Dahshur: Bent & Red Pyramids

الهرم المنحني والهرم الأحمر، دهشور

A pyramid that changes angle halfway up, and hardly anyone around

Hours

Check on site (daytime opening)

Tickets

Check on site; 2024–2025 sources give EGP 150–300 for foreigners, covering both pyramids

Address

Desert inside a military zone south of Saqqara; the Red and Bent pyramids are about 2 km apart

This is where Pharaoh Sneferu learned pyramid-building by trial and error, before Giza. The Bent Pyramid changes angle halfway up, as if the builders lost their nerve, and much of its smooth casing survives. The Red Pyramid was the first true smooth-sided one: climb the steps to the entrance and a long sloping passage takes you down into its chambers. There are so few visitors that you often have a whole pyramid to yourself.