Seen from the Bent Pyramid, the Black Pyramid looks nothing like its neighbours. Built during the 12th Dynasty for Amenemhat III, it had a core of mudbrick rather than stone, clad in a skin of fine limestone. When that casing was stripped for building material, the soft brick began to weather into the jagged, dark mass that gives the pyramid its name.
The pyramid also had structural problems from the start: built on low ground close to the Nile floodplain, it suffered from subsidence and water seepage. Amenemhat III eventually built a second pyramid at Hawara in the Faiyum. His polished granite pyramidion — the capstone of the Black Pyramid — survived and is now displayed in Cairo.
Top things to do
Photograph it from the Bent Pyramid
The best viewpoint is the eastern side of the Bent Pyramid enclosure, where the Black Pyramid stands alone above the fields.
Compare two eras of pyramid building
Standing between Sneferu’s stone pyramids and Amenemhat’s mudbrick one, you can see how building methods — and budgets — changed over seven centuries.
Look for the pyramidion in Cairo
The inscribed granite capstone found here is one of the finest surviving pyramidions; look out for it on a museum visit in Cairo.
How to get there
- The Black Pyramid lies about 1.5 km east of the Bent Pyramid, near the edge of the cultivation. There is no visitor path to it; it is viewed from within the main Dahshur site.
- Any tour or private driver visiting the Red and Bent Pyramids will get you to the best viewpoints.
- A zoom lens (or a phone with good zoom) is worth having here.
- Late-afternoon light makes the dark core glow against the sky.
- Do not try to walk out to the pyramid — the area around it is off-limits.
Best tours that include Black Pyramid
These top-rated experiences are the easiest way to visit Black Pyramid — with transport from Cairo or Giza and a guide who brings the stones to life:
Private · Egyptologist from US$116 Cairo: Saqqara, Dahshur & Memphis Private Tour with Lunch
- Private Egyptologist guide
- Saqqara, Dahshur and Memphis at your pace
Best for: Couples and small groups wanting a premium private day
Top pick · Day trip from US$55 Giza: Sakkara, Memphis & Dahshur (Pyramid & Felucca Options)
- Choose your combo: Dahshur, Saqqara, Memphis, Giza and a Nile felucca
- Hotel pickup and drop-off in Cairo or Giza
Best for: First-timers who want the full pyramid story in one day
Private tour from US$83 Cairo: Sakkara, Memphis & Dahshur Pyramids Trip (Private)
- Private group — just you and your party
- Skip-the-line style entry arranged by your guide
Best for: Families and couples who prefer a private, early start
