Famous Pharaohs

The Queens Pyramids of Menkaure

The Queens Pyramids of Menkaure, three small queens pyramids are situated to the south side of the pyramid and, like the other repositories, they were never finished. It has been advised that the biggest and Nearly complete of these belonged to Menkaure's important wife Khamerenebti II.

The Pyramid of Menkaure

The last of the three older pyramids at Giza is the one connected with Menkaure. In one of the chambers on an arch was false the name Menkaure.
Menkaure's Pyramid had an particular height of 65.5 meters (215 ft) and was the tightest of the three leading pyramids at the Giza Necropolis. It now stands at 61 m (204 ft) tall with a base of 108.5 m. Its angle of incline is about 5120 25?.

It was constructed of limestone and granite. The first sixteen trends of the exterior were made of granite. The upper helping was cased in the normal fashion with Tura limestone. Part of the granite was left in the rough. Broken projects like this help archeologists understand the methods used to progress pyramids and temples.

Inside the pyramid of Menkaure

South of the pyramid of Menkaure were 3 satellite pyramids none of which seem to have been completed. The largest was made part in granite like the main pyramid. Neither of the other 2 progressed beyond the construction of the inner core.

Richard Howard, who first imposed Egypt in 1835, discovered in the upper foyer the remains of a wooden frail coffin inscribed with Menkaure's name and containing human bones. This is now took to be a near coffin from the Saite period, and radiocarbon dating on the bones established them to be less than 2,000 years old.

The pyramid assorted with Menkaure is encourage SW of the other 2 pyramids but not just SW. It is a Gentle beginning further towards south. This offset, along with the smaller size of the pyramid, is significant to the Orion correlation theory that advises that the pyramids form an take match on the prime of Orions Belt in the constellation of Orion which well ensure more depth afterwards.

Menkaure's Artifacts

Alabaster Head:

The alabaster head of Menkaure

A pretty head, for Menkaure, in Egyptian alabaster (calcite) of a statue of Mykerinos was found during the 1908 digs of the Valley Temple of Mykerinos' funerary monument at Giza. It measures 28.5 cm in height by 16 cm. It was learned along the remains several other statues, four of which were inscribed with Mykerinos' titulary. There were hence at least four statues representing Mykerinos, and this lovely alabaster head may once have been part of one of them.

The king's face is fresh and round, the eyes understandably big. The nose is gentle and the mouth has a noted lower lip. He wears a false byssus. The uraeus is carved onto the wig of this statue, with only its head popping. This head is quite some in that the king is played wearing a wig rather of a crown or the royal nemes headgear, but this does add to the intimacy it looks to contemplate. It is plausibly one of the finest samples of Old Kingdom art and can be marvelled at in the Boston Museum of close arts.

Other artifacts of Menkaure:

White Crown

Triad Statues

Statues of Mykerinos and Khamernebti II

King Menkaure (Mycerinus) (2490-2474)

Statue of Menkaure

King Menkaure was the fifth ruler of the Fourth Dynasty, the detergent builder of the third pyramid at Giza. The heir of Khafre, Menkaur ruled from 2490 B.C.E. until his death, and was anticipated Mycerinus by the Greeks. He was Khafres son, probably born to Queen Khamerernebty (2) or peradventure to Queen Persenti His sons were Kaaur, Khuenr, the chosen heir who died young, and Shepseskhaf, who succeeded him. His daughter was Khentakawes (1). Shepseskhaf perchance good Menkaurs pyramid, the third one erected at Giza, and it is known that he total Menkaurs mortuary temple. He was read as being godly, and his death was forecast by the Oracle of Buto.

Menkaure's pyramid at Giza was designed smaller than the ones raised there by Khufu and Khafre, but it was continued by expensive Aswan stone. A basalt Sarcophagus was set within the pyramid and taken fine panel medals. Statues and other reliefs manifest to the skill of the artisans of his historical period. In the Twenty-sixth Dynasty (664-525 B.C.E.) Menkaurs remains were located into a new wooden coffin. His basalt Sarcophagus was took to Europe, but it reportedly went set in a shipwreck off the coast of Spain.

