Pyramid of Sahure
Pyramid of Sahura
Old Kingdom, 5th Dynasty early·Ancient Egyptian·🇪🇬 Giza Governorate, Abusir, Egypt
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About
About Pyramid of Sahure
First pyramid at Abusir for second king of 5th Dynasty (47.5 m high, 78.75 m base, angle 50°11'), introducing 5th Dynasty pyramidal art refinement: exquisite limestone mortuary temple reliefs (naval expedition to Punt, Libyans), palm columns and separate valley temple connected by causeway. Borchardt excavated 1902-08; model for later 5th Dynasty pyramids.
Why it mattersType-site for 5th Dynasty funerary temple decoration and palm-column architecture.
Open questions
Mysteries & theories
Mysteries
- 01Punt expedition depicted – earliest naval relief
Theories
- 01Abusir chosen to be near Heliopolis Re temple; naval scenes document Red Sea trade
Theories are interpretations, not findings. The seal above tells you how much scholarly weight the place carries.
History
How it came to be
- Built
- c. 2487–2475 BCE
- Period
- Old Kingdom, 5th Dynasty early
- Culture
- Ancient Egyptian
- Purpose
- Tomb of Sahure
- Excavation
- Excavated
c. 2487-2475 BCE
Construction of the first Abusir pyramid complex
1838
Perring (Vyse expedition) clears the pyramid entrance
1842-43
Lepsius expedition surveys the complex
1902-08
Borchardt (Deutsche Orient-Gesellschaft) excavates pyramid, temples and causeway; monograph from 1910
1979
Inscribed as part of Memphis and its Necropolis UNESCO World Heritage Site (id 86)
On the ground
Structures & features
Gallery