Dahshur
دهشور
The Bent Pyramid and Red Pyramid built by Pharaoh Sneferu, a key transition from the Step Pyramid to true pyramids. The site is quiet and visitors can enter.
Dahshur lies in the desert about 10 km south of Saqqara. Its two main monuments both belong to the 4th-dynasty pharaoh Sneferu, father of Khufu. The Bent Pyramid changes its angle partway up, so it is steep at the top and gentler at the bottom. Its outer limestone casing survives better than that of the Giza pyramids. The Red Pyramid, about 105 m high, was the world's first successful smooth-sided pyramid. You can climb steps on its north face to the entrance, then stoop down about 60 m into the corbelled-vault burial chamber, where the air has a strong smell of ammonia. Admission is about EGP 200–300, and it is open roughly 08:00–17:00. The site is open and quiet, with none of the crowds of touts found at Giza. You need to hire a car to get there, and it is often combined with Saqqara and Memphis.
Opening hours
About 08:00–17:00
Nearby sights
- Saqqara / Pyramid of Djoser
- Memphis Open Air Museum
- Giza Pyramids & Great Sphinx
- Coptic Cairo / Hanging Church
- Mosque of Amr ibn al-As
- National Museum of Egyptian Civilization
- Grand Egyptian Museum
- Manial Palace