Unas is the last pharaoh of the Fifth Dynasty of the Old Kingdom of Egypt, who ruled at the end of the 24th century BC. His reign marks the end of a period of stability and prosperity, and his funerary complex is famous for the earliest examples of the “Pyramid Texts”. This article offers an overview of the life and reign of Unas.
Reign and historical background
Unas' reign is estimated to be around 15 to 30 years. Although his reign is less documented than that of some of his predecessors, it is known that Unas continued to maintain the commercial and diplomatic relations established by previous pharaohs of the Fifth Dynasty. However, the centralized power of the Egyptian state began to weaken during his reign, and the local nobility grew in influence.
The funeral complex
The Pyramid of Unas is located in Saqqara, near Cairo, and is the smallest of the royal pyramids built during the Fifth Dynasty. His funerary complex also includes a funerary temple and a valley temple, which were connected by a causeway.
The Pyramid Texts
The Pyramid of Unas is famous for the earliest examples of “Texts of the Pyramids”, a collection of religious and magical texts inscribed on the walls of burial chambers. These texts were intended to help the pharaoh reach the afterlife and unite with the gods. The Pyramid Texts are considered the oldest known religious texts and were copied and adapted for the pyramids of later pharaohs.
📋 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 | ||