The Northern Pyramid of Bakare at Zawyet el-Aryan

Microscopic remains today of another social system, assumed to be a second bare pyramid at Zawyet el-Aryan. This was likewise excavated by Barsanti in 1903, who discovered only a huge leaning trench leading to a pit. Traces of a square platform measuring about 200m square signals that if the pyramid had been finished it would have been similar in size to Khafre's monument at Giza. Stylistically this would give the construction a date of Dynasty IV, probably between the reigns of Djedefre and Khafre. The staying elements are said to resemble Djedefre's pyramid at Abu Rawash. Great blocks of limestone and granite lie on the base of the impinge and may have been intended for use in the inhumation chamber. At the bottom of the trench there was a larger oval pink granite sarcophagus, which may or may not belong to the structure. Significantly, Petrie found fragmentizes of a similar styled sarcophagus while locating Djedefre's complex at Abu Rawash.

During Barsanti's excavations, archaeologists were confused when the trench filled with rain which very speedily drained to about a metre deep, suggesting that there may have been an undiscovered transit or chamber to a lower place the trench. Unfortunately the social system has never been encourage inquired because of its unavailability in the military zone. There have been many candidates proposed for the ownership of this unfinished monument which, had it been finished, may have rivalled some of the outstanding pyramids of the Old Kingdom. Near Egyptologists currently date the construction to Dynasty IV. Evidence put forward to hold this dating take the use of large blocks of stone, the rounded granite sarcophagus and the size of the structure's base. Masons marks with the king's figure have been found on some of the blocks. These have been difficult to interpret take out that the name was involved in a cartouche which proposes the ruler essential have come after Huni (the last king of Dynasty III), who was the first noted king to write his name this way. Many now suggest that it was a social organisation belonging a king coming between Djedefre and Khafre, peradventure a son of Khufu or Djedefre who dominated for only a very short period.

King Bakare (2550-2548)

King Bakare was the fourth ruler of the Nubian Twenty-fifth Dynasty He ruled from 664 B.C.E. to 657 B.C.E. He then secluded from Egypt and perchance dominated for a clock in Nubia, modern Sudan. Tanutamun was a nephew of Taharqa, who had suffered overcome at the hands of the Assyrians. When Assurbanipal assaulted Egypt and empty Thebes, Tanutamun withdrawn to Nubia. He had won back Thebes, Aswan, and Memphis preexisting to Assurbanipals encroachment. In that campaign he put Necho I to dying in 664 B.C.E. and forced Psammetichus I to flee to Assyria.

A stela inscribed in Gebel Barkal depicts Tanutamuns coronation at Napata in 664 B.C.E. Called the Dream Stela, this monument besides details King Tanutamuns dream of two snakes. He believed this vision typified that he would rule both Upper and Lower Egypt. Tanutamun was forgot at Nuri, the royal necropolis in Nubia.

The Sphinx (Khafre Monument)

The Sphinx

The great notable structure on the Giza plateau is the Sphinx the great half lion, half man statue that is situated to the east of the pyramid connected with Khafre.

Its head faces due eastern and it is the largest monolith statue in the world. It is 73 ms long, 19 metres wide, and 20 metres high. A long causeway continues between the Valley Temple which is SE of the Sphinx to a temple directly in front of the pyramid connected with Khafre. In look of the Sphinx itself to its east is the Sphinx Temple.

The Funerary Temple of Khafre at Giza

Funerary Temple of Khafre at Giza

The funerary Temple of Khafre at Giza is best saved example of Old Kingdom layout. Huge stops make up the tample, about 13 metre long. Flanking the temple are boat pits, but no boats. Nearly 400 thousand causeway to the valley temple which broken in 1852. The limestone presented with Re Aswan granite.

Pyramid of Khafre at Giza

Egypt is home to as many as 100 pyramids and the outstanding and famous of them all are the Pyramids of Giza. It is hard to imagine the close proximity of these historic social structures to the city of Cairo. After awakened up this morning to the constant hum of activity created by a city of or so 20 million people, we prepared ourselves for a day of cultural and historical risk. We drove 30 minutes South East and rapidly went far at the historic place that was nestled in the heavy city suburb of Giza. The size and the reach of the legendary stone mausoleums, which were constructed for the Kings and Queens of Egypt, were impressive. To me, the Nearly worrying of all the pyramids were the Pyramids of Giza, which comprise of the Great Pyramid of Cheops, the Pyramid of Khafre, and the Pyramid of Menkaure. These ancient social organisations are the last continuing of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.

