Dahshur North Pyramid
Egyptian Temples & Tombs | April 5, 2010Dahshur North Pyramid, also known as Red Pyramid for its constituent reddish limestone, is the third largest pyramid in Egypt (after Khufu and Khafre Pyramids in Giza) and also one of the few mega structures of the ancient age whose interior is open for public viewing (timing: from 8 am to 4 pm). Local people refer the Red Pyramid as ‘el-haram el-watwat’, meaning the Bat Pyramid. The pyramid, although known as Red, was not always red. It had white Tura limestone, much of which was taken away for other buildings in Cairo during the middle ages, hence revealing the reddish limestone.
History:
Dahshur North Pyramid was built by Pharaoh Sneferu (2575-2551 BC), father of Khufu, builder of the Great Pyramid of Giza, who also built Bent Pyramid at Dahshur (one km north from Red Pyramid) and completed the pyramid at Meidum. Construction work of Red Pyramid is said to have begun in the thirtieth year of Sneferu’s reign. Evidence suggests that it took ten years and seven months to complete the Red Pyramid, which marked the maiden successful attempt to build a true smooth-sided pyramid (the Meidum Pyramid had collapsed into antiquity while the Bent Pyramid witnessed inconsistency in its building angle).
Features of Dahshur North Pyramid:
- It is 105 metres high and is built at a consistent angle of 43 degrees. This is in contrast to Bent Pyramid which was built at this angle from halfway up (the lower part of Bent Pyramid is built at 54 degrees)
The interior of Red Pyramid has three chambers that feature ceilings (a triangular bracket of brick or stone) made of corbel and loads of 19th century graffiti.- The entrance from northern part gives access to a long passage of 200 foot that slopes downwards at an angle of around 27 degrees. The passage is just three feet high and four feet wide.
- There is a short corridor at the bottom of the passage that leads to the first chamber that rises to a height of 40 feet.
- Another short corridor leads to a second chamber from the southern end of the first chamber. This chamber, which features a corbelled ceiling and other features similar to the first chamber, is located directly under the apex of the pyramid.
- A wooden modern staircase from the southern end of the second chamber leads to a third chamber, which is said to be the burial chamber. This also has a corbelled ceiling rising.
- A rare pyramidion or capstone has been discovered and reconstructed next to Dahshur North Pyramid.
About Dahshur:
Dahshur is located 10 km from Saqqara and 35 km from Cairo. It was part of the necropolis of ancient Memphis during the Old Kingdom or the ‘Pyramid Age’. It was a restricted military zone till about 1996.
Reaching:
Dahshur can be accessed by road from Cairo during a day trip to Saqqara and Memphis.
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The Red Pyramid, also called the North Pyramid is the largest of the three major pyramids located at the Dahshur necropolis.
Named for the rusty reddish hue of its stones, it is also the third largest Egyptian pyramid, after those of Khufu and Khafra at Giza. At the time of its completion, it was the tallest man-made structure in the world.
The Red Pyramid was not always red.
It used to be cased with white Tura limestone, but only a few of these now remain at the pyramid’s base on the corner.
During the Middle Ages much of the white Tura limestone was taken for buildings in Cairo, revealing the reddish limestone.