Red Pyramid

The Red Pyramid at Dahshur is an ancient Egyptian pyramid built during the reign of Pharaoh Sneferu in the Fourth Dynasty, dating to around the 26th century BCE. It is notable as one of the earliest successful true smooth-sided pyramids and is part of the Dahshur pyramid field.

The monument has a broad base and originally rose to a height of about 100 metres, making it one of the larger pyramids of the early Old Kingdom. The interior contains passageways and a burial chamber with a large granite sarcophagus that visitors can access on site.

Constructed by Sneferu as part of his funerary program, the Red Pyramid followed experiments in pyramid design exemplified by the adjoining Bent Pyramid; together these monuments record the development of Egyptian pyramid engineering. The site has been visited and investigated by archaeologists since the 19th century and remains an important piece of Old Kingdom architecture.

The Red Pyramid sits at the Dahshur necropolis on the west bank of the Nile, roughly 40 kilometres south of central Cairo in Egypt’s Giza Governorate.

• Architectural significance: Built as a true smooth-sided pyramid and considered the first successful attempt at a classic pyramid form; visitors can enter internal passages and view the burial chamber.
• Location relative to Cairo: Located within the Dahshur necropolis, roughly 40 kilometres south of Cairo and visible as one of the major pyramids south of Giza.

What to See #

• Burial chamber and sarcophagus: The internal corridor system that leads to the burial chamber and contains a large granite sarcophagus believed to be original to the pyramid.
• Dahshur complex: The neighbouring Dahshur pyramid field which includes the nearby Bent Pyramid and other ancient structures forming part of Sneferu's funerary complex.