Mortuary temple of Djedkare-Isesi

Djedkare's funeral home sanctuary lies on the eastern face of the pyramid, based on inclining ground which must be leveled before development could start. Two huge towers as an arch initially fronted the sanctuary, yet their motivation is as yet hazy and it creates the impression that they didn't contain any rooms.

Parts of reliefs found in the sanctuary range propose that it was once lavishly adorned, yet it has been seriously harmed and the zone has never been totally exhumed. The symmetrical arrangement is by all accounts like that of other pyramid sanctuaries of Dynasty V with a passage corridor and a focal colonnaded court with magazines on either side. The 16 pink stone sections in the court bore the names and titles of Djedkare-Isesi. The inward and external parts of the sanctuary were isolated by a transverse hallway, and past this was a chamber with five statue-specialties, a waiting room and an offering lobby and on the western side a false entryway was fused into the substance of the pyramid.

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).