Dahshur is a desert plateau located about seven kilometers to the south of Saqqara, the central necropolis of Memphis, capital of Egypt during the Old Kingdom. The name Dahshur, derived from the ancient name (Ikntor) which is a tree called (Christ’s Thorn). The vast necropolis of Dahshur is one of the large pyramid cemeteries of the Old and Middle Kingdom (2600–1700 BCE). The appearance of the natural landscape at Dahshur was intensely altered by human impact, especially through mining. The quarries of the pyramids appear today as scarps and depressions. The channel beds in the wadis leading to the Bent Pyramid were also altered by use as transport paths for building material and by fluvial erosion.
Moving To Dahshur
For whatever reason, in about the 15th year of his reign, Sneferu abandoned Meidum and moved 40 km north to Dahshur. Here he founded another new necropolis – all the more unusual since Meidum itself represented the first time a royal necropolis had been laid out at a virgin site since the founding of Saqqara. One suggested a motive for the move was Sneferu’s desire to be closer to the apex of the Delta and to the increasingly important trade with Syria and the Levant.
At Dahshur Sneferu built two large pyramids – the Bent Pyramid and the North or the Red Pyramid. The two are roughly aligned – the east side of the North Pyramid approximately lining up with the west side of the Bent Pyramid. A long causeway from the Bent Pyramid runs to what is often described as the first valley temple, but which in fact is some distance into the desert. Northeast of the Bent Pyramid a cemetery of mastabas was begun. Decorated with relief-carved chapels, the tombs were for the elite of Sneferu’s court.
Excavating Dahshur
In 1936 Rainer Stadelmann excavated Lepsius pyramid number 50. It is 250 m east of the North Pyramid and consists of the base of a pyramid that was barely begun. On the east side were large limestone blocks and a brick ramp that may have been intended for building the subterranean apartment. The pottery in the vicinity appeared to the 4th dynasty.
A study suggests that the pair of the gigantic pyramids at Dahshur were finished and even perhaps conceived, as a unique project where, apart from the strongly symbolic aspect and the obligation of accomplishing the king’s needs for the hereafter, Sneferu was able to demonstrate his dominion over all the land by the mere contemplation of his monuments.
Earlier Egyptologists who had dealt with Dahshur doubted that the Bent pyramid was built by Sneferu simply because it was finished complete with casing stones, enclosure wall, subsidiary or satellite pyramid, and both a valley and pyramid temples. Actually, most citations of (kha-snfrw-rsy) were thought to refer to the pyramid of Meidum which certainly was to the ‘south’ (rsy) of Dahshur. It was only after Fakhry’s work on-site and the clear adscription of the Bent pyramid to Sneferu that the story of the ‘fake’ or ‘failed’ pyramid polluted Egyptological literature.
Middle Kingdom Pyramids at Dahshur
Middle Kingdom pharaohs also chose Dahshur as the site of their pyramids, beginning with Amenemhat II. Those of Amenemhat III and Senwosret III are of mudbrick, and in some ways Amenemhat III’s looks like a mudbrick version of the Meidum Pyramid. Interestingly, just as Sneferu had serious structural problems when building his Bent Pyramid at Dahshur because of the unstable desert sand, gravel and clays it was founded on, so Amenemhat III, building on a similar surface, encountered subsidence and cracking. This probably explains why he built another pyramid at Hawara, just as Sneferu built a substitute pyramid to the north of the first at Dahshur.
Two of Sneferu’s sons, Nefermaat and the anonymous prince of mastaba 17, were buried at Meidum. Another son, Kanefer, was buried in one of the clusters of tombs near the pyramid of Amenemhat II. These three sons should have inherited the throne which passed instead to Khufu – who may have been very young when he began to build his pyramid. This perhaps explains the confidence with which he started out on his gigantic program at Giza.
Despite having built two giant pyramids at Dahshur, one of which was to be for his burial, Sneferu was apparently still not content and returned to Meidum to finish off his pyramid there.
