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| Menkauhor on a stele from Louvre |
The relationship of Menkauhor with his ancestors or successors is not known. As per the Turin King-list he governed for somewhere in the range of 8 years.
His reign is validated by an engraving in the Sinai and a seal from Abusir. His sun powered sanctuary, called Akhet-Re, and his pyramid are said in writings from private tombs, yet have not yet been distinguished. On the off chance that the presumption that his pyramid is to be situated at Dashur is right, this would infer a takeoff from Abusir.
Menkauhor was most likely the seventh leader of Egypt's fifth Dynasty. Menkauhor was this current ruler's honored position name, which signifies "Interminable are the Souls of Re". His original name was Kalu. Notwithstanding, he is likely the minimum very much validated leader of this administration and can be considered as a real part of the slightest verified rulers of any non middle period.
The relationship of Menkauhor with his predecessors or successors is not known. However, it is likely that he was either the brother or son of Niuserre, his predecessor. If he was Niuserre's son, it would probably have been by Niuserre's chief queen, Neput-Nebu. It is also likely that he was the father of Djedkare, who followed him to the throne. If not, he was almost certainly Djedkare's brother, with Niuserre being both king's father, or Djedkare's cousin, with Djedkare being the son of Neferefre, and Menkauhor being the son of Niuserre.
According to the Turin King-list he ruled for some eight years. References fairly consistently give his reign as lasting from about 2421 or 2422 until 2414.
His solar-temple, called Akhet-Re, and his pyramid are mentioned in texts from private tombs. This dynasty was famous for their solar temples, and Menkauhor's temple is probably located at either Abusir or Saqqara. It would have probably been the last such temple built, however, because his successors appear to have drifted away somewhat from the solar cult.
Menkauhor's pyramid has not been positively identified, but if the assumption that his pyramid is to be located at Dashur is correct, this would imply a departure from Abusir. However, some Egyptologists seem to strongly believe that his pyramid is the "Headless Pyramid", located in North Saqqara east of Teti's complex. There is mounting evidence to support this conclusion. B. G. Ockinga, for example argues that during the 18th Dynasty the Teti complex may have been associated with a cult belonging to a deified Menkauhor. Wherever it is located, his pyramid was called "Divine are the (cult) places of Menkauhor".
His reign is attested by an inscription in the Sinai at Magharah, indicating that he continued to quarry stone in that location as did his predecessors and successors. Given the lack of information on this king, we can also probably make some assumptions based on the activities of those predecessors and successors. For example, while he have no inscriptions as evidence, both Niuserre and Djedkare quarried stone northwest of Aswan, so it is likely that Menkauhor did as well. It is also highly likely that he continued commercial and diplomatic relations with Byblos, as did both Niuserre and Djedkare, and in fact we do find a few objects in the area near Dorak bearing his name. It is also likely that he had some sort of dealings with Nubia, but whether he sent expeditions to Punt, as did Niuserre and Djedkare, is unknown
Otherwise, Menkauhor is also attested to by a small alabaster statue that is now located in the Egyptian museum in Cairo and by a relief of Tjutju adoring King Menkauhor and other divinities. This relief, owned by the Louvre, has been on loan to the Cleveland Museum of Art. We also have a seal bearing his name that was found at Abusir.
King Menkauhor was the seventh king of the 5th Dynasty. He ruled Ancient Egypt from 2396 till 2388 BC, but never achieved the level of fame that the rest of the kings in his dynasty did. He built a pyramid in Dahshur, but only its ruins remain.
There is a small alabaster statue of Menkauhor located in the Egyptian museum in Cairo. He is reputed as having sent his troops to Sinai in order to acquire materials for the construction of his tomb.
In the cartouche above left we can read Menkauhor's short nomen Kaiu and the name of his pyramid is known from hieroglyphic text:
the humble meaning is - "Divine are the (cult) places of Menkauhor" and the king himself is sitting in front of his pyramid.