Step Pyramid of Djoser

Step Pyramid of Djoser

Along the west bank of the Nile on the border of the desert at Saqqara is the Step Pyramid  complex of Horus Neterikhet, known as King Djoser, credibly the 2nd  pharaoh of the 3rd Dynasty. The  constructions of the complex are significant because they are the first ones made of quarried stone, in regular courses.

The  third century BC historian Manetho confirms the Djoser complexs originality when he themes  that  Imhotep, whom the Greeks  anticipated Asclepios for his 

Cobra heads, Step Pyramid at Saqqara

The first modern exploration of the Step Pyramid was made by the Prussian general Baron von Minutoli, who recorded it with the Italian engineer Geronimo Segato through 1821. This scholars discovered 2 chambers, raised with blue faence juries, and the granite overleap, which had  already  been  void in antiquity. In the corner of a hallway they discovered what was left of a mummy with a heavy gilded skull and a couple of sandals, also gilded. These were took by von Minutoli, but then missing at sea.

Pierre Lacau and Cecil M.Firth began excavating  the complex in 1924.The first places  they  searched  were  two  mounds,  situated at the northeast corner  of  the  serious pyramid. They were greatly amazed to find 2 faades with fluted columns almost in the Greek Doric style. Firth at first considered he was excavating a Ptolemaic social organisation, but some New Kingdom hieratic composition on the walls of the entering corridors soon proved the building to date to the third Dynasty. It was in these inscriptions that the name (Zoser) was first got; contemporary texts good use the name Neterikhet, sometimes followed by the epithet golden sun.

Mazghuna

Remains of the southern pyramid of Mazghuna

Mazghuna is  a  locate  south  of  Dahshur associated with the last rules of the 12th Dynasty. The pyramidal works of Akhenaten (1799-1787 B.C.E.) and Queen Sobekneferu (1787-1783 B.C.E.) were discovered at that place. They were brother and sister, and they established to renovate their dynastic claims and halt the disintegration of Egypt and the first of the Second Intermediate Period, to no help. The Hyksos and other established details were already ready in the  Delta, and  the nome  tribes were establishing their own claims to domain and power. The pyramidal tombs of these rules are in ruins.

Imhotep Museum

Model of the Step Pyramid in Imhotep Museum

Imhotep Museum at Saqqara, founded in 2006, is a place museum intentional to house artifacts from local diggings. It serves to set visitors for their inspect to the necropolis of Saqqara, which includes  the Step Pyramid of King Djoser, the Serapeum, the pyramids of Teti and King Unas, and elite tombs from all epochs of ancient Egyptian history. The museum is discovered after Imhotep, the Old Kingdom official credited with design the Step Pyramid; later deified, he became honorable as a wise man and a patron of medicine

Gisr el-Mudir

Gisr el-Mudir

The Gisr el-Mudir , placed just west of King Sekhemkhets pyramid complex, was located in the early twentieth century, but not inquired until the middle-1990s. It comprises of masonry of roughly hewn limestone blockages in layers, taking it potentially the earliest known stone structure in Egypt. Its builder is unknown, but proposed dates have shifted  from  Dynasty 3  to  the  Early Dynastic period, and in particular to Dynasty 2. Others have tentatively imputed the Gisr el-Mudir to Khasekhemwy. Pottery observed during the 1995 season can be antique to the end of Dynasty 2 or starting of the third Dynasty. Accordingly, it has been indicated that these empty precincts are the counterparts of the Abydene enclosures built in muck brick.

King Shepseskaf (2472-2467)

Cartouche of Shepseskaf

King Shepseskaf was the sixth Pharaoh of the Fourth Dynasty. He governed ancient Egypt from 2472 BC to 2467 BC. Shepseskaf was in power through a very difficult political period, during which there were galore confrentations with assorted priests. Many Nomes desired independence and rose against Shepseskaf's authority. He completed his predecessors' repositories, but some records indicate that he was not settled from a royal line. His tomb is in South Saqqara. Mykerinos was delivered the goods by his oldest enduring son, Shepseskaf. His wife, Bunefer; bore him a daughter, Khamaat, who tied the Memphite high-priest Ptah-shepses. According to the Turin King-list, Shepseskaf's reign lasted for just four years.This may correspond well with the fact that the highest attested year for this king is the year after the first cattle count. This, however, left him with enough time not only to errect his have funerary memorial but besides to hastily clean his father's mortuary temple.

Shepseskaf's Mastaba

Again matching to the Turin King-list, his reign was came by a two year reign of an unknown king, who may be identified with king Thamphthis shown by Manetho. Shepseskaf chosen not to have a pyramid, but a sarcophagus-like mastaba as a tomb and he run back to the cemetery of Saqqara. This is seen by some Egyptologists as a sign of shifting beliefs, by others as a sign that he wanted to distance himself from the constructing policy of his sires. Others again see it as proof that the establishing policy of Kheops and Khefren had entirely exhausted the resourcefulnesses and wealth of the royal family. Shepseskaf was the sixth king of the 4th Dynasty. He found ancient Egypt from 2472 BC to 2467 BC. Shepseskaf was in power through a very difficult semipolitical period, during which there were many confrentations with several priests. Many Nomes in demand independence and risen against Shepseskaf's authority. He total his predecessors' memorials, but some records show that he was not descended from a royal line. His tomb is in South Saqqara.

Shepseskaf was probably not of royal standard and had to merry in to the first family to get have of the throne. When he came to power there are denotations of some disorder in Egypt. His first years look to have been quite difficult with oppositions with various chemical groups of priests and probably parts of the nobility as well. The most essential was when states rebelled against his authority. If the conflict escalated beyond civil obedience we don't know, but it credibly did not. He restored order in the country and could clean his predecessor Menkaure's repositories at Giza. The only portraying maybe to be of him is a head of white alabastrine (above right), but its identification is very disputable since it was found in the Valley Temple of Menkaure whose characteristics it looks to have. Shepseskaf is alone in Egyptian history by constructing an invention of his own for his serious monument, today called "Mastabat el-Faraún" - Pharaoh's Mastaba. I was called "the Purified Pyramid" though the hieroglyph in the name (in picture left) was of another shape. This monument was made as a sarcophagus-like mastaba with a slenderly vaulted roof, and placed 20 km south of Giza 3 km southeast of the old memorial park of Sakkara. If this new design (never to be recurring) was a sign of switching beliefs is uncertain, but by this he broke the building tradition accepted by the pharaohs in the past. The superstructure was of clean design with the grave chamber placed asymmetrical to the geometrical centre of the construction.

The Fourth Dynasty of Ancient Egypt

The Fourth Dynasty dated back to (2630—2524). Manetho Africanus lists two other kings in this list, a king names Ratoisis (ruling 25 years) between Menkaure and Bakare, and another king Thamplitis (ruling 9 years) after Shepseskaf. Manetho Africanus: also does not mention Djedefre.

The dynasty list of Kings:

King Sneferu  (2575—2551)

King Khufu (Cheops) (2551—2528)

Pharaoh Kauab

King Djedefre (2528—2520)

King Khafre (Chephren) (2520—2494)

King Bakare (2550—2548)

King Menkaure (Mycerinus) (2490—2474)

King Shepseskaf (2472—2467)

The Queens Pyramids of Menkaure

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 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

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

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