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Userkaf
Userkaf (known in Ancient Greek as , ) was a pharaoh of ancient Egypt and the founder of the Fifth Dynasty. He reigned for seven to eight years in the early 25th century BC, during the Old Kingdom period. He probably belonged to a branch of the Fourth Dynasty royal family, although his parentage is uncertain; he could have been the son of Khentkaus I. He had at least one daughter and very probably a son, Sahure, with his consort Neferhetepes. This son succeeded him as pharaoh. His reign heralded the ascendancy of the cult of Ra, who effectively became Egypt's state god during the Fifth Dynasty. Userkaf may have been a high-priest of Ra before ascending the throne, and built a sun temple, known as the '' Nekhenre'', between Abusir and Abu Gurab. In doing so, he instituted a tradition followed by his successors over a period of 80 years. The ''Nekhenre'' mainly functioned as a mortuary temple for the setting sun. Rites performed in the temple were primarily concerned with Ra's c ...
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Pyramid Of Userkaf
The pyramid complex of Userkaf was built c. 2490 BC for the pharaoh Userkaf (reigned 2494–2487 BC), founder of the 5th Dynasty of Egypt (c. 2494–2345 BC). It is located in the pyramid field at Saqqara, on the north-east of the step pyramid of Djoser (reigned c. 2670 BC). Constructed in dressed stone with a core of rubble, the pyramid is now ruined and resembles a conical hill in the sands of Saqqara.Mark Lehner, ''The Complete Pyramids'', Thames & Hudson, , p. 140 For this reason, it is known locally as ''El-Haram el-Maharbish'', the "Heap of Stone",Jean-Phillipe Lauer (in French): ''Saqqarah, Une vie, Entretiens avec Phillipe Flandrin'', Petite Bibliotheque Payot 107, 1988, and was recognized as a royal pyramid by western archaeologists in the 19th century. Userkaf's pyramid is part of a larger mortuary complex comprising a mortuary temple, an offering chapel and a cult pyramid as well as separate pyramid and mortuary temple for Userkaf's wife, queen Neferhet ...
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Sahure
Sahure (also Sahura, meaning "He who is close to Re") was a pharaoh of ancient Egypt and the second ruler of the Fifth Dynasty (c. 2465 – c. 2325 BC). He reigned for about 13 years in the early 25th century BC during the Old Kingdom Period. Sahure's reign marks the political and cultural high point of the Fifth Dynasty. He was probably the son of his predecessor Userkaf with Queen NeferhetepesII, and was in turn succeeded by his son Neferirkare Kakai. During Sahure's rule, Egypt had important trade relations with the Levantine coast. Sahure launched several naval expeditions to modern-day Lebanon to procure cedar trees, slaves and exotic items. His reign may have witnessed the flourishing of the Egyptian navy, which included a high-seas fleet as well as specialized racing boats. Relying on this, Sahure ordered the earliest attested expedition to the land of Punt, which brought back large quantities of myrrh, malachite and electrum. Sahure is shown celebrating the success o ...
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Shepseskaf
Shepseskaf (meaning "His Ka is noble") was a pharaoh of ancient Egypt, the sixth and probably last ruler of the fourth dynasty during the Old Kingdom period. He reigned most probably for four but possibly up to seven years in the late 26th to mid-25th century BC. Shepseskaf's relation to his predecessor Menkaure is not entirely certain; he might have been his son or possibly his brother. The identity of his mother is highly uncertain as she could have been one of Menkaure's consorts or queen Khentkaus I or Neferhetepes. Similarly, Shepseskaf's relation to his probable successor on the throne, Userkaf, is not known although in the absence of clear indication of strife at the transition between the fourth and fifth dynasties, Userkaf could well have been his son or his brother. If Shepseskaf was succeeded directly by Userkaf rather than by Thampthis as claimed by some historical sources, then his death marks the end of the fourth dynasty. The transition to the fifth dynasty se ...
