Pepi II pyramid
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 The pyramid today
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The Pepi II pyramid is in Saqqara south. It has a base length of 78.75 m (150 cubits ) and was once approximately 52.50 m (100 cubits) high. It is the last great pyramid of the Old Kingdom .
The pyramid
The limestone pyramid is located in the middle of a pyramid area with a smaller secondary pyramid and a wall that surrounds the entire complex. There is a pyramid temple in the east, an approx. 400 m long pathway and a valley temple . Next to the pyramid of the ruler Pepi II there are three pyramids of queens.
The entrance to the pyramid was in the north. There were three chambers decorated with pyramid texts in the middle of the building. The ceilings were decorated with stars. There was also a granite sarcophagus here . The actual pyramid was built from small chunks of limestone. The core consisted of five steps and was then clad with white, finer limestone.
Pyramid temple
Numerous relief representations could still be recovered from the pyramid temple . There are depictions of the Sed festival or a festival of the god Min . The depiction of the submission of a Libyan prince is identical to that found in the pyramid temple of Sahure . The center of the temple was a courtyard with eighteen pillars made of reddish quartzite .
The pyramid and its complex were systematically excavated by Gustave Jéquier from 1926 to 1932 .
literature
General overview
- Zahi Hawass : The Treasures of the Pyramids. Weltbildverlag, Augsburg 2004, ISBN 3-8289-0809-8 , pp. 272-275.
- Jean-Philippe Lauer : The royal tombs of Memphis. Excavations in Saqqara. Lübbe, Bergisch Gladbach 1988, ISBN 3-7857-0528-X .
- Mark Lehner : Secret of the Pyramids. Orbis, Munich 1999, ISBN 3-572-01039-X , pp. 161-163.
- Rainer Stadelmann : The Egyptian pyramids. From brick construction to the wonder of the world (= cultural history of the ancient world . Volume 30). 2nd, revised and expanded edition. Philipp von Zabern, Mainz 1991, ISBN 3-8053-1142-7 , pp. 196-203.
- Miroslav Verner : The pyramids (= rororo non-fiction book. Volume 60890). Rowohlt, Reinbek bei Hamburg 1999, ISBN 3-499-60890-1 , pp. 399-405.
Excavation publications
- Gustave Jéquier : La pyramide d'Oudjebten (= Fouilles à Saqqarah. ). Imprimerie de l'Institut français d'archéologie orientale, Cairo 1928 ( online ).
- Gustave Jéquier: Les pyramides des reines Neit et Apouit (= Fouilles à Saqqarah. ). Imprimerie de l'Institut français d'archéologie orientale, Cairo 1933 ( online ).
- Gustave Jéquier: Le monument funéraire de Pepi II. Tome I. Le tombeau royal. Imprimerie de l'Institut français d'archéologie orientale, Cairo 1936 ( online ).
- Gustave Jéquier: Le monument funéraire de Pepi II. Tome II. Le temple. Imprimerie de l'Institut français d'archéologie orientale, Cairo 1938 ( online ).
- Gustave Jéquier: Le monument funéraire de Pepi II. Tome III. Les approches du temple. Imprimerie de l'Institut français d'archéologie orientale, Cairo 1940 ( online ).
Web links
Coordinates: 29 ° 50 ′ 25 ″ N , 31 ° 12 ′ 48 ″ E