| Pyramid of Djedefre | ||
|---|---|---|
| Djedefre | ||
| Type | Ruin | |
The Pyramid of Djedefre consists today mostly of ruins located at Abu Rawash in Egypt. It is Egypt's most northerly pyramid, and is believed to be built by Djedefre, son and successor to king Khufu. Originally it was thought that this pyramid had never been completed, but the current archaeological consensus is that not only was it completed under Djedefre, but that it was originally about the same size as the Pyramid of Menkaure — the third largest of the Giza pyramids.[1] It is believed to have originally been the most beautiful of the pyramids, with an exterior of polished, imported granite, limestone and crowned with a large pyramidion. It is also believed for this reason the completed pyramid was largely deconstructed by the Roman Empire to build their own construction projects after the conquest of Egypt under Roman Emperor Augustus. The pyramid's ancient name was "Djedefre's Starry Sky".[2]
According to the documentary "The Lost Pyramid," aired by the History Channel, the pyramid may actually have been the highest ever built at 722 feet (about 25 feet taller than the Great Pyramid of Giza's 481 feet although this is due to its elevated location rather than the pyramid's estimated actual height of 220 feet). It is believed that the pyramid was actually destroyed, though it is unclear why. It is speculated that Djedefre was an unpopular ruler.