About 5 km south of the Giza Plateau lies Zawyet El Aryan, a minor necropolis containing two unusual pyramid ruins. The Layer Pyramid is a 3rd Dynasty step pyramid dating to around 2650 BC, slightly older than Djoser's stepped pyramid at Saqqara and in far worse condition — mostly a rubble mound. The Unfinished Northern Pyramid consists of a massive rock-cut pit with a granite-lined sarcophagus sunk into the floor; it was abandoned before its superstructure was ever started, and the reason why is unknown.
The site is currently closed to visitors and sits within a military zone, making it practically inaccessible. Its value is mostly for dedicated pyramid enthusiasts who want to understand the variety of pyramid-building experiments from Egypt's early dynastic period. Most of what can be seen is visible in photographs; the site has not been open regularly to the public for decades.