Ancient Egyptians - Sahure
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Profile of Pharaoh Sahure
The following profile provides a fast overview of Sahure, one of the Sun kings who built his pyramid complex at Abusir.

Profile of Sahure

History Time Period: Old Kingdom

Predecessor: Userkaf

Dates of his Reign: 2458 - 2446 BC

Successor: Neferirkare Kakai

King Sahure
Interesting facts, biography & information about the life of Pharaoh Sahure, the ancient Egyptian King. The Pharaoh Sahure fact sheet provides details of the major events and accomplishments in his life, his consort and his family. Information about the dynasty and period in ancient Egyptian history in which King Sahure lived. Refer to Pharaohs for additional interesting facts and information.

Ancient Egyptian King - Sahure Fact Sheet

Fact 1 on Sahure: Name: His name means "He who is Close to Re"This pharaoh of ancient Egypt was also known as Nebkhau, his Horus name.

Fact 2 on Sahure: History: Sahure ruled as the king of Egypt during the period in ancient Egyptian history known as the Old Kingdom and was a pharaoh of the 5th dynasty of kings by right of inheritance. He succeeded Pharaoh Userkaf  to the throne of Egypt.

Fact 3 on Sahure: Family: His father was Userkaf and his mother was Queen Neferetnebty.

Fact 4 on Sahure: Family: Sahure married Neferetnebty, whose status and title was the "King’s Wife, his beloved", "Great of Praises" and Companion of Horus. He had several children including Ranefer, Netjerirenre, Horemsaf, Khakare and Nebankhre.

Fact 5 on Sahure: The Age of the Great Pyramids ended with the kings of the 4th dynasty who had come into conflict with the powerful priests of the solar god Ra. Greater emphasis was placed on building temples to the gods rather than monuments to the kings.

Fact 6 on Sahure: Because of the rise of the cult of the solar god Ra, or Re, in this period the pharaohs of the 5th dynasty are often referred to as the Sun Kings.

Fact 7 on Sahure: The Giza necropolis was overflowing and the king chose Abusir as the next royal necropolis where he built a pyramid and funerary complex consisting of a mortuary temple and a causeway (raised roadway) leading to a Valley Temple - see details below.

Fact 8 on Sahure: The king governed the kingdom of Egypt with priests, courtiers and the Vizier (Chief Chancellor). This was a very different government to the previous dynasty in which all the important positions were given to members of the royal family.

Fact 9 on Sahure: The names of some of the palace officials of King Sahure were Pehenukai who was a priest and also the Vizier. Senuankh, Nikaure and Tepemankh were also priests. Evidence to the power and the influence of the priests of Ra.

Fact 10 on Sahure: The king was an energetic ruler and successfully extended trading opportunities by investing in building new boats for the ancient Egyptian navy and sending trading missions to Canaan and the Land of Punt.

Fact 11 on Sahure: Sahure was also a prominent military leader and launched campaigns against the Libyans in the Western Desert, ensuring he retained control of the valuable stone quarries in this region.

Fact 12 on Sahure: In his quest for valuable natural resources he gained further mines and control in the quarries located in the Sinai Desert and was known to initiate the quarrying of diorite stone at Abu Simbel near the Aswan area.

Ancient Egyptian King - Sahure Fact Sheet

Abusir & the Pyramid of Sahure

Pharaoh Sahure
Discover fast, interesting fun facts about Pharaoh Sahure for kids with some amazing, cool and quick information about ancient Egypt and Egyptians. Ideal for children, homework, schools, teachers and kids of all ages! Find fascinating fun facts about Sahure for kids and the history, culture and civilisation of the ancient Egyptians and ancient Egypt. Interesting, fun facts about this king of Egypt for research, schools, students and kids of all ages.

The Pyramid of Sahure
Learn about this ancient Egyptian pharaoh the fast and easy way via the Pyramid of Sahure Fact sheet. The picture of the pyramid complex of Sahure at Abusir provides and example of the basic plan and layout that the ancient Egyptians used when designing a funerary complex for the king.

Ancient Egyptian King - Pyramid of Sahure Fact Sheet

Fact 13 on Sahure: His pyramid was called Sekhet-Re, meaning the "Field of Re."

