Comments on the Reconstruction

Why choose the Labyrinth?

Ancient writers rated the Labyrinth as the most impressive monument in Egypt, greater even than the Great Pyramid. Today it has vanished‚ and its original appearance is open for speculation.

This makes it an ideal subject for reconstruction by computer: web delivery allows quick links to the existing evidence and recent research, as well as the facility for adding future excavation and research results. Future work may completely overturn our present ideas about this lost architectural masterpiece.

Why the Second Reconstruction?

1. The shape of the building is based on the research of Arnold (1979) who also assumed that the building is in the tradition of the Djoser complex in Saqqara.
2. The big open court has its parallels in the open court of the Djoser complex.
3. The twelve open courts are described by Herodotus.
4. The five chapels are common for pyramid complexes in the Old and the Middle Kingdom.
5. Traces of the chapel to the north of the pyramid were still visible in the 19th century.
6. The chapel to the east of the pyramid is reconstructed on parallels.

Statues of Amenemhat III, most probably from Hawara.

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