TRAVEL   EGYPT   TOURS 

 

Red and Bent Pyramyd of Dahshur

 

Dahshur is located on the West Bank of the Nile, south of Saqqara.

 

The Bent Pyramid and Red Pyramid are built by Pharaoh Snefru (2620 - 2547 BC), father of Khufu, son of Huni

 

The nearby Red Pyramid, which was built immediately after, has a 43° angle throughout.In addition to its odd angles, the Bent Pyramid is also unusual in that it has two entrances: as well as the typical north-face entrance it has a west entrance, visible just above the "bend."

 

The Bent Pyramid has a small satellite pyramid of unknown purpose immediately to its south, and an early form of offering temple on its eastern side.The Red Pyramid is the northernmost, and later, of Snefru's two pyramids at Dahshur. Considered the first true pyramid in Egypt, its gentle 43° slope is the same as the final slope of the Bent Pyramid – after their earlier problems with the Bent Pyramid, the builders were taking no chances with this one.

 

Ancient graffiti indicates it took ten years and seven months to build.Snefru, one of the greatest kings of Egypt, was the founder of the 4th Dynasty who built Egypt up into an international power and consolidated the art and architectural style of the Old Kingdom (examples: Portrait Statue of Ra-Hotep, Medum Geese.) He is the father of Khufu (Cheops), who built the Great Pyramid at Giza.

 

The name "Red Pyramid," like other pyramid names that are used in guidebooks today, is a modern convenience for identification purposes only - it has no historical significance.

 

The Red Pyramid was not always red. It used to be cased with white Tura limestone, but only a few of these stones now remain at the pyramid's base, at the corner. During the Middle Ages much of the white Tura limestone was taken for buildings in Cairo, revealing the durable reddish granite stone beneath.

 

Meidum Pyramid

 

The pyramid at Meidum is thought to have been originally built for Huni, the last pharaoh of the Third Dynasty, and was continued by Sneferu. The architect was a successor to the famous Imhotep, the inventor of the stone built pyramid. He modified Imhotep's pyramid design in a way, which is likely to have caused the collapse of the pyramid in conjunction with the decision to extend the construction plan two times in a row, while the pyramid was already under construction. Because of its unusual appearance, the pyramid is called el-heram el-kaddaab — (Pseudo Pyramid) in Egyptian Arabic.