Faiyum, a welcome Egyptian escape from the bustle of Cairo

The Hawara pyramid of Pharaoh Amenemhet III (born around 1800 BC) is one of several pyramids worth seeing in Egypt’s Faiyum region. — Photos: dpa/Simone A Mayer

You can’t stand upright in the 40m sloped shaft inside the 4,500-year-old Maidum pyramid. The guards and guides stay outside, and the feeling of searching for a secret treasure, like Indiana Jones, grows with every step.

Deep inside the chamber, it is completely quiet. The pyramid was never used for its intended purpose as a burial chamber. Your heart beats faster. Let’s get out of here.