Pyramid of Senusret III at Dahshur (Middle Kingdom, 12th Dynasty)
Dahshur • 12th Dynasty (Middle Kingdom) • Senusret III

Pyramid of Senusret III (Senwosret III) | هرم سنوسرت الثالث بدهشور

Senusret III’s pyramid at is one of the flagship royal monuments of Egypt’s (Middle Kingdom). Built with a once faced in limestone, it lost its casing in antiquity and weathered into a low mound. The complex is best known for an , a later expansion with a substantial , and elite burials for royal women around the enclosure.

Quick facts Encyclopedic guide FAQ Sources

Simplified profile & west entrance

Illustrative • not to scale

This simplified sketch is . It highlights the pyramid’s , the missing limestone casing, and the —a notable departure from the traditional north entrance. It also hints at the broader complex footprint created when the enclosure was expanded and the was added.

mudbrick mass limestone outcrop S entrance burial chamber N

The drawing highlights two “signature” features: the outcrop‑anchored core and the southern approach to the internal chambers. The real corridors are longer and more complex, but the concept is the same.[1]

Quick facts

A fast orientation for travelers and history‑lovers.

Location

North Dahshur in the Memphis Necropolis, ~30 km south of Cairo.[1][2]

Builder

Senusret III (Senwosret III), a major king of Egypt’s Middle Kingdom 12th Dynasty.[1]

Construction

Mud‑brick core with a limestone casing (now mostly gone). Entrance on the west side; today the pyramid survives as a mound.[1]

Why it matters

Expanded Middle Kingdom design: outer enclosure, major South Temple, and royal‑women burials—plus debate over whether the king was buried here or at Abydos.[1]

Encyclopedic guide

Use the tabs to jump through history, architecture, and practical travel notes.

1) Overview

The Pyramid of Senusret III is a Middle Kingdom royal complex at North Dahshur. It was built with a mud‑brick core and a limestone casing (now largely stripped), and its funerary layout expanded during construction to include an outer enclosure, multiple royal‑women monuments, and a large South Temple.[1]

At a glance

  • Dynasty: 12th (Middle Kingdom)
  • Material: mud‑brick core, limestone casing
  • Today: casing gone → mound profile
  • Distinctive: west‑side entrance

[1]

Why historians care

  • Innovation: enlarged plan with the South Temple.
  • Royal women: small pyramids/hypogea and elite burials around the enclosure.
  • Two “burials”? Senusret III also built a major complex at Abydos, raising questions about the true burial place.

[1]

2) Architecture & plan

Senusret III’s Dahshur complex developed in phases. An inner stone enclosure surrounded the pyramid and its eastern cult elements. A later outer brick enclosure expanded the footprint and incorporated multiple royal‑women monuments and a subsidiary pyramid. The southern expansion created the large South Temple, altering the classic “pyramid temple + causeway” emphasis seen in earlier eras.[1]

Building materials

A brick core saved labor, while the limestone casing provided a finished façade. Once the casing blocks were robbed, the exposed brick eroded quickly.[1]

Enclosures

The surviving plan is defined by the inner enclosure and the larger outer enclosure that absorbed additional structures and burials around the pyramid mass.[1]

South Temple

The South Temple in the later extension is one of the complex’s defining features and a key sign of evolving Middle Kingdom cult practice.[1]

3) Underground chambers (hypogeum)

The original entrance lies on the west side. The descending passage leads to an antechamber and a granite‑built burial suite. Excavation reports describe limestone‑lined rooms and a red‑granite burial chamber (its walls were whitewashed). The sarcophagus was found empty, and no burial remains were recovered, which contributes to the theory that Senusret III may have been buried at Abydos instead.[1]

Royal women’s burials

Around the pyramid, multiple small pyramids/hypogea belonged to queens and princesses; these burials produced famous jewelry finds (“Dahshur treasures”) now in museum collections.[1]

4) Dahshur & UNESCO setting

Dahshur sits at the western desert edge and forms the southern end of the Memphis Necropolis. UNESCO lists the pyramid fields from Giza to Dahshur as a single World Heritage property. Within Dahshur you’ll see multiple eras side‑by‑side: Sneferu’s 4th‑Dynasty Bent and Red Pyramids, and several 12th‑Dynasty brick pyramids including Senusret III’s.[1][2]

Good pairing on a day trip

  • Bent Pyramid (Sneferu) and Red Pyramid (Sneferu)
  • Middle Kingdom mounds: Amenemhat II, Senusret III, Amenemhat III
  • Desert viewpoints across the Dahshur field

[3]

Don’t confuse it with…

The nearby “Black Pyramid” belongs to Amenemhat III. Both are 12th‑Dynasty brick‑core pyramids at Dahshur, but they are distinct monuments with different plans.[1][3]

5) Excavations & research

The complex was plundered and quarried in antiquity, which explains the missing casing and ruined temples. Jacques de Morgan excavated here in 1894–1895. Since 1990, the Metropolitan Museum of Art has carried out long‑term fieldwork that refined the plan and clarified the surrounding royal‑women monuments.[1]

Want the full plans?

Dieter Arnold’s monograph is the standard architectural reference for Senusret III’s complex at Dahshur.[4]

6) Visiting notes

  • Best as a circuit: combine with the Bent & Red Pyramids and the Middle Kingdom mounds.
  • Conditions vary: access (including interiors) can change due to conservation and security. Check official site guidance before you go.
  • Bring basics: water, sun protection, and comfortable shoes—shade is limited.
  • Photography: morning/late afternoon light usually gives the best relief on the brick courses and desert contours.

[3]

FAQ

Common questions about the Pyramid of Senusret III at Dahshur (Middle Kingdom).

It stands at North Dahshur, in the southern pyramid field of the Memphis Necropolis, roughly 30 km south of Cairo. The pyramid fields from Giza to Dahshur are a single UNESCO World Heritage property.[1][2]
The pyramid had a mud‑brick core with a limestone casing. When the valuable casing blocks were removed in antiquity, the exposed brick mass eroded into the low mound visible today.[1]
The original entrance is on the west side—an unusual placement compared with the more common north entrances in many older pyramids.[1]
The burial suite at Dahshur produced an empty sarcophagus and no human remains, so some researchers propose the king may have been buried in his other mortuary complex at Abydos instead. The question remains debated.[1]
Interior access at Dahshur can change due to conservation and safety. Check current conditions via the official Dahshur site overview and local guidance on the day of your visit.[3]

Sources & references

Numbered references used for key claims on this page. Accessed 2026-02-14.

Online (reference / institutional)

  1. [1] The Metropolitan Museum of Art (Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History), Dieter Arnold, “The Pyramid Complex of Senwosret III, Dahshur” (Oct 2004). Open
  2. [2] UNESCO World Heritage Centre, “Memphis and its Necropolis – the Pyramid Fields from Giza to Dahshur” (World Heritage List no. 86). Open
  3. [3] Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities (Egypt), Discover Egypt’s Monuments, “Dahshur” (site overview). Open
  4. [6] Image credit: Wikimedia Commons file “Pyramid_of_Senusret_III_12.jpg” (license on file page). Open

Books / specialist references

  1. [4] Dieter Arnold, The Pyramid Complex of Senwosret III at Dahshur: Architectural Studies (Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2002).
  2. [5] Mark Lehner, The Complete Pyramids (Thames & Hudson).