Egypt Guide
The Pyramids
The Dahshur pyramid field
Opening time: Daily: summer 8am–5pm; winter 8am–4pm; last ticket sold an hour before closing
Price: £E25, students £E15
The Dahshur pyramid field contains some of the most impressive of all the pyramids, and some of the most significant in the history of pyramid-building. The easiest way to get to Dahshur is by taxi, but there are also service taxi microbuses to Dahshur village from Maryotteya Canal by Pyramids Road and from Saqqara village. Infrequent service taxis run the 2km to the site entrance from Dahshur village, but most people will find it easier to walk or take a private taxi. Getting back to Cairo should not be left too late or you may find yourself stranded with the nearest public transport 5km away in Saqqara – transport from Dahshur tends to dry up at around 5pm.
The first pyramid you come to if you follow the road past the ticket office is Snofru's northern Red Pyramid, which is named after the colour of the limestone it was built from. Despite its lower angle (43.5°) and height (101m), Snofru's Red Pyramid clearly prefigures Cheops's edifice, which is also the only pyramid that exceeds it in size, Snofru's Red Pyramid being larger than Chephren's Pyramid at Giza. It was probably Snofru's third attempt at pyramid building, but he was not laid to rest in any of the three burial chambers here – all were unused.
From the Red Pyramid, a track leads south to the pyramid where Snofru was buried, the Bent Pyramid, which is not only the most intriguing of all the pyramids, but, because of its state of preservation, also the most breathtaking. What makes Snofru's final resting place different from all the other pyramids is its change of angle towards the top: it rises more steeply (54.3°) than the Red Pyramid or Giza pyramids for three-quarters of its height, before abruptly tapering at a gentler slope – hence its name. The explanation for its shape, and why Snofru should have built two pyramids only a kilometre apart, is a longstanding conundrum of Egyptology.