here (Cairo Museum, entry journal JE 28681 and 28682.23). Apart from a note in the American Research Center in Egypt newsletter in 1987, the results of Swelim's excavations were not published until 2010.

The small step pyramids

The pyramids in Egypt still offer many puzzles. The so-called small step pyramids described below even offer the mystery of their time of origin and their purpose.

The pyramid of Sīlā belongs to a group of seven roughly similar pyramids in the Nile Valley. A presumably eighth was in at the beginning of the 19th century Athribis North-east of Banhā and disappeared today.^[6] The pyramids are located from north to south in Sīlā, Zāwiyat el-Maiyitīn (near the ancient Hebenu), Sinki (near Abydos), Naqada (the ancient Ombos), el-Kula (near the ancient Hierakonpolis), el-Ghenimīya south of Edfu and on Elephantine. It cannot be ruled out that there are other such pyramids that have not yet been discovered or recognized as such. Except for Zāwiyat el-Maiyitīn and Elephantine, all pyramids are on the west side of the Nile. Their orientation follows the course of the Nile.

What these pyramids have in common is that they have a sloping shell-like structure and were mostly built from local limestone blocks (in el-Ghenimīya from sandstone, on Elephantine from granite). They have no chambers or graves in the core structure or below the pyramid. For a long time it was assumed that there were no other buildings outside the pyramids. The pyramid of Sīlā had two chapels, so that there were also cult acts here.

For the shell-like structure of these pyramids, however, there are architectural parallels that a rough one chronological order enable: they are the funerary pyramids of the kings Djoser, Sechemchet (Djoserteni), both in Saqqara, and the first pyramid of Sneferu in Meidūm. This means that the time span can be narrowed down to the middle of the 3rd and the beginning of the 4th dynasty. For a long time, the only text document was a 1.5 meter long cone made of rose granite, which J.E. Gauthier was found in the area of ​​the step pyramid of Elephantine.^[7] He names a palace or administrative seat of the king Huni, the last king of the 3rd dynasty. This inscription led to the fact that for a long time all these step pyramids were assigned to King Huni.^[8] Based on the stela found in Sīlā, this pyramid could be assigned to his successor Sneferu.

But the question of that is much more difficult purpose. To this day there is no answer, only suggestions. In any case, it is Royal Buildings.

Jean-Philippe Lauer suggested that these could be cenotaphs (mock graves) for different queens in their home districts.^[9] Maragioglio and Rinaldi believed that these were marks of holy places from the Horus and Seth myths,^[10] Arnold, there are signs for the primeval hill from which life arose,^[11] and Swelim thought of a sun cult, which he created with his idea of ​​a so-called benben-Steins connected. Also based on the Huni inscription by Elephantine, Dreyer and Kaiser suggested that these could be the symbols of power of the living kings who were in the area of ​​their royal palaces, royal palaces or residences. Even if its use as a symbol of power seems quite conceivable, there is also criticism for the last theory. Verner politely speaks of an "original interpretation",^[12] I.E.S. Edwards completely doubts her.^[13]

getting there

The village 29.3561130.968891 Sīlā / Seilā(29 ° 21 '22 "N.30 ° 58 ′ 8 ″ E) is quite easy e.g. from Madīnat el-Faiyūm reachable. From here you drive about 8 kilometers eastwards until you come to the Wahbī Canal, which marks almost the eastern end of the Faiyūm. You have to cross the canal. On the one hand, there is the village of ʿIzbat el-Chōgāt (Arabic:عزبة الخوجات). There is one to the east of the village 29.37301131.0471221 Bridge over the canal(29 ° 22 '23 "N.31 ° 2 ′ 50 ″ E). Behind the bridge you drive to the edge of the desert and then continue to the left or north. After about one kilometer you will reach one 29.38307331.0449821 muslim cemetery(29 ° 22 '59 "N.31 ° 2 ′ 42 ″ E). There is a guard house near the cemetery so that further help could be obtained here. The pyramid is located about 900 meters as the crow flies east of the cemetery. The pyramid cannot yet be seen from the cemetery due to the mountains. The distance from the cemetery to the pyramid has to be walked, which takes about half an hour.

