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Black Pyramid | ||||||||||||||||
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Amenemhat III | ||||||||||||||||
Coordinates | 29°47′30″N 31°13′25″E / 29.79167°N 31.22361°E | |||||||||||||||
Ancient name |
Jmn-m-h3t-q3-nfr=f Imenemhat Qanefer Amenemhat is mighty and perfect | |||||||||||||||
Type | True pyramid (ruined) | |||||||||||||||
Height | ca. 75 metres | |||||||||||||||
Base | 105 metres | |||||||||||||||
Slope | 59° (lower) 55° (upper) |
The Black Pyramid (Egyptian Arabic: الهرم الأسود, romanized: al-Haram al-ʾAswad) was built by King Amenemhat III (r. c. 1860 BC-c. 1814 BC) during the late Middle Kingdom of Egypt (2055–1650 BC).
It is one of the five remaining pyramids of the original eleven pyramids at Dahshur in Egypt. Originally named Amenemhet is Mighty, the pyramid earned the name Black Pyramid for its dark, decaying appearance as a rubble mound. The Black Pyramid was the first to house both the deceased pharaoh and his queens. Jacques de Morgan, on a French mission, began the excavation on the pyramids at Dahshur in 1892. The German Archaeological Institute of Cairo completed excavation in 1983.