Egypt Opens Bent Pyramid to

Tourists
July 16, 2019
7 Advanced Culture & Entertainment Middle East & Africa

Exercise 1

Vocabulary
antiquity /ænˈtɪkwɪtiː/
Noun an object or building that was made a very long time ago

He's a collector of Roman antiquities.

necropolis /nəˈkrɑːpəlɪs/
Noun a large, designed cemetery with detailed tomb
monuments

Archaeologists discovered several artifacts to the

west of the necropolis.

pharaoh /ˈferoʊ/ a king in ancient Egypt

Noun
These ruins date back to the time of the pharaohs.
transition /trænˈzɪʃən/
Noun the process or period of changing from one situation,
condition, etc. to another

The seasons are always in transition.

Getting a new job was one of the biggest
transitions in my life.

fall /fɔːl/ to be defeated or lose power or control

Verb
The government fell shortly after the war began.
artifact /ˈɑːrtəˌfækt/
Noun an object that was made a very long time ago

Archaeologists have recovered many artifacts.

Exercise 2

Article
Egypt Opens Bent Pyramid to Tourists

On July 13, Egypt opened two of its oldest pyramids to visitors for the
first time since 1965.

Antiquities Minister Khaled el-Anany said that tourists are now

allowed to visit the Bent Pyramid and its small "side pyramid" in
Dahshur, about 40 kilometers south of Cairo. The pyramids are part
of the Memphis Necropolis, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The Bent Pyramid was built around 2600 BC for Pharaoh Sneferu.
Unlike later pyramids, which have straight sides, the bottom of the
Bent Pyramid was built at a 54 degree angle, and the top is a flatter
43 degree angle. The shape was changed because of problems
discovered while it was being built.

El-Anany said the Bent Pyramid represents a transition between the

Djoser Step Pyramid, which was built between 2667 and 2648 BC, and
the Meidum Pyramid, the first pyramid with straight sides, which was
built around the same time as the Bent Pyramid.

Fewer people have been visiting Egypt since the government of Hosni
Mubarak fell in 2011, and the current government is now working
hard to increase tourist numbers.

In 2020, a new museum near Cairo is expected to open with 50,000

artifacts from the time of the pharaohs, including the famous mask of
the pharaoh Tutankhamun. The museum has taken more than 10
years to build and has cost over $1 billion.
 The Step Pyramid of King Djoser

Exercise 3

Discussion
1. What are your thoughts on the reopening of the Bent Pyramid to
tourists?

2. Have you been to Egypt? If so, please share your experience. If not,
would you like to?

3. What ancient artifacts, sites, or buildings do you hope to see in person

someday? Why?

4. If you could travel back in time, what periods would you visit? Why?

5. Is your country home to many ancient buildings or sites? If so, are

they popular with tourists?
Exercise 4

Further Discussion
1. Have you visited many of your country's historic sites? If so, which
ones? If not, do you plan to?

2. What period of your country's history do you find most interesting?

Why?

3. What museums in your country would you recommend? Why?

4. What's the most interesting museum exhibit you've seen? Please

share your experience.

5. If you were offered a job in a museum, would you take it? Why? Why
not?

Exercise 5

Quotes
1. You can learn more from a museum than you can from a hundred
books. – Unknown. What do you make of this statement?

2. I think every child dreams of becoming an archaeologist at some

point. – Unknown. What do you make of this statement?

Source
This lesson is based on articles by the Associated Press.

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