Zawyet el-Aryan

See also: Zawyet el'Aryan

This site, halfway between Giza and Abusir, is the location for two unfinished Old Kingdom pyramids. The
northern structure's owner is believed to be pharaoh Nebka, while the southern structure, known as the
Layer Pyramid, may be attributable to the Third Dynasty pharaoh Khaba, a close successor of Sekhemkhet. If
this attribution is correct, Khaba's short reign could explain the seemingly unfinished state of this step
pyramid. Today it stands around 17 m (56 ft) high; had it been completed, it is likely to have exceeded 40 m
(130 ft).

Abusir
Main article: Abusir

The Pyramid of Sahure at Abusir, viewed from the pyramid's causeway

There are a total of fourteen pyramids at this site, which served as the main royal necropolis during the Fifth
Dynasty. The quality of construction of the Abusir pyramids is inferior to those of the Fourth Dynasty—
perhaps signaling a decrease in royal power or a less vibrant economy. They are smaller than their
predecessors and are built of low-quality local limestone.

The three major pyramids are those of Niuserre, which is also the best-preserved, Neferirkare Kakai and
Sahure. The site is also home to the incomplete Pyramid of Neferefre. Most of the major pyramids at Abusir
were built using similar construction techniques, comprising a rubble core surrounded by steps of mudbricks
with a limestone outer casing. The largest of these Fifth Dynasty pyramids, the Pyramid of Neferirkare Kakai,
is believed to have been built originally as a step pyramid some 70 m (230 ft) high and then later transformed
into a "true" pyramid by having its steps filled in with loose masonry.