Menkauhor Kaiu
Encyclopedia
Menkauhor Kaiu was a Pharaoh
of the Fifth dynasty
during the Old Kingdom. He was the successor of King Nyuserre Ini
and was succeeded by Djedkare Isesi
. Menkauhor's royal name or prenomen means "Eternal are the Souls of Hor
us".
may point to this proposed family relationship, but it is not a certainty.
Queen Meresankh IV
has been suggested as the consort for Menkauhor. It is possible however that she was a wife to Djedkare Isesi
instead.
Queen Khuit I
has also been suggested as a possible wife of Menkauhor, but this is not certain.
It has been suggested that Menkauhor's successor Djedkare Isesi was his son.
Other possible children include the princes Raemka
and Khaemtjenent, but it is also possible they are sons of Djedkare Isesi
, so they could be his grandsons instead.
assigns Menkauhor 8 years of rule. He was the last pharaoh to build a sun
temple—called Akhet
-Re. His pyramid
was reported to have been found in 1842 by German archaeologist Karl Richard Lepsius
at Saqqara
. Lepsius called it number 29 or the "Headless Pyramid". The pyramid was then lost under shifting sands until it was rediscovered in 2008. The pyramid is believed to be his. This would validate contemporary fifth dynasty records which indicate Menkauhor's pyramid was located at either Dahshur
or Saqqara. He is, in terms of present-day knowledge, the second most obscure 5th Dynasty
ruler after the ephemeral Shepseskare — although a relief by an official named Tjutju depicts him adoring the pharaoh, one major quarry inscription at Wadi Maghara in the Sinai
dated to his reign, a single seal bearing his name and a small alabaster statue prove his existence beyond doubt.
Several Old Kingdom administrative records at Abusir
indicate that Menkauhor finished his pyramid complex which was called Ntry-iswt-Mn-kw-hr while his funerary cult was still operational long after his death.
Pharaoh
Pharaoh is a title used in many modern discussions of the ancient Egyptian rulers of all periods. The title originates in the term "pr-aa" which means "great house" and describes the royal palace...
of the Fifth dynasty
Fifth dynasty of Egypt
The fifth dynasty of ancient Egypt is often combined with Dynasties III, IV and VI under the group title the Old Kingdom. Dynasty V dates approximately from 2494 to 2345 BC.-Rulers:...
during the Old Kingdom. He was the successor of King Nyuserre Ini
Nyuserre Ini
Nyuserre Ini , was a Pharaoh of Egypt during the Fifth dynasty. He is frequently given a reign of 24 or 25 years and is dated from ca. 2445 BC to 2421 BC. His prenomen, Nyuserre, means "Possessed of Re's Power"...
and was succeeded by Djedkare Isesi
Djedkare Isesi
Djedkare Isesi in Greek known as Tancheres from Manetho's Aegyptiaca, was a Pharaoh of Egypt during the Fifth dynasty. He is assigned a reign of twenty-eight years by the Turin Canon although some Egyptologists believe this is an error and should rather be thirty-eight years...
. Menkauhor's royal name or prenomen means "Eternal are the Souls of Hor
Hor
Hor was an Egyptian king of the 13th Dynasty. He appears in the Turin King List as Au-ib-Rê. He most likely reigned only for a short time, not long enough to prepare a pyramid, which was in this dynasty still the common burial place for kings.-Burial:...
us".
Family
Menkauhor may have been a son of Nyuserre. Reliefs from the mortuary temple of Khentkaus IIKhentkaus II
Khentkaus II was a Queen of Egypt. She was a wife of Egyptian Pharaoh Neferirkare Kakai of the Fifth Dynasty. She was the mother of Pharaohs Neferefre and Nyuserre Ini.-Biography:...
may point to this proposed family relationship, but it is not a certainty.
Queen Meresankh IV
Meresankh IV
Meresankh IV was a Queen of Egypt in the 5th dynasty. Her name means "she loves life".- Biography :Meresankh IV was a queen of Ancient Egypt towards the end of the 5th dynasty. While some sources consider that her husband is unknown, other sources suggest her husband was the pharaoh Menkauhor Kaiu...
has been suggested as the consort for Menkauhor. It is possible however that she was a wife to Djedkare Isesi
Djedkare Isesi
Djedkare Isesi in Greek known as Tancheres from Manetho's Aegyptiaca, was a Pharaoh of Egypt during the Fifth dynasty. He is assigned a reign of twenty-eight years by the Turin Canon although some Egyptologists believe this is an error and should rather be thirty-eight years...
instead.
