Dahshur is a royal necropolis located in the desert on the west bank of the Nile approximately 40 kilometres south of Cairo. It is known chiefly for several pyramids, two of which are among the oldest, largest and best preserved in Egypt. The Bent Pyramid and the Red Pyramid, were constructed during the reign of Pharaoh Sneferu (2613-2589 BC). The necropolis was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1979, as part of Memphis and its Necropolis - the Pyramid Fields from Giza to Dahshur.