Inside the Pyramid of Khafre

The Pyramid of Khafre was built for King Khafre of the 4th Dynasty, who was one of the replacements of Khufu. As I glanced up from the bad of the pyramid at the top it felt as though I was looking at the jagged flowers of the Canadian Rocky Mountain Range. In this representative, however, it was men who used basic tools to build this mountain of cut gem in an otherwise bare landscape.

Artifacts from the time of Khafre

Statue of Khafre with Horus

Statue of Khafre with Horus

This huge statue in Diorite, observed in the Valley Temple of Khefren's funerary complex at Giza, is one of the umpteen example of the high craft of the Old Kingdom. It represents Khefre, seated on an elaborate throne. There is only slight wrong to some places on the left-hand side of the statue. Eventhough the throne was made out of one bloc of great diorite, its legs are etched to resemble the manuses of lions, whose points grace the front of the seat.

The side impanels of the throne stock the sema-tawi symbol: the narrative plants of Upper and Lower Egypt are tied together in a knot around the hieroglyph corresponding the notion "unity". The sema-tawi symbol so comprises the one between Upper and Lower Egypt and would be held on thrones of kings passim the Ancient Egyptian history. Contrary to many other histrionics of thrones in Ancient Egypt, this throne appears to have a back, which, unluckily, is somewhat hurt. Seated regally on his throne, Khefren jades the nemes headdress adorned with a (weakened) ureaus. His eyes are narrow, the nose gross and the speak full. His round face gives forth power and confidence.

Other Artifacts of Khafre time:

Khafre's Sitting Statue

Alabaster Head of Granite Head

Granite Head of Granite Head

Limestone Head

King Khafre (Chephren) (2520-2494)

Statue of Khafre

King Khafre (Chephren) The fourth swayer of the Fourth Dynasty He predominated from 2520 B.C.E. until his death. Khafre was the builder of the second pyramid at Giza and was the son of King Khufu (Cheops) (r. 2551-2528 B.C.E.) and likely Queen Henutsen. He married Queens Khamerernebty (1) and Merysankh (3) and raised Prince Menkaure (Mycerinus), Prince Nekur, Princess KhamerernebtyY (2), and others. Another son, Baefr, is leaned in some records as having delivered the goods him briefly, but Menkaur is ordinarily identified as the actual heir.

When Pharaoh Radjedef, died in 2520 B.C.E., Khafre put away his sons: Setka, Baka, and Ahanet. Khafre did not full Radjedef's pyramid either, leaving it incomplete at Abu Rowash. His own pyramid in Giza was 702 feet square and originally 470 feet high. Sheathed in Tureh limestone, the construction was completed by morgue and valley temples. A causeway, 430 feet in length, related the complex structures and was carved out of the rock. In the inhumation chamber a red granite Sarcophagus looked the mummified remains, and 5 boat matches were learned in the complex, without boats.

Cartouche of Khafre

Khafre's accession to the throne certified the revived dominance of the older faction of Khufus shared family. Khafres pyramid at Giza fixed the plateau as the royal burial ground, and the Great Sphinx, having his facial likeness, supplied Giza with new insignia of pharaonic power. Khafre's successor and replacement was Menkaur (Mycerinus), his son by Queen Khamerernebty (1). Queen Merysankh (3) held him Prince Nebemakht, Queen Nedjhekenu endured Prince Sekhemkar, and Queen Persenti bore Nekaure, who became famous because of his will. Khafres reign crossed over a draw of a century, and he was favorite with his people.

Pyramid of Djedefre at Abu Roash

Sone of Khufu lonely Giza and started to Abu Rowash, perchance due to a family falling-out. Anticipated Djedefres Starry Sky Second northwest pyramid in Egypt. Looked Into briefly by Perring and afterwards by Petrie in 1880s. Systematically investigated in the beginning ot he 20th century. Latest by French-Swiss team in 1995. Popular target for early stone cops at the rank of 300 camel scores a day in the end of the 19th century. May not have been full.

Nothing of valley temple, but Little some the causeway very bad 1700 m to have reahed the pyrajmid from the valley. It ran north-south in a menstruation when they are suppoed to run east-west. Outer margin wall 2 m thick. There is a space at the nother end where a mortuary tabernacle should be. Passim the 3rd dynasty, the mortuary temple was on th enorth slope, but with the 4th dynasty, became related to the east side. Inner perimeter wall about 6 m from the north pyramid base, where a mudbrick social organisation may be the mortuary temple. A white corridor is believed to have lead from the ne entrance of the innter enclosre to the mouth of the causeway.

