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153:–like structure with a mast on top. This can be guessed from references in texts where the temple is depicted as mastaba with a mast. It was surrounded by a wall, two chapels or offering chapels were placed in front of this main structure. They each had only one room. In a later phase the main structure received an obelisk–shaped top. An altar was added in front of the building. The temple was most likely erected in year 5 or 6 of the king's reign, as it is mentioned on the
161:. The obelisk shape of the top can be concluded from the writing of the temple name in Old Kingdom texts. From the reign of the latter king on, the name is always written with an obelisk. Furthermore, there are firm archaeological reasons for the obelisk. One corner piece from the top edge of the obelisk was found. It is made of granite. Remains of at least two statue shrines were found. They were made of
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are attested, providing evidence that the temple was used at least till the end of the Fifth
Dynasty. This is also confirmed by the pottery found. In contrast, the valley temple was in use till the end of the Sixth Dynasty, according to the pottery evidence. From the New Kingdom come several visitor
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The valley temple was found heavily destroyed too. It had most likely an open court with pillars and several chapels at the back. The number of these chapels is unknown. In the debris of the temple was found a stone head of a king, most likely king
Userkaf. It is possible that the stone temple was
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meaning the "Stronghold of Ra". The temple complex comprised several parts: on a low hill situated on the desert edge was the main temple which could be accessed via a causeway from a valley temple, located nearer to the area of cultivation and the Nile.
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not built under
Userkaf, but later perhaps under Niuserre. There were found building marks that are otherwise only attested for this king. Both temples were not decorated with any reliefs or inscriptions, at least nothing of this survived.
129:. Borchardt's main work however was on the nearby royal cemetery at Abusir. The temple was the focus of a dedicated excavation only 40 years later, between in 1954 to 1957, this time under the impulse of the German-Swiss expedition led by
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125:, under the number XVII. Lepsius only investigated the monument superficially and the first excavations of the temple took place much later, in 1907 and 1913, under the direction of
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in 1842, then director of the
Prussian expedition to Egypt. Lepsius did not recognise the sun temple as such and rather included it in his pioneering
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The temple was found heavily destroyed so that any reconstruction remains very problematic. The main temple consisted originally of one big solid
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157:(the remains of annals). The obelisk was most likely not added under Userkaf, but under one of his successors, perhaps under king
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The last hieroglyph shown here is an approximation of the correct one which shows a squat obelisk on a flat base called a
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to the north, some 15 km (9.3 mi) south of modern-day Cairo. The ancient name of the temple was
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Elmar Edel, Gerhard Haeny, Wolfgang Helck, Werner Kaiser, Peter
Kaplony, Herbert Ricke, Siegried Schott:
205:). Evidently, the obelisk had collapsed by the New Kingdom and the remains were interpreted as pyramid.
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Many seal impressions were found. Most of them bear king's names. King
Userkaf,
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403:(Beiträge zur ägyptschen Bauforschung und Altertumskunde, Heft 7), Kairo 1965
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Ancient
Egyptian temple dedicated to the sun god Ra built by pharaoh Userkaf
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Iamunedjeh, a person well known from other sources. He lived under
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and decorated with a pattern, imitating matting or wooden beams.
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Buildings and structures completed in the 25th century BC
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Sun temple of
Userkaf (Arabic: معبد الشمس في أوسركاف) in
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Buildings and structures of the Fifth
Dynasty of Egypt
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Das Sonnenheiligtum des Königs Userkaf, II, Die Funde
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An Introduction to the archaeology of ancient Egypt
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100:pyramid field to the south and the locality of
133:. The results were published in two volumes.
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117:The sun temple of Userkaf was discovered by
189:inscriptions, one of them was made by the
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363:Das Sonnenheiligtum des Königs II
350:Das Sonnenheiligtum des Königs II
337:Das Sonnenheiligtum des Königs II
145:Plan of the sun temple of Userkaf
385:. John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
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432:29.900063°N 31.199134°E
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90:Fifth Dynasty of Egypt
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71:Sun Temple of Userkaf
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119:Karl Richard Lepsius
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324:Sonnenheiligtum, I
311:Sonnenheiligtum, I
298:Sonnenheiligtum, I
285:Sonnenheiligtum, I
272:Sonnenheiligtum, I
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201:(Egyptian:
159:Neferirkare
113:Excavations
24:hieroglyphs
450:Categories
423:31°11′57″E
420:29°54′00″N
209:References
365:, 115-118
233:Bard 2015
163:greywacke
106:Nekhen-Re
102:Abu Gorab
81:built by
59:Nekhen-Ra
381:(2015).
182:Djedkare
178:Niuserre
326:, 35-47
322:Ricke:
313:, 20-22
309:Ricke:
296:Ricke:
283:Ricke:
270:Ricke:
257:Ricke:
244:Ricke:
222:ben-ben
199:pyramid
151:mastaba
86:Userkaf
83:pharaoh
389:
261:, 3-31
174:Sahure
98:Abusir
56:nḫn-Rˁ
387:ISBN
352:, 82
339:, 83
287:, 18
274:, 15
186:Unas
184:and
69:The
248:, 2
452::
203:mr
180:,
176:,
79:Ra
395:.
53:.
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