<A>
tomb temples of the Old Kingdom: *
This is the tomb of Nefermaat was the eldest son of Sneferu, the pharaoh and founder of the 4th Dynasty of Egypt, and his first wife. He was buried in mastaba 16 at Meidum, one of several relatives of Pharaoh Sneferu who was buried here.
see illustration
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<B>
pyramid temples of the Fourth Dynasty:*
pyramid of Khafre (aka of Chephren) is the 2nd tallest & largest of the 3 pyramids of Giza; it was the tomb of the Fourth-Dynasty pharaoh Khafre (Chefren), who ruled from c. 2558 to 2532 BC.
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The funeral journey would start with the first & lowest element of the temple complex, the valley temple. This structure linked the pyramid complex with the Nile River itself. The exterior was built of huge blocks (some over 100 tonnes) of red granite. Two entrances in the eastern wall face the Nile & led to a hallway running north to south. Large diorite statues of Khafre were found in this hallway. A doorway in the middle of the hallway leads west into a T-shaped hallway with 16 square solid granite pillars supporting the roof, the floor paved with alabaster. Sockets in the floor would have housed 23 statues of Khafre, small openings in the ceiling allow light to illuminate the statues. At the north-west corner of the hall a passage leads us to the causeway.
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We continue our journey along the connecting causeway. We travel 541 yards walking west, eventually arriving at the mortuary temple.
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The mortuary temple was built out of huge limestone blocks clad with granite with an alabaster floor. Larger than previous temples, it was the first to include all 5 standard elements of later mortuary temples: an entrance hall, a columned court, 5 niches for statues of the pharaoh, 5 storage chambers, and an inner sanctuary. We enter the mortuary temple on the west side through a narrow passage. An opening in the west wall of the hallway leads to a court with 14 square columns with wide bays at the north & south ends. This leads onto another hallway with 10 columns which then leads to the main court of the temple. Within this court huge rectangular pillars formed supports for a series of statues of Khafre. There are five niches on the western wall. To the north of the niches a passage leads to the pyramid court.
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We now stand at the mighty pyramid itself. It has 2 entrances both on the north side, one at ground level, the other 11.5 meters above ground level. see illustration above
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<C>
Sun temples of the Fifth Dynasty: *
Niuserre' sun temple, Abu Ghurob (Abu Ghurab), near Abusir where his pyramid is located & along with other 5th Dynasty kings pyramids. Originally made with mudbrick walls forming a grid that was then filled with rubble. Later, these mudbrick "retaining" walls were sheathed in a casing of yellow limestone blocks. It had 3 primary components, a valley temple, a desert or upper temple and a causeway that connected the two. The name of the sun temple was originally "Delight of Re".
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<D>
Egyptian Culture (relief & painting): *
Egypt, Luxor, valley of the kings, tomb of a pharaoh Set I, New Kingdom 19th Dynasty, the son of Ramesses I and Sitre, father of Ramesses II. 1290- 1279 BC interior frescoes; 3 rows, all figure smoving from left to right
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<E>
Egyptian relief work (3rd to 5th dynasties): *
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4th dynasty ( 2613–2498 BC)
see illustration to the right
Carved limestone relief with traces of paint.
Slab Stela of Nefer. Tomb 1207, Cemetery 1200,
Giza Necropolis. Carved limestone relief
with traces of paint.
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5th dynasty (2498–2345 BC)
see illustration below
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Wall reliefs from the Temple of Esna
above: Pillars in Valley Temple
ground plan of the Valley Temple
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The higher entrance leads to a downwards sloping passageway (see illustration) dressed with heavy granite blocks; at the foot of the slope there is a vertical portcullis at the point just before the higher passages joins with the lower passage. From there, a horizontal passage leads to the burial chamber.
The burial chamber was also carved out of the bedrock, the roof constructed of gabled limestone beams. Khafre's sarcophagus was carved from a block of solid black granite & sits in a frame created by large blocks sunken into the floor of the burial chamber. There is another niche in the floor which probably held the chest which stored the canopic jars. see illustration
3rd Dynasty (2686–2613)
Relief Block with the Figure of Aa-akhti, Late Third Dynasty see illustration to the far right
Fine-grained limestone with faint remains of paint
decorated a door recess provided access to a mortuary chapel, sculpted on 2 perpendicular faces, and the narrower one simply bears the titles of the deceased. The main face still has traces of red and black paint. The owner of the tomb, Aa-akhti, is depicted on foot, walking out of the chapel, a long staff in one hand & a sekhem scepter in the other, wearing a short wig with curls distributed in even rows; his long tunic is of an unusual type; it leaves the left shoulder bare and is decorated with a pleated pane in the front, adorned with a large knot. The figure combines different perspectives: the profile face with a frontal eye; the frontal shoulders twisting into a profile view of hips and legs; the inner profile of the foot with an arch and a single toe. The image does not reproduce reality but uses old established conventions, recapitulates characteristic aspects of the individual.
