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

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.