Queen Khuit I
Khuit I
Khuit I was an Egyptian queen who lived in the 5th dynasty of Egypt.- Biography :She was buried in mastaba D 14 at Saqqara. Khuit I has been suggested as a possible wife of Pharaoh Menkauhor Kaiu, but this is far from certain...
has also been suggested as a possible wife of Menkauhor, but this is not certain.
It has been suggested that Menkauhor's successor Djedkare Isesi was his son.
Other possible children include the princes Raemka
Raemka
- Biography : Raemka was possibly a son of Pharaoh Menkauhor Kaiu. He was buried in tomb 80 in Saqqara.- Tomb :Raemka's tomb was originally excavated by Auguste Mariette. The tomb is listed as D3 in Mastabas. One of the chambers from the tomb was acquired by the Metropolitan Museum...
and Khaemtjenent, but it is also possible they are sons of Djedkare Isesi
Djedkare Isesi
Djedkare Isesi in Greek known as Tancheres from Manetho's Aegyptiaca, was a Pharaoh of Egypt during the Fifth dynasty. He is assigned a reign of twenty-eight years by the Turin Canon although some Egyptologists believe this is an error and should rather be thirty-eight years...
, so they could be his grandsons instead.
Biography
The Turin King ListTurin King List
The Turin King List, also known as the Turin Royal Canon, is a hieratic papyrus thought to date from the reign of Ramesses II, now in the Museo Egizio at Turin...
assigns Menkauhor 8 years of rule. He was the last pharaoh to build a sun
Sun
The Sun is the star at the center of the Solar System. It is almost perfectly spherical and consists of hot plasma interwoven with magnetic fields...
temple—called Akhet
Akhet (hieroglyph and season)
The Egyptian language word Akhet is both a hieroglyph and an Ancient Egyptian season.The two uses for akhet:* In ancient Egyptian, the place where the sun rises and sets; often translated as "horizon" or "mountain of light". It is included in names like "Akhet Khufu" and Akhetaten...
-Re. His pyramid
Pyramid
A pyramid is a structure whose outer surfaces are triangular and converge at a single point. The base of a pyramid can be trilateral, quadrilateral, or any polygon shape, meaning that a pyramid has at least three triangular surfaces...
was reported to have been found in 1842 by German archaeologist Karl Richard Lepsius
Karl Richard Lepsius
Karl Richard Lepsius was a pioneering Prussian Egyptologist and linguist and pioneer of modern archaeology.-Background:...
at Saqqara
Saqqara
Saqqara is a vast, ancient burial ground in Egypt, serving as the necropolis for the Ancient Egyptian capital, Memphis. Saqqara features numerous pyramids, including the world famous Step pyramid of Djoser, sometimes referred to as the Step Tomb due to its rectangular base, as well as a number of...
. Lepsius called it number 29 or the "Headless Pyramid". The pyramid was then lost under shifting sands until it was rediscovered in 2008. The pyramid is believed to be his. This would validate contemporary fifth dynasty records which indicate Menkauhor's pyramid was located at either Dahshur
Dahshur
Dahshur , is a royal necropolis located in the desert on the west bank of the Nile approximately 40 kilometres south of Cairo...
or Saqqara. He is, in terms of present-day knowledge, the second most obscure 5th Dynasty
Fifth dynasty of Egypt
The fifth dynasty of ancient Egypt is often combined with Dynasties III, IV and VI under the group title the Old Kingdom. Dynasty V dates approximately from 2494 to 2345 BC.-Rulers:...
ruler after the ephemeral Shepseskare — although a relief by an official named Tjutju depicts him adoring the pharaoh, one major quarry inscription at Wadi Maghara in the Sinai
Sinai Peninsula
The Sinai Peninsula or Sinai is a triangular peninsula in Egypt about in area. It is situated between the Mediterranean Sea to the north, and the Red Sea to the south, and is the only part of Egyptian territory located in Asia as opposed to Africa, effectively serving as a land bridge between two...
dated to his reign, a single seal bearing his name and a small alabaster statue prove his existence beyond doubt.
Several Old Kingdom administrative records at Abusir
Abusir
Abusir is the name given to an Egyptian archaeological locality – specifically, an extensive necropolis of the Old Kingdom period, together with later additions – in the vicinity of the modern capital Cairo...
indicate that Menkauhor finished his pyramid complex which was called Ntry-iswt-Mn-kw-hr while his funerary cult was still operational long after his death.