Ancient site · Giza
Black Pyramid of Amenemhat III
The pyramid of Amenemhat III at Dahshur, named "Black" for its dark appearance now that it has weathered to a mound of rubble.
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The story
King Amenemhat III built the Black Pyramid in the late Middle Kingdom, and it is one of five pyramids still surviving at Dahshur. Its original name was "Amenemhat is Mighty", and it earned its present name from its dark, decayed look as a rubble mound. It is described as the first pyramid to house both the king and his queens. Excavation of the Dahshur pyramids was carried out by a French mission led by Jacques de Morgan in the 1890s, and the German Archaeological Institute in Cairo completed the excavation in 1983.
Good to know
- It is described as the first pyramid to house both the deceased king and his queens.
- The German Archaeological Institute in Cairo completed its excavation in 1983.