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The North Pyramid, also known as the Red Pyramid - because of its pinkish limestone - in Dahshur is the third largest pyramid in Egypt. It was built by Pharaoh Sneferu (2575-2551 BC) - father of Khufu and evidently, according to ancient inscriptions, took ten years and seven months to build. The North Pyramid is the second of Sneferu's two pyramids (the other is the Bent Pyramid) and it marks the first successful attempt at building a true smooth-sided pyramid.
Despite its relative obscurity the North Pyramid is actually the third largest pyramid in Egypt after the Great Pyramids of Khufu and Khafre at Giza. It is 105 m high and has an angle of 43 degrees. Significantly this is the corrected angle used at the earlier Bent Pyramid after the original angle proved too steep. |
