Menkauhor (2422—2414)

Menkauhor on a stele from Louvre

Menkauhor was the seventh lord of the fifth Dynasty. He controlled Ancient Egypt from 2396 till 2388 BC, yet never accomplished the level of distinction that whatever remains of the rulers in his tradition did. He constructed a pyramid in Dahshur, however just its vestiges remain. There is a little alabaster statue of Menkauhor situated in the Egyptian historical center in Cairo. He is rumored as having sent his troops to Sinai with a specific end goal to secure materials for the development of his tomb.

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.

Sun-altar

Before the platform stood an extensive and wonderful holy place, 6m in measurement, which was built from five squares of white alabaster. This was cut in profound help with a hover at its inside and four "hotep" images on the sides (the hieroglyphic sign speaking to 'offerings', "peace" or 'fulfilled'). This lovely sacred place still stays in situ. On the southern side of the pillar was a house of prayer which contained the 'Council of the Seasons', its reliefs portraying the reproducing power of the sun-god in nature. Lamentably some of these reliefs in Museums in Germany were obliterated amid the Second World War. At the north-east corner of the walled in area is a progression of ten alabaster bowls (nine as yet surviving) thought to be utilized as a part of conciliatory customs, either for water or blood. Outside the upper sanctuary nook dividers (which contained storage facilities), a watercraft molded pit fixed with mudbricks can in any case be seen on the southern side and which is another indication of the components of the pyramid complex.

Cartouche of Niuserre   One of nine alabaster basins

The causeway descended steeply from the walls of the terrace and like Userkaf's causeway was offset to the north-east and the valley temple which formed an entrance pylon to the complex. The scant remains of the valley temple are in boggy ground and have never been properly investigated, but its thick enclosure walls led Borchardt to believe that they were the walls of a settlement.

The purpose of the sun-temples has never really been satisfactorily explained and suggestions for their significance are numerous. What they do seem to symbolise is the union of the king with the solar deity, which had become almost a state god during this period. At least by mid-Dynasty V they seem to have had a close connection to the pyramids at Abusir, although we know that the temples had their own donations, lands and maintenance staff.

Sun Temple at Abu Ghurab

Sun Temple at Abu Ghurab:

At the western end stood a benben (stone monument) as tall as a pyramid. Just the base remains.

Fixated on an alabaster alterwhere steers were sacrificd

Block model of a sunlight based watercraft toward the south

indistinguishable to the Sun Temple of Userkaaf

Search for channels cut into the clearing which course the blood of penances to the ten alabaster bowls. Nine survive.

Userkaf's successor Sahure was the principal ruler to site his pyramid at Abusir, yet there has so far been no sun-sanctuary found at Abu Ghurob in his name. The main different stays of a sun-sanctuary has a place with Niuserre, the 6th ruler of Dynasty V, which is situated around 500m north-west of Userkaf's sanctuary. This landmark was referred to early voyagers as the pyramid of 'Righa', however was first uncovered by Borchardt and Schaeffer's German archeological undertaking in the vicinity of 1898 and 1902. Niuserre's sun-sanctuary, which was named 'Enjoyment of Re', is vastly improved safeguarded than that of Userkaf and many pieces of alleviation enrichment were recuperated, some delineating the heb-sed celebration (now in Berlin Museum).

Sun-temple of Niuserre   Remains of chapel on the south side of the temple
Niuserre used similar elements in the construction of his sun-temple as those reconstructed from Userkaf's monument and which had become common in pyramid complexes. The upper temple was on a levelled terrace, its rectangular walls first constructed in mudbrick and later encased in yellow limestone. A vestibule led into a courtyard which was dominated on its western side by a large obelisk constructed from limestone blocks and which stood on a flat-topped pyramid-shaped pedestal, around 15m high. The obelisk probably symbolised the 'ben-ben' stone on which the sun's rays first shone in the Heliopolitan creation myth.