The Red Pyramid at Dahshur, south of Cairo, was built for Pharaoh Sneferu, the founder of the Fourth Dynasty, and is the earliest successful true pyramid, with smooth sides rising to a point. Sneferu had already built the Bent Pyramid, whose angle was reduced halfway up when its builders found that the structure was unstable, and he used a shallower, safer slope for the Red Pyramid. It takes its modern name from the reddish tint of its limestone blocks. It is among the largest pyramids in Egypt, surpassed only by the Great Pyramid of Giza and that of Khafre. Sneferu's mummy has not been found, but he was probably buried here. The experience gained in his reign made possible the later pyramids of Giza.
Before and after
- from c. 2,613 BCE to 2,498 BCEFourth Dynasty of Egypt
- from c. 2,600s BCE to 2,200s BCEBell beaker culture
- c. 2,601 BCECaral flourishes in the Norte Chico
- from c. 2,601 BCE to 1,901 BCEThe Indus Valley cities reach maturity
- c. 2,590 BCEConstruction of Red Pyramid
- c. 2,589 BCEConstruction of Dahshur
- 26th century BCEThe Great Sphinx
- c. 2,560 BCEConstruction of Great Pyramid of Giza
- c. 2,510s BCEConstruction of Pyramid of Menkaure
More in Civilizations & archaeology
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- from 323 BCE to 30 BCEHellenistic period
- 323 BCEConstruction of Temple of Ephesian Artemis
- from 312 BCE to 63 BCESeleucid Empire
- from 279 BCE to 1480Construction of Lighthouse of Alexandria
The era
This moment belongs to the Ancient civilizations (3,200 BCE to 500 CE), writing, cities and empires. You can also browse everything in the 26th century BCE.