Menkaure
(Mykerinos ) Pyramid / King Menkaure.
The name of
King Menkaure in the Ancient Egyptian Language as the name appears on the List
of Kings in the Hieroglyphic Script in the Temple of King Seti I, in Abydos a
Min – Kau – re. His name Menkaure for which he was well known among Historians,
Herodotus called him Mykernos , and Manethon called him Manchenes Menkhris.
King Menkaure is the Fifth King of the Fourth Dynasty, and he obtained the
Throne after the death of his Father who was King King Khafre, also this King
was famous in the writings of Ancient Historians for his qualities of devotion
and his kindness, which was unlike his Father and Grandfather , Khafre, Khufu.
Quite a few Scholars tend to guage the reign of the King Menkaure to be
approx.. Eighteen Years or perhaps a little more, which is based on the
mentions in the Turin Papyrus. The Menkaure Pyramid which in the Ancient
Egyptian language is b nitari – men – kaq – re which translates into Holy
Menkaure. The Pyramid of Menkaure was constructed on one of the Slopes of the
Plateau in a place which was located to the Southwest of the Pyramid of King
Khafre. The entrance to the Pyramid is located in the Northern Façade which is
at a height of four meters from the base. The entrance leads on to a Sloping
Vestabule , the length being thirty one meters, the walls and the ceiling of
the Vestibule were constructed with Granite Stones, which began from the
entrance and reaching the Rock.
Dynasty.
Mykerinos
was one of the Kings of the Fourth Dynasty, and as stated by the Turin King
List his rule lasted for either eighteen or twenty eight Years..
History.
Mykerinos
was the Son of Chefren and Khamenebti I, he was married to his sister
Khamernebti II, with whom he had a Son Khunre who died at a young age, however
he could have had two other wives, but their names are not known. One of these
wives bore him a son who was Shepseskaf , his successor and another bore him a
daughter Khentkaus I, who was said to have married Userkafri who was the first
King of the Fifth Dynasty.
The highest
truthful Year from Mykernios reign refers to the Eleventh Cattle Count which
means taxes or the Year after the eleventh Cattle Count, with a biennal Cattle
cencus , Mykerinos would at least have reigned for approx.. twenty one or
twenty two Years years, however in the view of the fact that his Funerary
Monument was left to be unfinished when he died would appear to be too long,
however the general consensus appears to be towards an eighteen Year reign, and
an irregular Cattle cencus.
The Turin
King List also puts another King in between Chefren and Mykerinos with an
unknown number of Years. This King could be the unattested Bakare who may have
been another son of Kheops.
Monuments.
Opposite to
Cheops and Chefren, Mykerinos was later seen as a warm hearted and wise King.
This may have been caused by the fact that his Pyramid, built next to the
Pyramids of Cheops and Chefren was slightly less than half the size of these
two Great Pyramids. The Morturary Temple
which was built in front of his Pyramid was completed although it was done in a
rush, by his successor Shepseskaf.
Why not
caome and visit Menkaure Pyramid with our Egypt Tours.