Mereruka

Statue of Mereruka in his mastaba

Mereruka ( Mereru-ka , also just Meri for short ) was an ancient Egyptian vizier under Pharaoh Teti ( 6th Dynasty ), who is best known today for his monumental mastaba in Saqqara . He was probably in office towards the end of Teti's reign.

family

Little is known about his person. His wife was a certain Seschseschet Watetchethor , who was a daughter of Teti. The mother of the Mereruka was called Nedjetempet. Several children are known, including Meriteti , who also became vizier.

title

Mereruka held numerous important titles , including treasury chief , chief of the six great administrative buildings, and chief of all the king's works . The latter title may suggest that he was an architect building the Royal Pyramid. In addition, he also carried the title imy-r gswy-dpt zwnw pr-'3 - head of the protection of the doctors of the palace . This title and its correct translation has caused some discussion within Egyptology as it seems to imply that this highest official was also active as a doctor.

dig

Mereruka is best known for its huge mastaba , which is located next to the pyramid of Teti . His wife Watetchethor and his son Meriteti, who each had their own cult rooms within the mastaba, were also buried here. The approximately 23 × 41 m large stone building consists of 32 rooms and is therefore the most elaborate known mastaba in Egypt in terms of the number of rooms. A large part of the chambers are decorated with reliefs, which are not considered to be as artistically valuable as the representations in the nearby mastabas of Ti and Ptahhotep , but show a particularly large variety of scenes. The structure is well preserved and is one of the main tourist attractions in Saqqara .

The floor plan of the mastaba shows the complexity of the structure
Entrance of the mastaba (current state)
Relief: fishermen hauling in their catch
Relief: a hippo intervenes Nile at
Wrong door
Inside the mastaba
Relief with birds

literature

Michel Baud : Famille royale et pouvoir sous l'Ancien Empire égyptien. Tome 2 (= Bibliothèque d'Étude. Volume 126/2). Institut Français d'Archéologie Orientale, Cairo 1999, ISBN 2-7247-0250-6 , p. 467 ( PDF; 16.7 MB ).
Nigel Strudwick: The Administration of Egypt in the Old Kingdom , London 1985, pp. 100-101 ISBN 0-7103-0107-3

Web links

Commons : Mastaba of Mereruka - Collection of Images, Videos and Audio Files

Mereruka on Osirisnet

Individual evidence

^ Hermann Ranke : The ancient Egyptian personal names , Volume 1, p. 162
^ Dilwyn Jones: An Index of Ancient Egyptian Titles, Epithets and Phrases of the Old Kingdom . Volume 1. 2000, p. 272, No. 980
↑ John F. Nunn: Ancient Egyptian Medicine , British Museum Press, London 1996 ISBN 0-714109819 , pp. 125-26 (with outdated translation: Head of the two sides of the nave of the doctors of the palace )
↑ http://www.osirisnet.net/mastabas/mererouka/e_mereruka_01.htm , The mastaba tomb of Mereruka also known as Meri. Internal description section

^ Emma Brunner-Traut : Egypt. Art and travel guide with regional studies , 6th, improved edition, Verlag W. Kohlhammer, Stuttgart u. a. 1988, p. 511.

personal data
SURNAME	Mereruka
ALTERNATIVE NAMES	Meri
BRIEF DESCRIPTION	ancient Egyptian vizier
DATE OF BIRTH	24th century BC Chr.
DATE OF DEATH	24th century BC BC or 23rd century BC Chr.

[1] Hermann Ranke : The ancient Egyptian personal names , Volume 1, p. 162

[2] Dilwyn Jones: An Index of Ancient Egyptian Titles, Epithets and Phrases of the Old Kingdom . Volume 1. 2000, p. 272, No. 980

[3] John F. Nunn: Ancient Egyptian Medicine , British Museum Press, London 1996 ISBN 0-714109819 , pp. 125-26 (with outdated translation: Head of the two sides of the nave of the doctors of the palace )

[4] ttp://www.osirisnet.net/mastabas/mererouka/e_mereruka_01.htm , The mastaba tomb of Mereruka also known as Meri. Internal description section

[5] Emma Brunner-Traut : Egypt. Art and travel guide with regional studies , 6th, improved edition, Verlag W. Kohlhammer, Stuttgart u. a. 1988, p. 511.