Red Pyramid

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Image:Egypt.Dashur.RedPyramid.01.jpg Image:Egypt.Dashur.RedPyramid.02.jpg

The Red Pyramid, named for the light crimson hue of its exposed granite surface, is the largest of the three major pyramids located at the Dahshur necropolis, and the third largest Egyptian pyramid, after those of Khufu and Khafre at Giza. At the time of its completion, it was the tallest man-made structure in the world. It is also believed to be the world's first successful attempt at constructing a "true" smooth-sided pyramid. Originally it was surfaced with blocks of polished white limestone, but only a few of these now remain at the pyramid's base.

The Red Pyramid was not always red. It used to be cased with white Tura limestone, but during the Middle Ages much of it was taken for buildings in Cairo. The inside stone was a reddish pinkish limestone. Now only a little corner of the pyramid is white.

It was constructed during the reign of Old Kingdom Pharaoh Sneferu, whose final resting place some suggest it may have been, and is located approximately one kilometre to the north of the Bent Pyramid. It is built at the same shallow 43 degree angle as the upper section of the Bent Pyramid, which gives it a noticeably squat appearance compared to other Egyptian pyramids of comparable scale.

Archaeologists speculate that the reason for this may be an outcome of engineering crises experienced during the construction of Sneferu's two earlier pyramids. The first of these, the Pyramid at Meidum collapsed in antiquity, while the second — the Bent Pyramid — had the angle of its inclination dramatically altered — from 54 to 43 degrees — part-way through construction.

Some archaeologists now believe that the Meidum pyramid was the first attempt at building a smooth-sided pyramid, and that it may have collapsed when construction of the Bent Pyramid was already well underway — and that that pyramid may by then have already begun to show alarming signs of instability itself, as evidenced by the presence of large timber beams supporting its inner chambers. The outcome of this was the change in inclination of the Bent Pyramid, and the commencement of the later Red Pyramid at an inclination known to be less susceptible to instability and therefore less susceptible to catastrophic collapse.

Modern day

A rare pyramidion, or capstone, for the Red Pyramid has been uncovered and reconstructed, and is now on display at Dahshur — however whether it was actually ever used is unclear, as its angle of inclination differs from that of the pyramid it was apparently intended for.

The Red Pyramid is one of the very few that it is possible to enter. An entrance high on the north side allows access to a 200 foot (62m) long passage that is inclined downwards at an angle of around 27°. The passage itself measures only approximately three feet (91cm) in height and approximately four feet (1.23m) in breadth. At the bottom of the passage is a short corridor leading to the first chamber which rises to a height of 40 feet (12.3m). It is a fine example of a corbelled ceiling with eleven courses. At the southern end of the chamber another short corridor leads to the second chamber, which has similar dimensions to the first and also features a corbelled ceiling. This chamber lies directly beneath the apex of the pyramid. A wooden staircase of modern construction at the southern end of this chamber leads to a third and final chamber, which is believed to be the burial chamber. This also features a corbelled ceiling rising to around 50 feet (15.24m).

Local residents refer to the Red Pyramid as el-haram el-watwat, meaning the Forbidden Sanctuary.

Further reading

• Verner, Miroslav, "The Pyramids – Their Archaeology and History", Atlantic Books, 2001, ISBN 1-84354-171-8de:Rote Pyramide

nl:Rode piramide van Snofroe pt:Pirâmide Vermelha fi:Punainen pyramidi