Fact 14 on Sahure: The stone used to build his pyramid complex was sourced from the local stone quarry and the fine white limestone used for the casings were from the Tura quarry.

Fact 15 on Sahure: His pyramid complex consisted of:

The Pyramid
The cult, or subsidiary, pyramid
Mortuary Temple
The causeway (a raised roadway) that led to the Valley Temple
A canal linked the Valley Temple to the River Nile

Fact 16 on Sahure: The pyramid complex was connected to the Nile River via a canal. This access to water enabled the ancient Egyptians to build a highly elaborate drainage system with a network of underground copper pipes.  

Fact 17 on Sahure: His pyramid was much smaller and less expensive to build that the great pyramids of Giza, but it was still impressive. His pyramid is just over 78 meters (255 feet) high, whereas the Great Pyramid of Giza soared to over 146 metres (480 feet).

Fact 18 on Sahure: His successful military campaigns, his fleet of navy vessels and his hunting expeditions were depicted as vividly painted low reliefs on his pyramid and temple.

Fact 19 on Sahure: The purpose of the cult, or subsidiary pyramid, is still unclear. Scholars have theorized that it was a tomb for the queens, the resting place for the king's Ka or an additional location of rituals relating to the cult of the dead pharaoh and the daily offerings made on his behalf by the priests.

Fact 20 on Sahure: Ancient Egyptian gargoyles. The water and drainage system at Abusir included rainspouts shaped as lion heads. Lion-headed gods, such as Sekhmet,  were associated with Ra the sun god.

Picture of Sekmet

Fact 21 on Sahure: Sekhmet was the sun goddess of war and protector of the pharaohs. Sekhmet was the warrior manifestation of the sun, causing flames to devour the enemies of Egypt. Her figure was engraved on the walls of Sahure's Temple at Abusir. As a lioness Sekhmet represented the fiercest hunter known to the ancient Egyptians.

Fact 22 on Sahure: Sahure’s pyramid complex at Abusir was later used in the 18th Dynasty as a sanctuary for the goddess Sekhmet.

Fact 23 on Sahure: His mortuary temple was connected to his pyramid where sun priests of Ra performed daily funerary rites and presented offerings to the dead king’s Ka. His mortuary temple consisted of an entrance hall, an open, columned courtyard, alcoves for his statues,  storage chambers and an inner temple, or sanctuary.

Fact 24 on Sahure: The great causeway (raised roadway) was also beautifully decorated and served as a processional road that connected his pyramid complex to the Valley Temple and on to the River Nile. The causeway ran for 235 meters (770 feet).

Fact 25 on Sahure: The 'Valley Temple' was located on the shores of Abusir lake and contained statues of Sahure and was the starting point of the funeral ceremonies and rituals. The picture below provides an excellent depiction of the temple, its roof terrace and its access to the causeway.

Fact 26 on Sahure: The floor of the 'Valley Temple' was paved with black basalt, its wall were decorated with hunting scenes featuring King Sahure and its ceiling was decorated with star patterns.

Ancient Egyptian King - Sahure Fact Sheet

Valley Temple of Sahure

King Sahure and the 5th Dynasty
The following chart provides the names of the kings and the line of succession in the 5th Dynasty together with a map of ancient Egypt.

5th Dynasty

Name - Dates of Reign

King Userkaf - 2467–2458 BC

King Neferirkare Kakai - 2446–2426 BC

King Neferefre (aka Raneferef) - 2419–2416 BC

King Menkauhor - 2396–2388 BC

King Sahure (aka Unis & Weni) - 2356–2323 BC

Sahure
Learning about the ancient Egyptians and King Sahure inspires everyone to visit historical sites and undertake Egypt Travel and Tours to experience the wonders of this magical land at first hand. Many people choose to experience a tour of Egypt on a Nile Cruise stopping at the famous destinations and sites of Egypt such as the Pyramids of Giza and the Great Sphinx. The information and facts about Pharaoh Sahure will provide you with a great insight into Egypt and the legacy of the ancient Egyptians.

Sahure