‘It’s claustrophobic and if the power goes out, you’re in the dark!’ Travellers film mesmerising journey through VERY narrow tunnels into the heart of an Egyptian pyramid. Some visitors are too scared to go inside.
Claustrophobic? You might want to look away now.
A traveller has filmed a mesmerising journey into the heart of an Egyptian pyramid, in a space so tight it would make even Lara Croft feel a little nervous.
In a video On TikTok, Sam Mayfair revealed the inside of the Bent Pyramid, located in the royal necropolis of Dahshur, south of Cairo, to his 730,000 followers.
The 40-year-old Egyptology enthusiast, who has explored “almost all the accessible pyramids,” described the Bent Pyramid as “one of his favorites” and said it is definitely worth a visit.
But he explains that some people are too scared to even try, telling MailOnline Travel that some visitors ‘refused to go in at all when they saw the first shaft down’.
In a video posted to TikTok, Sam Mayfair revealed the inside of the Bent Pyramid (above), located in the royal necropolis of Dahshur, south of Cairo, to his 730,000 followers
Sam (pictured) described the Bent Pyramid as ‘one of his favourites’ and said it was worth a visit. He said some people are too scared to try it and told MailOnline Travel that some visitors ‘flat out refused to go in when they saw the first shaft’
In the video, titled “Everything You Need to Know About Entering a Pyramid,” Sam films himself climbing a wooden staircase to a small shaft leading into the pyramid.
This, he says, is “where the adventure begins.”
Sam reveals a ‘steep’ staircase which he says goes 85 metres (278 feet) into the ground. The traveller, who is 6ft 2in, says the shaft is only 1.5 metres (4.9 feet) high and ‘so small you have to crawl through it’.
Sam says, “I’ve been walking through this tunnel for so long I thought I’d never get out.”
Eventually he reached the bottom – ‘only to have to brave more steps’. After a 10-metre climb, Sam discovered the first chamber of the pyramid, which he described as ‘amazing’.
Then he climbs a few more stairs and finds a small tunnel, which he crawls through on his hands and knees.
In the video, Sam shows a “steep” staircase that he said goes 85 meters (278 feet) into the ground (pictured)
Sam, who is 6ft 2in, says the shaft is only 1.5 metres (4.9 feet) high and ‘so small you have to crawl through it’. He adds: ‘I spent so long in this tunnel I thought I would never get out’
In the video, Sam explores the first chamber of the pyramid (pictured left), which he describes as “amazing.” The second chamber (pictured right) he describes as “really impressive.”
He says, ‘At this point, I guarantee you, you’re going to be incredibly sweaty and tired and you’re going to barely be able to breathe.’
After maneuvering through a series of tunnels, Sam discovers the second chamber of the pyramid.
He says: ‘Although the chamber is very impressive, you are overwhelmed by the smell of ammonia.’ He attributes this urine smell to animals that lived in the pyramid in the past.
Sam takes the same route back and says he has to lie on his butt to get out.
Along the way he discovers a ‘huge’ stone resting on a wooden plank. According to him this is ‘the only thing that prevents the stone from falling over and you getting locked in the pyramid’.
Sam told MailOnline Travel: ‘The Bent Pyramid is probably one of the most difficult and claustrophobic. It’s physically very demanding to get inside.’
He added that the tight spaces are “difficult” to navigate. He said: “If someone is coming the other way, you just have to squeeze past each other. One of you stops and the other goes through.”
Sam says in his video: ‘Eventually you succeed and that gives you a huge sense of satisfaction.’
Sam reveals there are no fire exits and says it’s ‘probably not’ okay for people with claustrophobia to go inside
Sam takes the same route back and says he has to ‘slide on his backside’ to get out. He discovers a ‘giant’ stone supported by a plank of wood (pictured right)
After completing the pyramid, Sam says, “You feel a great sense of accomplishment.”
He points out that there are no emergency exits and says it is “probably not” safe for people with claustrophobia to go inside.
Even inside, it’s dimly lit. And what happens if the power goes out? Sam tells his followers, “You’re in the dark.”
Are there any dangers when exploring the pyramids? Sam said: ‘There is always danger when exploring an ancient structure, especially one as old as a pyramid, but for me it’s all part of the journey into the unknown.’
For those who find it daunting to enter the pyramids, Sam said a “good starting pyramid that is very easy to explore” is the Step Pyramid of Djoser in the Saqqara necropolis, southwest of Cairo.
He said the Pyramid of Teti, which is also part of the Saqqara necropolis, is ideal for people who want to “challenge” themselves.
When asked if he would recommend exploring the pyramids to others, Sam replied: ‘It’s not for everyone, but what an experience it is when you do!’
To see more of Sam, follow him on TikTok at www.tiktok.com/@sam.mayfairor follow his Instagram account on www.instagram.com/sam.mayfair/?hl=en-gb.