Dahshur is located in the southern part of the necropolis of Memphis, which was the capital of ancient Egypt. The pyramids of the kings of the Old and Middle Kingdom were erected on this hill. The first king of the Fourth Dynasty, King Senefru, chose the rocky plateau of Dahshur to establish his first pyramid, but he did not succeed in completing it, as his first pyramid became almost broken, but he built a complete pyramid a kilometer north of the first pyramid, and called it the Red Pyramid. Nearby there are pyramids dating back to the Middle Kingdom, such as the pyramid of King Amenemhat II, which is in poor condition. There is also the pyramid of King Senusret III, surrounded by the tombs of Princesses Set Hathor and Ment.
As for the Black Pyramid of King Amenemhat III, it is also in poor condition. It is some distance from the southern pyramid of King Sneferu, and in the storerooms of the Egyptian Museum there are stones of the pyramid that were placed on top of the pyramid.
Dahshur village is one of the villages affiliated with the Badrashin Center in Giza Governorate in the Arab Republic of Egypt. According to 2006 statistics, the total population of Dahshur was 14,736 people, including 7,481 men and 7,255 women. Dahshur is one of the tourist areas that visitors from all over the world come to because of its many ancient Egyptian monuments. Pharaoh Sneferu of Egypt chose the rocky plateau of Dahshur to create his tomb, to match the tomb of his father Djoser, owner of the Saqqara Step Pyramid.
Pharaonic tombs
Dahshur contains an ancient Egyptian royal cemetery, as well as a number of pyramids built between the years 2613-2589 BC. The Pyramid of Sneferu was the first of the pyramids of Dahshur, as it was built during the reign of King Sneferu. Sneferu tried to build a pyramid with smooth sides, but as a result of some errors in cutting the stones and the softness of the soil on which the pyramid was built, the pyramid bowed. Therefore, Sneferu ordered the construction of the Red Pyramid of Dahshur II, with a height of 104 meters and an inclination of 43 degrees. This pyramid was known as the “Red Pyramid” because of the use of red limestone in its construction, and it is believed that King Senefru is buried in this pyramid.
During the reign of the Twelfth Dynasty, King Amenemhat II built a pyramid in Dahshur that is now called the White Pyramid, but its sandy facade was eroded by weather factors, so its limestone stones were used in other pyramids. The stone collapsed, thus desecrating the tomb of King Amenemhat II. King Senusret III also built another pyramid in Dahshur, and also built tombs for Princesses Setathor and Mert.
A number of royal tombs of royal princesses were also found in Dahshur, which contained a large amount of finely crafted gems and jewellery. In addition to several small pyramids of royal princesses south of Dahshur. There were also several large tombs in Dahshur for some officials of the ancient and Middle Egyptian kingdoms around the pyramids of Dahshur.