At Dahshur, two very different silhouettes reveal a decisive stage in pyramid building. Sneferu, founder of the Fourth Dynasty, built the Bent Pyramid, whose sides change angle partway up, followed by the more regular Red Pyramid. Together they illuminate the architectural experiments that preceded Giza.
Open ground makes their outlines easy to study. Much of the Bent Pyramid’s casing survives, while the Red Pyramid exposes the stone that gave it its name. When interior access is available, its low passages and corbelled chambers turn an exterior comparison into an encounter with the structure from within.
