The Pyramids of Dashur in Egypt

Virtually unknown to the general public, Dashur actually deserves to be almost as famous as the Pyramids of Giza, but this oversight really is your gain. When Giza is seething with tourists, hawkers and numerous purveyors of camel rides, Dashur will be as good as empty. Yet here you’ll find two incredible pyramids, the Bent Pyramid and the Red Pyramid. Constructed from an unusual and striking red rock, the Red Pyramid is almost as large as the Great Pyramid itself. Its shallower angle creates a squat appearance which belies its size, but as you approach there is a gathering sense of its vast scale. While the descent into the pyramid can be a nerve-jangling, mildly claustrophobic affair, the rewards inside are well worth it, especially without the jostling and heat of attempting the same at Giza. Further afield on the remote plain is the Bent Pyramid, believed to have been built by the same pharaoh as the Red Pyramid as a sort of trial run. Constructed initially at too steep an angle, halfway through its construction, the engineers realised this, so the top half of the pyramid rises at a shallower angle, creating the bent appearance. Like Saqqar,a this allows you to see the development of pyramid building as it happened. We believe that Dashur, as much as Giza, should be a stop on anyone’s visit to Egypt.