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Egyptian Sun Temple
Egyptian sun temples were ancient Egyptian temples to the sun god Ra. The term has come to mostly designate the temples built by six or seven pharaohs of the Fifth Dynasty during the Old Kingdom period. However, sun temples would make a reappearance a thousand years later under Akhenaten in the New Kingdom with his building of the Karnak Temple in Thebes. Fifth Dynasty sun temples were built in two localities, Abu Gorab and Abusir, within of each other and around south of modern-day Cairo. They may have been modeled after an earlier sun temple in Heliopolis. Six or seven temples are thought to have been built, but only two have been uncovered: that of Userkaf and that of Nyuserre.Robert G Morkot, ''The Egyptians: An Introduction''. pp. 223 The six kings associated with having built sun temples are: Userkaf, Sahure, Neferirkare, Reneferef or Neferefre, Nyuserre, and Menkauhor. Djedkare Isesi, the eighth king of the 5th Dynasty, seems to have abruptly stopped the building o ...
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Khentkaus I
Khentkaus I, also referred to as Khentkawes, was a royal woman who lived in ancient Egypt during both the Fourth Dynasty and the Fifth Dynasty. She may have been a daughter of king Menkaure, the wife of both king Shepseskaf and king Userkaf (the founder of the Fifth Dynasty), the mother of king Sahure.Michael Rice: ''Who is who in Ancient Egypt'', Routledge London & New York 1999, , see p. 96 Some suggest that she was the regent for one of her sons. Perhaps, in her own right, she may have been the king of Upper and Lower Egypt, which aspects of her burial suggest. Her mastaba at Giza – tomb LG100 – is located very close to Menkaure's pyramid complex. This close connection may point to a family relationship. Although the relationship is not clear, the proximity of the pyramid complex of Khentkaus to that of king Menkaure has led to the conjecture that she may have been his daughter. Life Khentkaus's burial complex confirms her royal status. Some of her titles are ambiguous and ...
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Fifth Dynasty Of Egypt
The Fifth Dynasty of ancient Egypt (notated Dynasty V) is often combined with Dynasties III, IV and VI under the group title the Old Kingdom. The Fifth Dynasty pharaohs reigned for approximately 150 years, from the early 25th century BC until the mid 24th century BC. Chronology The Fifth Dynasty of Egypt is a group of nine kings ruling Egypt for approximately 150 years in the 25th and 24th centuries BC. The relative succession of kings is not entirely secured as there are contradictions between historical sources and archaeological evidence regarding the reign of the shadowy Shepseskare. Rulers Known rulers in the Fifth Dynasty are listed below. Manetho assigns 248 years of rule to the Fifth Dynasty; however, the pharaohs of this dynasty more probably ruled for approximately 150 years. This estimate varies by both scholar and source. The Horus names and most names of the queens are taken from Dodson and Hilton. Manetho writes that the Dynasty V kings ruled from Elephan ...
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Fifth Dynasty Of Egypt
The Fifth Dynasty of ancient Egypt (notated Dynasty V) is often combined with Dynasties III, IV and VI under the group title the Old Kingdom. The Fifth Dynasty pharaohs reigned for approximately 150 years, from the early 25th century BC until the mid 24th century BC. Chronology The Fifth Dynasty of Egypt is a group of nine kings ruling Egypt for approximately 150 years in the 25th and 24th centuries BC. The relative succession of kings is not entirely secured as there are contradictions between historical sources and archaeological evidence regarding the reign of the shadowy Shepseskare. Rulers Known rulers in the Fifth Dynasty are listed below. Manetho assigns 248 years of rule to the Fifth Dynasty; however, the pharaohs of this dynasty more probably ruled for approximately 150 years. This estimate varies by both scholar and source. The Horus names and most names of the queens are taken from Dodson and Hilton. Manetho writes that the Dynasty V kings ruled from Elephan ...
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Neferhetepes (Userkaf)
Neferhetepes was the wife of the Ancient Egyptian king Userkaf, who was the first pharaoh of the Fifth Dynasty. She was the mother of king Sahure, Userkaf's successor, and she was most likely the mother of Meretnebty, Sahure's wife. Neferhetepes' most important titles were ''mother of the king of Upper and Lower Egypt'' and ''daughter of the god''. Neferhetepes was known for a long time from a reference in the tomb of the official Persen. His tomb is not far away from the pyramid of Userkaf, and therefore, there were some speculations about her identity and her relation to this king. However, several reliefs were found recently at the causeway of the pyramid belonging to king Sahure. Here, Neferhetepes is shown as mother of King Sahure, and she was therefore most likely the wife of Userkaf, Sahure's predecessor. Neferhetepes was most likely buried in a small pyramid next to Userkaf's pyramid. She most likely lived until the end of Sahures' reign, and is therefore not the same p ...