There is another bridge about 1.4 kilometers north of ʿIzbat el-Chōgāt 29.38342831.0422032 bridge(29 ° 23 ′ 0 ″ N.31 ° 2 ′ 32 ″ E), which is about 300 meters southeast of the village of ʿIzbat el-Hāgg Ṣadīq Muḥammad Ḥasan (Arabic:عزبة الحاج صديق محمد حسن) Is located. This bridge leads directly to the aforementioned cemetery.

East of the canal there are only dirt roads or slopes. You can continue your journey by taxi to the cemetery if you drive carefully.

It is possible to be accompanied by police officers when visiting sites in Faiyūm.

Tourist Attractions

At the highest point of the ridge Gebel er-Rūs is the 29.3825931.053582 Step pyramid of Sīlā / Seilā(29 ° 22 '57 "N.31 ° 3 ′ 13 ″ E)by the locals too el-Qalʿa, called the Citadel.

The square pyramid was built from local limestone blocks in several sloping bowls on uneven ground, and the joints were filled with a mortar made of clay and sand. At ground level it has an edge length of 30 meters (almost 60 cubits), a step higher of 25 meters (almost 50 cubits). Today the pyramid is still 6.5–6.8 meters. The pyramid once had four steps, and its height was approximately 18 meters (34 cubits). The steps are created by adding several shells from the inside to the outside. The slope of the individual steps or sides is not uniform. On average, the angle of inclination is 14 ° (angle of slope 76 °), but varies between 11 ° and 20 °. The stones were arranged horizontally, only the facing stones were laid tilted.

The axis of the pyramid is roughly aligned in a north-south direction. It deviates about 20 ° to the west.

On the north side you can clearly see the moat used by treasure huts. In the run-up there was once a chapel. There was also a chapel on the following east side. A stele found here in 1987 bore the name of Snofrus, the first king of the 4th dynasty. The pyramid has neither chambers in the core structure nor underground passages and rooms.

From the pyramid you have one terrific view in all directions, especially to the pyramids in the area of ​​Faiyūm and Meidūm as well as into Faiyūm itself.

Along the way to the pyramid you pass different ones Rock tombs from Roman and Coptic times. In some graves there are still the remains of clay coffins.

kitchen

accommodation

There are hotels on the southern edge of the Qārūn Lake and in Madīnat el-Faiyūm.

trips

The excursion to the pyramid of Sīlā / Seilā can be combined with that of the pyramids of el-Lāhūn and Hawara and other sites in the east of Faiyūm.

literature

• Small step pyramids
  • Dreyer, Günter; Kaiser, Werner: To the small step pyramids of Upper and Central Egypt. In:Communications from the German Archaeological Institute, Cairo Department (MDAIK), ISSN0342-1279, Vol.36 (1980), Pp. 43–59, panels 68–77, in particular pp. 49 f., Panel 77.
  • Ćwiek, Andrzej: Date and Function of the so-called Minor Step Pyramids. In:Göttinger Miscellen: Contributions to the Egyptological discussion (GM), ISSN0344-385X, Vol.162 (1998), Pp. 39-52.
  • Bock, Jan: The small step pyramids of the early Old Kingdom. In:Sokar: the world of the pyramids, ISSN1438-7956, Vol.7,12 (2006), Pp. 20-29.
  • Verner, Miroslav: The pyramids. Reinbek near Hamburg: Rowohlt Taschenbuch Verl., 1999, rororo; 60890, ISBN 978-3-499-60890-2 , Pp. 196-201, especially p. 196.

• Pyramid of Sila / Seila
  • Stadelmann, Rainer: Sneferu - Builder and Unique Creator of the Pyramids of Seila and Meidum. In:Aguizy, Ola el-; Ali, Mohamed Sherif (Ed.): Echoes of eternity: studies presented to Gaballa Aly Gaballa. Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz, 2010, Philippica; 35, ISBN 978-3-447-06215-2 , Pp. 31-38.
  • Swelim, Nabil: Reconstruction of the Layer Monument of Snfrw at Seila. In:Aguizy, Ola el-; Ali, Mohamed Sherif (Ed.): Echoes of eternity: studies presented to Gaballa Aly Gaballa. Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz, 2010, Philippica; 35, ISBN 978-3-447-06215-2 , Pp. 39-56; PDF. File size 1.6 MB.
  • Swelim, Nabil: Seila: minor step pyramids or archaic benbens, PDF online publication, file size 2.2 MB, accessed on December 18, 2011.

Individual evidence