Attraction Details
Overview
The Bent Pyramid
The Bent Pyramid at Dahshur is the most visually distinctive pyramid in Egypt. Built during the reign of Pharaoh Sneferu around 2600 BCE, it is immediately recognizable by its unusual double-angled silhouette: the lower section rises at a steep 54-degree angle before abruptly changing to a shallower 43 degrees at roughly half the pyramid’s height. The result is a kinked profile that gives the structure its modern name.
The change in angle was almost certainly an engineering response to instability — cracks were appearing in the structure during construction, likely due to the weight of the steep lower section pressing on inadequately compacted fill. The builders reduced the angle to lower the load and complete the pyramid safely. This structural problem and its solution are documented by ancient graffiti and construction ramps still partially visible at the site.
The Bent Pyramid is one of two pyramids built for Sneferu at Dahshur — the other being the Red Pyramid — and is thought to represent a transitional form between the earlier step pyramids and the true smooth-sided pyramid that Sneferu eventually achieved. Unlike most pyramids, the Bent Pyramid retains nearly all of its original polished white limestone casing, giving visitors the closest visual approximation of how Egyptian pyramids looked when new. The interior was opened to the public in 2019 after decades of closure.
History & Significance
Sneferu was the founder of the 4th Dynasty and the father of Khufu. He was one of the most prolific pyramid builders in Egyptian history, constructing at least three major pyramids: the Meidum pyramid (completed or modified from an earlier structure), the Bent Pyramid, and the Red Pyramid. These three monuments chart the evolution of pyramid architecture from the stepped form to the first true pyramid.
The Bent Pyramid’s lower casing is almost entirely intact — a rare survival explained partly by the pyramid’s remote location and partly by the hardness of its limestone. The valley temple of the Bent Pyramid, connected by a causeway, contains some of the oldest intact relief carvings to survive from the Old Kingdom, depicting personifications of the royal estates and Sneferu’s titulary.
Archaeological surveys and casing stone analysis have confirmed that the Bent Pyramid was actively used — not abandoned due to instability, as once assumed. A mummy and burial goods were found in the subterranean chambers, though whether they belong to Sneferu or a later reuse of the tomb is debated.
What to See
Original Limestone Casing
Nearly all of the original polished outer casing survives, making the Bent Pyramid the best example of what ancient pyramids looked like when completed.
Dual Interior Entrances
Two separate entrance shafts — one on the north face, one on the west — lead to independent descending corridors, a design found nowhere else in Egyptian pyramid architecture.
Valley Temple
The best-preserved Old Kingdom valley temple at Dahshur, connected to the pyramid by a partially visible causeway and containing relief carvings of royal estates.
Satellite Pyramid
A small subsidiary pyramid to the south, intact and cased in limestone, was likely built for the king's queen or as a ritual companion structure.
Photo Gallery
Visitor Information
Daily 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM
⛔ Closed: NeverNo dress restrictions
Photography is free
Limited accessibility
💡 Visitor Tips
Location & Map
🚕 How to Get There
Located in the Dahshur necropolis, approximately 40 km south of central Cairo; reachable by private taxi or as part of a full-day Saqqara and Dahshur tour.
