Abu Sir

The pyramids of Abu Sir are isolated in the Eastern Desert just north of Saqqara. You can enjoy them without the camera-clicking clowns, since no tour buses make it nere. The pyramids (6km from North Saqqara and 2.5km from the village of Abu Sir) are accessible only by foot or beast.

The Pyramid of Neferirkare, the most imposing of the three main pyramids, stands tall at 68m. This structure once had a stone facing like its neighbors at Giza, but the casing has completely deteriorated and the exterior now resembles a step pyramid. Nevertheless, the Pyramid of Neferirkare is one of the best-preserved monuments in the Saqqara area. The Pyramid of Niuserre is the youngest of the trio and yet the most dilapidated. It is possible to enter the Pyramid of Sahure, the northernmost member of the group, on its north face. One of the custodians at the site will show you the entrance, which is about 0.5m high and 2m long and requires you to worm your way along the sand floor.

The small chamber inside was the pharaoh’s tomb. More pyramids are visible from here than from any other site in the country. If you wish to walk on to the village of Abu Sir, have the guards point out the route. If you are traveling by animal between Abu Sir and Giza, have your guide stop off on the way at the 5th-dynasty Sun Temple of Abu Surab, about 1.5km north of the Pyramid of Sahure. Located on the fringe of cultivated fields, the temple was built by King Niuserre in honor of the sun god Ra; it features an impressive altar constructed from five massive blocks of alabaster. A horse or camel ride from Zoser’s pyramid in North Saqqara costs LE10.