These include stone vessels stamped with the Sahure’s cartouche, as well as a thin piece of gold stamped to a chair which also bore the cartouche of the pharaoh.Īpart from Lebanon, Sahure is also recorded to have sent a trade mission to the land of Punt. The ships, which were loaded with the famed cedar trees of Lebanon, is depicted as carrying both Egyptians and Asiatics.Ĭollaborating evidence can be seen in artefacts from Lebanon. In one scene, for instance, Egyptian ships are shown returning home from the coastal town of Byblos, in present day Lebanon. Scenes of trade activities can be found on the reliefs decorating the pharaoh’s mortuary temple. Trade ships depicted on Sahure’s mortuary temple (Miguel Hermoso Cuesta / CC BY-SA 4.0 ) For instance, trade was carried out between Egypt and its neighbors, which benefitted both parties. This was extended to neighboring peoples as well. In any event, during Sahure’s reign, his kingdom enjoyed peace and prosperity. The Palermo Stone, on the other hand, records that Sahure ruled Egypt for a total of 13 years.
According to the Turin King List, Sahure reigned for a total of 12 years. Sahure succeeded Userkaf as pharaoh around 2,487 BC. It does not appear she was his mother though: when excavations were carried out at the causeway of Sahure’s pyramid, reliefs were found indicating that the pharaoh’s mother was Neferhetepes, another of Userkaf’s wives. Incidentally, in the tomb, Khentkaues is depicted with the royal uraeus (the upright cobra found on the foreheads of Pharaohs) and beard, suggesting that she may have served as Sahure’s regent. Furthermore, in Khentkaues’ tomb in Giza, she is referred to as the ’ mother of two kings ’, one of whom, presumably, was Sahure. The text read as follows: according to the magician Djedi, Redjedet was destined to give birth to the children of Re, who would become the first pharaohs of the 5th Dynasty. Ĭopy of the Westcar Papyrus (Keith Schengili-Roberts / CC BY-SA 2.5 ) Additionally, Khentkaues is identified as “Redjedet”, a character in the collection of miracle stories known as the Westcar Papyrus. Therefore, it has been traditionally assumed that Sahure’s mother was Khentkaues. This ended the dynastic struggles, and allowed Userkaf to establish a new dynasty. In order to strengthen his position, Userkaf, married Khentkaues, who, unlike her husband, was a descendant of the main branch of the royal family. As time went by, rival branches emerged, causing dynastic struggles. Userkaf is believed to have been a descendant of Redjedef, the third pharaoh of the 4th Dynasty. The identity of Sahure’s mother, on the other hand, is a bit of a mystery. The name of his son, “Sahure” may be a reflection of the emphasis placed by Userkaf of this solar deity. During Userkaf’s reign, the cult of Re, or Ra, the Egyptian sun god, rose in importance. His father is generally thought to have been Userkaf, the founder of the 5th Dynasty. Sahure, whose name means “He who is close to Re”, was born around middle of the 3rd millennium BC. This suggests that size should not be the sole criterion when considering the quality of these ancient Egyptian pyramids. On the other hand, this pyramid complex is notable for the quality of the stones used in its construction, and the rich relief decorations of its mortuary temple. On the one hand, the Pyramid of Sahure is much smaller than the earlier three main pyramids in Giza, which may be interpreted as a decline in pyramid building. The Pyramid of Sahure is located in Abusir, near Cairo in Egypt, and Sahure’s successors followed in his footsteps by building their pyramids in that area as well. Sahure is also well-known for the pyramid complex that he constructed for himself. Amongst other things, Sahure traded with foreign lands, developed a navy, and opened up mines.
He was a ruler of the 5th Dynasty, and his reign was marked by peace and prosperity. Sahure was an ancient Egyptian pharaoh who lived during the Old Kingdom period.