Dahshur
The pyramid field of Dahshur lies about 10 km south of Saqqara. The pyramids here include the famed Bent and Red Pyramids built by the 4th Dynasty king Senefru (father of Khufu, builder of the Great Pyramid), as well as the “White Pyramid” of Amenemhat II, the pyramid of Senwosret II, and the “Black Pyramid,” built for Amenemhet III.
The Bent Pyramid is the second of Sneferu’s three major pyramids. Originally designed to rise at the angle of 52°, this was decreased to 43.5° partway up, and a girdle was built around the base, apparently because the foundations were unstable and the angle too steep for safety. The Red Pyramid, Seneferu’s third funerary monument, is the first successful true (straight-sided) pyramid ever built.
A number of undisturbed burials of Middle Kingdom queens and princesses were found in the vicinity of the pyramids of the 12th Dynasty here. Most of this can now be seen in the Egyptian Museum, Cairo, along with the pyramidion from the pyramid of Amenemhat III.
