Red pyramid
The Red Pyramid at Dashur was the third attempt at a pyramid for Snefru, the inaugural 4th Dynasty ruler who (rather madly) ordered the largest construction spree in human history via continual tomb-building projects. Two previous tombs appear to have been abandoned, with the collapse of a partially completed steep-walled pyramid at Meidum, and then the unused Bent pyramid about 2km to the south. The latter's angle was found to be too steep midway during construction and was adjusted to lower angle on its upper half; the Red Pyramid has this same angle (43°) throughout but a larger footprint, bringing it to equal the 105m height of the Bent Pyramid. The result was evidently the first straight-sided true pyramid. Though it was immediately surpassed by the Great Pyramid at Giza, the Red Pyramid remains the third largest ever completed.
4th Dynasty, early 26th century BCE, Dashur.
Red pyramid
The Red Pyramid at Dashur was the third attempt at a pyramid for Snefru, the inaugural 4th Dynasty ruler who (rather madly) ordered the largest construction spree in human history via continual tomb-building projects. Two previous tombs appear to have been abandoned, with the collapse of a partially completed steep-walled pyramid at Meidum, and then the unused Bent pyramid about 2km to the south. The latter's angle was found to be too steep midway during construction and was adjusted to lower angle on its upper half; the Red Pyramid has this same angle (43°) throughout but a larger footprint, bringing it to equal the 105m height of the Bent Pyramid. The result was evidently the first straight-sided true pyramid. Though it was immediately surpassed by the Great Pyramid at Giza, the Red Pyramid remains the third largest ever completed.
4th Dynasty, early 26th century BCE, Dashur.