Dahshour Pyramids

The Dahshur Pyramids site is located in Memphis, the capital of Egypt during the Old Kingdom (2686 BCE to 2181 BCE). The site transports you to the dawn of the Fourth Dynasty, in the heart of the world of Majesty King Sneferu, the founder of the Fourth Dynasty, the dynasty of pyramid builders, as you wander through a time gap that spans from 2613 to 2589 BC.

Dahshur pyramids facts “Dahshur pyramids history”

The first king of the 4th Dynasty, Sneferu, and the father of King Chephren decided to develop the shape of a royal tomb, made by King Djoser, a king of the Third Dynasty, the Step Pyramid, which was a stage of developing the royal tombs instead of the One-Mastaba tomb.

Actually, the pharaohs believed that they would be gods in the afterlife world by going on a tour with the sun to the sky by a holy solar boat, which illustrates for us the existence of the solar boat at every pyramid. 

So, Sneferu decided to build a royal tomb that facilitates his tour to the sky, being high and with a pointed end upward.

You are currently immersed in these significant events that led to the construction of the magnificent Giza Pyramids. You are currently wandering among the remains of seven pyramids, as well as exploring tomb complexes dedicated to the queens’ and noble tombs in Dahshur district. 

Bent Pyramid

The results of the first attempts at building a pyramid from Sneferu were completed in 2600 BCE. It is embodied in front of your eyes when standing in front of the Bent Pyramid. 

Actually, you will be surrounded by the events of Sneferu’s dissatisfactions; the theory of building this pyramid included a mistake that would have caused the pyramid to rise higher than it was supposed to, as the degree inclination was 54 of its sides, which led to cracks in the pyramid from the inside as a result of the weight exceeding the required limit. Therefore, the architect completed the remainder of the pyramid with an inclination of only 43 degrees.

This illustrates the cause of the bent look, which occurred when the angle changed approximately one-third of the way up. 

Red Pyramid

Actually, Snefru had decided to build another pyramid rather than this bent one, developing the theory of building a pyramid with new numbers. So, complete your tour in Dahshour district, finding a paved path made by the ancient Egyptian hands during Snefru that takes you to the 2590 BCE of building the first smooth straight sides pyramid in history, the Red Pyramid; from this point you stand in, the ancient Egyptians had known how to build the Giza Pyramids.