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Abu Gurab
Abu Gorab (Arabic: أبو غراب , also known as Abu Gurab, Abu Ghurab) is a locality in Egypt situated south of Cairo, between Saqqarah and Al Jīzah, Al-Jīzah, about north of Abusir, on the edge of the desert plateau on the western bank of the Nile. The locality is best known for the solar temple of King Nyuserre Ini, the largest and best preserved solar temple, as well as the sun temple of Userkaf, solar temple of Userkaf, both built in the 25th century BCE during the Old Kingdom of Egypt, Old Kingdom Period. Evidence suggests that as many as six solar temples were constructed during the Fifth Dynasty of Egypt, 5th Dynasty, however, only the two temples previously mentioned (Nyussere's and Userkaf's) have been excavated. Abu Gorab is also the site of an Early Dynastic burial ground dating back to the First Dynasty of Egypt, First Dynasty. Early dynastic cemetery North of Nyuserre's sun temple is a cemetery dating back to the First Dynasty of Egypt (c. 3100–2900 BCE ...
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Westcar Papyrus
The Westcar Papyrus (inventory-designation: ''P. Berlin 3033'') is an ancient Egyptian text containing five stories about miracles performed by priests and magicians. In the papyrus text, each of these tales are told at the royal court of king Khufu (Cheops) (Fourth Dynasty) by his sons. The story in the papyrus usually is rendered in English as, "King Cheops and the Magicians" and "The Tale of King Cheops' Court". In German, into which the text of the Westcar Papyrus was first translated, it is rendered as ''Die Märchen des Papyrus Westcar'' ("the fairy tales of Papyrus Westcar"). The surviving material of the Westcar Papyrus consists of twelve columns written in hieratic script. Miriam Lichtheim dates the document to the Hyksos period (eighteenth to sixteenth century BC) and states that it is written in classical Middle Egyptian. Linguist and Egyptologist thinks it is possible that the Westcar Papyrus was written during the Thirteenth Dynasty. The papyrus has been used by hi ...
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Thamphthis
Thamphthis is the hellenized name of an ancient Egyptian ruler (pharaoh) of the 4th Dynasty in the Old Kingdom, who may have ruled around 2500 BC under the name Djedefptah for between two and nine years. His original Egyptian name is lost, but it may have been ''Djedefptah'' or ''Ptahdjedef'' ("he endures like Ptah") according to William C. Hayes. Thamphthis is one of the shadowy rulers of the Old Kingdom, since he is completely unattested in contemporary sources. For this reason, his historical figure is discussed intensely by historians and Egyptologists. Background Since Thamphthis' name was found in the historical works of Manetho, the ''Aegyptiacae'',William Gillian Waddell: ''Manetho (The Loeb classical library 350)''. pp. 47–49 Egyptologists are trying to connect this ruler with contemporary kings to build up a continuous chronology, which resulted in controversies and debates. As early as 1887, Eduard Meyer viewed Thamphthis as a mere usurper, who was not allowed to ...
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Old Kingdom Of Egypt
In ancient Egyptian history, the Old Kingdom is the period spanning c. 2700–2200 BC. It is also known as the "Age of the Pyramids" or the "Age of the Pyramid Builders", as it encompasses the reigns of the great pyramid-builders of the Fourth Dynasty, such as King Sneferu, who perfected the art of pyramid-building, and the kings Khufu, Khafre and Menkaure, who constructed the pyramids at Giza. Egypt attained its first sustained peak of civilization during the Old Kingdom, the first of three so-called "Kingdom" periods (followed by the Middle Kingdom and New Kingdom), which mark the high points of civilization in the lower Nile Valley. The concept of an "Old Kingdom" as one of three "golden ages" was coined in 1845 by the German Egyptologist Baron von Bunsen, and its definition would evolve significantly throughout the 19th and the 20th centuries. Not only was the last king of the Early Dynastic Period related to the first two kings of the Old Kingdom, but the "capital" ...
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