The Bent Pyramid at Dahshur, about 40 km south of Cairo, is easy to recognize: its sides rise at a steep angle and then, about halfway up, change to a gentler slope. It was built by King Sneferu, the father of Khufu, around 2600 BC, and it is a snapshot of Egyptian engineers learning, by trial and error, how to build a true pyramid.
Why is it bent?
The lower part rises at about 54 degrees. Cracks probably appeared in the chambers as the weight grew, so the builders reduced the angle to about 43 degrees to finish it safely. Sneferu then built a third pyramid nearby, the Red Pyramid, at the gentler angle from the start. It is the first successful smooth-sided pyramid in the world, and the model for the Great Pyramid.
What to see
The Bent Pyramid, about 101 meters high, keeps more of its original smooth limestone casing than any other pyramid in Egypt. Its inside opened to visitors in 2019. You can also go inside the Red Pyramid, down a long passage to tall corbelled chambers.
Visiting
Dahshur is quiet, with few visitors, and is easy to combine with Saqqara and Memphis on our Cairo day tours.
