Userkaf

Userkaf was the founder of the Fifth dynasty of Egypt and the first pharaoh to start the tradition of building sun temples at Abusir.. Userkaf's name means "his Ka (or soul) is powerful." He ruled from 2465-2458 BC and constructed the Pyramid of Userkaf complex at Saqqara. Userkaf's mother was thought by some to have been queen Neferhetepes. Recent discoveries at Sahure's causeway in Abusir show however that Neferhetepes was the mother of Sahure ... more

Userkaf was the founder of the Fifth dynasty of Egypt and the first pharaoh to start the tradition of building sun temples at Abusir.. Userkaf's name means "his Ka (or soul) is powerful." He ruled from 2465-2458 BC and constructed the Pyramid of Userkaf complex at Saqqara. Userkaf's mother was thought by some to have been queen Neferhetepes. Recent discoveries at Sahure's causeway in Abusir show however that Neferhetepes was the mother of Sahure and hence a wife of Userkaf.. It is possible that queen Khentkaues I was Userkaf's mother. His father is unknown, although Userkaf was a grandson of Djedefra, the immediate successor of Khufu. A bust of Userkaf is displayed in the Egyptian Museum. The head was found in the first (of five) sun temples at Abu Ghurob built by the rulers of the fifth dynasty. The head of Userkaf is 45 cm high and carved from greywacke stone. The sculpture is considered particularly important as it is among the very few sculptures in the round from the Old Kingdom... less