Menkauhor, also called Menkauhor, was a Pharaoh of the Fifth Dynasty of the Old Kingdom of Egypt. Although less well known than some of his predecessors, Menkauhor left traces of his reign, some of which are still enigmatic to Egyptologists. This article presents the information available on this sovereign and the main discoveries associated with it.
The reign of Menkauhor
Menkauhor succeeded Nyuserre, probably in the second half of the 25th century BC. The exact dates of his reign are not certain, but it is estimated that he reigned for around 9 years. Contemporary sources at Menkaouhor are rare, and Egyptologists must rely mainly on later inscriptions to reconstruct his reign.
The funeral complex
The pyramid of Menkaouhor, called “The divinely beautiful pyramid”, was built in Saqqara-South. Although its structure is very damaged, the excavations have revealed interesting elements, such as fragments of reliefs and inscriptions referring to the solar cult. These findings suggest that Menkauhor had strong ties to sun worship, like other Fifth Dynasty pharaohs.
International relationships
Menkaouhor maintained commercial relations with neighboring countries, in particular Lebanon and Syria. Inscriptions found in Wadi Maghareh, in the Sinai, show that expeditions were sent there to exploit the mineral resources of the region. These expeditions testify to the importance of commercial exchanges and territorial conquests under his reign.
The mystery of Menkauhor
Despite the information available, Menkauhor remains an enigmatic pharaoh. The circumstances of his death and the succession to his reign remain unclear. Some Egyptologists believe that Menkaouhor could be the father of Djedkare Isési, who succeeded him, while others believe that it could be a brother or a more distant relative.
Menkauhor is a lesser known Pharaoh of the Fifth Dynasty, whose reign remains enigmatic. His links with the sun cult, his international relations and his expeditions to exploit mineral resources are all elements that testify to the importance of his reign. Future research may shed more light on this mysterious ruler and better understand his role in the history of Egypt's Old Kingdom.
📋 LIST OF EGYPTIAN SOVEREIGNS 📋
Hotepsekhemwey / Sneferka / Nebra / ninetjer / Senedj / Noubnefer / Horus Ba / Peribsen / Sekhemib / Khasekhemwy / Neferkasokar / | |||
Djoser / Sanakht / Sekhemkhet / Spoon / Huni | |||
Sekhemre-Khutaouy Amenemhat-/Sobekhotep I/Sekhemkare Amenemhat-Senbef/Sekhemkare Amenemhat V/Ameny-Qemaou/Hotepibre Qémaou-Sa-Hornejhéritef/Ioufeni/Séânkhibrê Amény-Antef-Amenemhat (or Amenemhat VI)/Semenkarê Nebnoun/Sehotepibrê Sousekhtaouy | |||
Sekhaenre Yakbim/Nebuuserre Yaammou/Khauserre Qareh | |||
Semqen/Aper-Anat/Sakir-Har/Khyan/Apophis I/Apophis II?/Khamoudy | |||
/Sekhemre-Sementaouy Djehouty/Sekhemre-Sousertaouy Sobekhotep VIII | |||
Twenty-first dynasty | |||
Twenty-second dynasty | |||
Twenty-third dynasty | |||
Twenty-fourth dynasty | |||
1st Persian Dynasty | |||
Thirty-first dynasty (Achaemenid) | 2nd Persian Dynasty | ||