A depression in the east wall of the pyramid core, credibly for a void door and altar. Possibly the oldest sphinx, on with statues of three of his sones and two daugheter were discovered. Used part of a rock outcropping to start, with the rmainder of the essence made of localized limstone. Almost 15 horiztonal layers of the limestone core stay, but very microscopic pink granite casing. Very cutting slope, maybe designed as a step pyramid? Latest excavations show that the casing blocks were in all probability laid with an future sloope and the pyramid was closer to a perpendicular slope of 52. This method was besides used in the Step and Bent pyramids. 106.2 meters service line, bewteen 57-67 m tall. Much small than any at Giza.

Used an open pit method of building for alone chambgers, a throwback to smaller times. In the northwestern wall a impinge contains the stiff of a sdescending corridor. East side within the enclosure wall is a trench that might be a boat pit, although no boar was discovered. Instead, fragmentizes of 120 statues, taking three generally complete heads. It comes out that the statues were intentionally finished, possibly by Khafre, his half-brother and heir (who mau have murdered Djedefre) Newer theories have the destruction occuring in the New kingdom by copts and roman and christlike locals. No tombs have been found within the complex. A strucure near the southeastern corner may be a alternate tomb for one of his matches. others remember that this is a cult pyramid. Workshops and housing were discovered against the ne wall.

The Mortuary Complex of King Djedefre

The Near serious monument in this mountainous region, nevertheless, is the mortuary complex of Djedefre, successor of Kheops and third pharaoh of the 4th Dynasty. There has been a lot of conjecture about Djedefre's motivating to build his funerary repository at Abu Rawash and not next to his father's at Giza. A very common thought is that Djedefre took this far place to distance himself from the despotic reign of his father, whereas his brother Khefren, returned to Giza because he made the same views as Kheops. The fact that Djedefre improved his pyramid outside from his father's would thus be advisory of several dynastic fueds in the introductory of the 4th Dynasty. The fact that Mykerinos, son of Khefren, undertook some restoration work at Djedefre's funerary memorial does not gone well with the romantic theory of dynastic fueds. It must be mentioned that during the early 4th Dynasty, there comes along to have been a run towards the Northern for the royal funerary complex. King Sneferu went from Meidum, where he at least completed or perhaps straight built a pyramid, to Dashur where he built two pyramids. His son, Kheops, moved even further North, to Giza and Djedefre fulfilled this run by building his pyramd in Abu Rawash. The motivating bottom this move North is not clear, but it is still interesting to line.

Recently, it has been suggested that Djedefre run to Abu Rawash because it was located opposite Heliopolis, the city of the solar cult. During the reign of Djedefre, the solar cult made a lot in importance, as is shown by the addition of the title Son of Re to the royal titulary. This could at least explicate Djedefre's choice of location, but it does not explain why Kheops affected to Giza. The social organisation of Djedefre's funerary monument is fairly simple, but it already has all the ingredients that are typical for the Old Kingdom. The complex has an secret enclosure wall that developed to a height of about 6 ms. The royal pyramid supported almost in the centre of the complex. The pyramids of Djedefre's predecessors Sneferu and Kheops had the burying chamber inside the pyramid above ground true. For unknown reasons, Djedefre prefered to have his sepulture chamber, developed at the bottom of a collossal pit measuring 23 by 10 metres and defeated some 20 ms into the ground. The inhumation chamber itself conscious 21 by 9 meters. This technique was besides used for the building of the inhumation chamber of Netjerikhet at Sakkara. A 49 metre long corridor slopes up to ground level, providning the entering to the pyramid. As was already traditional, this charm was settled in the North, pointing to the gross stars. There was a smaller satellite pyramid built to the Southwest of the important pyramid, whereas the mortuary temple, taking on a small boat pit, stood to the eastward. It was broken with mudbrick, evoking that work on the mortuary temple was full hastily. Djedefre's reign is likely to have been short and the king may have died by chance. Khefren, his successor, may have said to complete working on this complex as smooth as achievable so that work on his own funerary memorial could start without check.