Complex Pyramid of Djedkare Izezi

Complex Pyramid of Djedkare Izezi

Initially called "Wonderful is Djedkare" . Today called Haram el-Shawaf, the "Sentinel Pyramid". Explored by Perring, and the Lepsius campaign . Entered in 1880 by Maspero to search for pyramid writings . Not went by again until the twentieth century, but rather the exploration was lost . The valley sanctuary has never been researched . Most likely worked under the supervision of Snedjemib, administrator of works . Djedkare was Menkauhor's successor in the fifth line. Most likely his child or his cousin.

The ruins of the valley temple lie under the edg eof the houses in the nearby villageSome granite stones are incorporated into the houses Causeway is not quite east-west A nearby necropolis for sacred snakes dates from the Late Period, and is near the upper end of the causeway The foundation slopes sharply on the east side, where the mortuary temple is located. A central courtyard with columned hall and alabaster walkway. The columns are pink granite palm columns.

The western part of the temple was incorporated into the masonry of the pyramid.
Very little remains of the decoration sor structure. Small cult pyramid near the southeast corner of the main pyramid is common. It has three coresw and a single underground chamber, entered from the north side, and enclosed in a small retaining wall.

Entrance is on the north side, but not on the pyramid face, but rather in the pavement of the courtyard and covered with a chapel. Private tombs are nearby, but they do not contain his family (they were buried in Abusir) A pyramid of an unknown queen, possibly of Djedkare, is almost integrated into the pyramid.

Basalt sarcophagus, with the head oriented to the north Fragments of canopic jars Mummified body of a man about 50 years old, possibly that of Djedkare

Core of six steps, currently missing the upper three layers 49 meters (163 feet) high (Currently only 24 meters tall) . Each step is approximately 7 meters  high, built of limestone with clay mortar. Casing is long gone, but the north side is well preserved "Pyramid of the Sentinel" 25m tall, open ot visitors, but very little to see Djedkare-Isesi was the penultimate king of Dynasty V, the predecessor to Unas. He was the first pharaoh to build a pyramid in the area to the south of the main Saqqara necropolis, moving away from the chosen burial grounds of his immediate ancestors at Abusir. Although Djedkare's ancestry is still unclear, it is known that he reigned for at least three decades, during which time he was responsible for reforming the administration of Upper and Lower Egypt and reorganising the mortuary cult at Abusir.

Pyramid of Djedkare-Isesi from the north   Pyramid of Djedkare-Isesi from the north
The pyramid of Djedkare, overlooking the modern village of Saqqara, is known today as 'The Sentinel' (el-Shawaf) but was originally named 'Beautiful is Djedkare'. It was visited by Perring, and recorded by Lepsius, but was first entered by Gaston Maspero in 1880 during his search for pyramid texts. In the 1940s the pyramid was excavated by Abdel Salam Hussein, although his work was never published. It has been sporadically investigated since then, especially in the area of the causeway, but due to the damage to the pyramid complex in antiquity little remains have been found there.

The funerary complex that Djedkare built at Saqqara followed the general standards of the time. To the West there was a pyramid, with its entrance facing North. There was a small Satellite Pyramid near the Southeast corner of the main pyramid. The king's mortuary temple extented to the East of the pyramid. The only surprise comes from the structure of the Queen's Pyramid complex, which is located to the Northeast of the King's Pyramid. It is the first to have contained all the elements that were standard in the funerary complex of a king: a pyramid, be it a small one, to the West, an even smaller satellite pyramid to the Southeast and a mortuary temple to the east

Djedkare Izezi (2388—2356)

Djedkare Izezi was the eighth ruler of the fifth Dynasty and ruled Egypt from 2388 till 2356 BC. He was an exceptionally keen and vivacious lord, and he could take full preferred standpoint of all the accessible mineral assets in Egypt at Wadi Hammamat and Sinai. His name was recorded at Wadi Maghara and Wadi Halfa. His beneficiary was his child, Prince Remkuy, who passed on before he expected the position of authority.

The relationship of Djedkare with his antecedents or successors is not known. As indicated by the Turin King-list he administered for a long time, albeit a few Egyptologists would want to peruse the number given as 38. The most elevated known year reference for this lord is the time of the 22nd cows number. In the event that the steers checks were held at general two year interims, this would be the 43rd year of Djedkare's rule. Manetho records 44 years for this ruler.

Djedkare's name has been found in the Sinai, demonstrating a continued Egyptian interest in this rich region, Abydos and Nubia. His reign is marked by some important changes: the solar cult, although not abandoned, loses some of its importance and predominance, and the power of the central government is weakened to the advantage of the provincial administration.

Another important change that occurred during Djedkare's reign is that he returned to Saqqara to build his funerary monument. This does not mean, however, that the funerary temples of Abusir were abandoned. The larger part of the papyri found in the funerary temple of Neferirkare are dated to Djedkare.

Izezi was the eighth king of the 5th Dynasty and ruled Egypt from 2388 till 2356 BC. He was a very smart and energetic king, and he was able to take full advantage of all the available mineral resources in Egypt at Wadi Hammamat and Sinai. His name was inscribed at Wadi Maghara and Wadi Halfa. His heir was his son, Prince Remkuy, who died before he assumed the throne
Djedkare, was the eighth ruler of dynasty five and was perhaps a son or another relative to his predecessor.

His Horus-name Djedkhawu is shown in picture right and the prenomen Isesi (or Issi) to the left. He had a son and heir named Remkuy who died before him. Though his long reign of about 30 years, surprisingly few facts of him has come forward. Like the pharaoh before him he probably did not build a sun temple and choose his tomb to be placed in the royal burial ground in Sakkara.

Two expeditions are recorded going to Sinai and an expedition to the mystical country Punt is also noted for in graffiti. He kept both the commercial and diplomatically contacts with the important trade centres in Syria. A few officials from his time are known and he is mentioned in contemporary letters as well as royal ones from the next dynast. The papyri records found in the funerary temple of the older king Neferirkare are dated to his time.

Djedkare's pyramid is situated at South Sakkara and today it's called "The Sentinel Pyramid". A mummy found within it is believed to be Djedkare himself, and estimated to be from a man about fifty years old, which correspond well to his reign.

After a few pretty much expert diggings throughout the years the pyramid was analyzed in the 1980s and discovered extremely harmed and hard to uncover. The valley sanctuary have had only a couple brief examinations and some remaining parts of dividers with reliefs from the boulevard have been found. At the Nile side the geography is a substantial incline and incredible endeavors have been taken to make the establishment to the funeral home sanctuary. Flanking the passage were two square gigantic, tower-like arches. The passageway corridor had extremely monstrous dividers, maybe to bolster a vaulted rooftop. The passage was once cleared in alabaster, the distance into the sanctuary yard.

 The name of his pyramid was: "The Beautiful Pyramid" (picture left) sometimes written with the king's name in front, to spread a little beauty over the owner too. The hieroglyph for "beautiful" (nefer) was by tradition an image of a animal's belly and windpipe (the blue sign).

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.