Merenre II, also known as Nemtyemsaf II, was a pharaoh of the Sixth Dynasty of the Old Kingdom of Egypt. Son and successor of Pepi II, Merenre II inherited a weakened and declining empire. His short reign, which would have lasted only about a year, did not leave many archaeological or historical traces.
A difficult legacy
After the death of Pepi II, whose exceptionally long reign coincided with the gradual decline of the Old Kingdom of Egypt, Merenre II inherited a kingdom that faced economic difficulties, rivalries between members of the royal family and the rise of local governors. Climatic changes leading to droughts and famines also contributed to the weakening of Egypt.
A short and poorly documented reign
Merenre II ascended the throne at the end of the Old Kingdom, a period marked by growing political and economic instability. His reign, which would have lasted only one year, did not leave many archaeological or historical traces. There is little information about his reign, and available sources are often fragmentary and contradictory.
The uncertainty around his grave
The location of Merenre II's burial remains uncertain. It is possible that he was buried at Saqqara, where several unfinished pyramids attributed to late Sixth Dynasty pharaohs have been discovered. However, no definitive evidence has been found to confirm that any of these pyramids was the tomb of Merenre II.
📋 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 | ||