How to Get to Dahshur
Dahshur lies about 40 kilometers (25 miles) south of central Cairo, on the same desert plateau as Saqqara and Memphis, and the drive typically takes 45 minutes to an hour depending on traffic and your starting point in the city.
By Private Car or Taxi
The most popular way to reach Dahshur is by hiring a private car with a driver or booking a taxi for the day. Drivers usually head south from Cairo along the Ring Road or through Maadi toward the Saqqara road, then continue about seven kilometers further south past Saqqara to reach the Dahshur necropolis. Traveling by private car gives you the flexibility to set your own pace and easily combine Dahshur with nearby sites such as Saqqara and Memphis in a single outing.
By Organized Tour
Many visitors prefer a guided day tour departing from Cairo or Giza that groups Dahshur together with Saqqara and Memphis, since all three sites lie along the same stretch of desert. These tours typically include round-trip transportation, an Egyptologist guide, and sometimes entrance tickets, making them a convenient, hassle-free option for travelers who would rather not arrange transportation themselves.
By Public Transportation
Public transportation to Dahshur is limited and generally not recommended. There is no direct bus or train service to the site, so travelers relying on public transport would typically need to reach the nearby town of Badrashein by microbus and then find a local taxi or tuk-tuk for the remaining stretch, an option that is slower and less reliable than arranging private transportation in advance.
Combining Dahshur with Giza or Saqqara
Since Dahshur sits just a short drive south of Saqqara on the same desert plateau, travelers already visiting the Giza Pyramids or Saqqara can easily continue on to Dahshur afterward. This makes it possible to visit Giza, Saqqara, and Dahshur together in a single well-planned day trip.
Visiting Dahshur: Opening Hours, Entrance Fees, and Best Time to Visit
Opening Hours
Dahshur is generally open to visitors daily from around 8:00 am to 4:00 pm, with hours extending to about 5:00 pm during the summer months. As with most Egyptian archaeological sites, hours can shift slightly around religious holidays, so it is worth confirming the current schedule with a local guide or tour operator before you go.
Entrance Fees
Entrance to Dahshur requires a ticket separate from those used at Giza or Saqqara, and the site is covered by its own admission fee payable at the entrance gate. Tickets for the Bent Pyramid and Red Pyramid areas are typically purchased on-site, and prices are set in Egyptian pounds and periodically revised, so travelers should check the latest rate through their tour operator or the official Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities channels closer to their visit date.
Best Time to Visit
The most comfortable time to explore Dahshur is early morning shortly after opening, when temperatures are cooler and the site is at its quietest. Visiting during the winter months, from around November to February, also makes for a more pleasant experience given Egypt’s hot desert climate, though Dahshur’s low visitor numbers mean it tends to feel uncrowded even during busier tourist seasons.
Frequently Asked Questions About Dahshur
What is Dahshur best known for?
Dahshur is best known for the Bent Pyramid and the Red Pyramid, both built for the pharaoh Sneferu. The Red Pyramid is widely regarded as Egypt’s first successful true pyramid, with smooth, straight sides.
Where is Dahshur located?
Dahshur sits on the desert plateau just a few kilometers south of Saqqara, near the ancient capital of Memphis, making it an easy addition to a day trip from Cairo.
Why does the Bent Pyramid have such an unusual shape?
Partway through construction, builders ran into structural problems with the unstable ground beneath the monument, so they reduced the angle of the upper section, leaving the pyramid with its distinctive bent profile.
Who built the pyramids at Dahshur?
Sneferu, founder of the 4th Dynasty, built the Bent and Red Pyramids. Centuries later, Middle Kingdom rulers including Amenemhat II, Amenemhat III, and Senwosret III also chose Dahshur as the site for their own pyramids.
Is Dahshur worth visiting compared to Giza or Saqqara?
Because Dahshur receives far fewer visitors than Giza, it offers a quieter, more atmospheric look at Old and Middle Kingdom pyramid building, and pairs well with a combined visit to Saqqara and Memphis.