Egypt opening Bent Pyramid to tourists

PanARMENIAN.Net - The pyramids of Egypt have long attracted visitors intrigued by their ancient history, and now travelers have the opportunity to visit a distinctive structure just south of Cairo, CNN says.

Minister of Antiquities Khaled al Anani led a party of foreign ambassadors to the Dahshur Necropolis to inaugurate the so-called Bent Pyramid, according to state media agency Al Ahram.

Tourists will be able to get inside the pyramid for the first time since 1965 thanks to a restoration project, with a 79-meter-long (260-foot) passageway leading to two burial chambers, Reuters reported.

The 4,600-year-old pyramid, which sits 25 miles south of the Egyptian capital Cairo, gets its name from its unusual shape, with two different angles of inclination.

The 101-meter-high (331 foot) structure was built for Pharaoh Senefru -- also known as Sneferu or Snefru -- around 2,600 BCE, and is a prime example of early pyramid development.

Builders noticed signs of instability during construction and changed the angle of the pyramid part-way through the project, leaving it with a distinctive shape.

The Bent Pyramid later started to show wear and tear, so another structure -- the Red Pyramid -- was built nearby as a royal burial site, according to state media.