Nyuserre Ini
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| Nyuserre Ini | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Neuserre Izi, Niuserre Isi | |||
 |
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| Head and torso in the style of a 5th Dynasty king, thought to represent Nyuserre Ini | |||
| Pharaoh of Egypt | |||
| Reign | 2458–2422 BC, 5th Dynasty | ||
| Predecessor | Neferefre/Shepseskare? | ||
| Successor | Menkauhor Kaiu | ||
| Died | 2422 BC | ||
Nyuserre Ini, also spelt as Neuserre Izi or Niuserre Isi and sometimes Nyuserra (in Greek known as Rathoris), was a Pharaoh of Egypt during the Fifth dynasty. He is frequently given a reign of 24 or 25 years[1] and is dated from ca. 2416 BC-2392 BC.[2] His prenomen, Niuserre, means "Possessed of Re's Power." Niuserre was the younger son of pharaoh Neferirkare Kakai by Queen Khentkaus II, and the brother of the short-lived king Neferefre.
He is often thought to have succeeded his brother directly, but there is some evidence to suggest that Shepseskare reigned between the two, albeit only for a few weeks. Possibly, the latter had attempted to restore the lineage of Sahure who might have been his father, deposing the lineage of Neferirkare Kakai in the process, but was unsuccessful.
[edit] Reign length
In Manetho's Epitome, he is said to have reigned for 44 years but this data is considered suspect. The Turin King List data for his reign is badly damaged although scholars have usually assumed that it was 24 years. The Danish Egyptologist Kim Ryholt who twice analysed the Turin King-list papyrus in the 1990s, however, notes that "Niuserre's reign is damaged. There is a distinct trace of a 10, 20 or 30, followed by a stroke after which the papyrus breaks off. Accordingly, the possibilities are 11-14, 21-24, and 31-34 years [for Nyuserre], and not just 24 years" as is conventionally assumed.[3] However, since a Sed Feast scene is noted for Nyuserre from his solar temple at Abu Gurab, a reign of more than 30 years can be suggested for this Pharaoh.
The Czech Egyptologist Miroslav Verner who has been excavating the Old Kingdom pyramids on behalf of the University of Prague in Egypt since 1976 concurs with the view that Nyuserre had a reign in excess of 30 years. He bases his opinion here on this king's numerous building activities in Abusir which included the
- "construction of his own pyramid complex and two small complexes Lepsius no.XXIV and no.XXV for his wives,...the completion of the unfinished funerary monuments of his direct relatives Neferirkara, Khentkhaus II and Neferefra" as well as the completion of this king's substantial sun temple building complex at Abu Gurab. "Beautiful reliefs with the scenes of the sed-festival from this sun temple are occasionally considered as indirect evidence of a long reign for this king. Generally, the historical authenticity...of such reliefs is doubted since the sed-festival scenes very probably belonged in the Old Kingdom to the standard 'Bildprogram' of the royal funerary monuments. However, in Niuserre's case, the sed-festival scenes from Abu Ghurob [most probably reflect] the 30th jubilee of the king's ascension to the throne."[4]
Nyuserre's burial place is a pyramid at Abusir located between those of pharaohs Sahure and Neferirkare Kakai. Its initial height was around 50m, with a base of about 79 square meters and a slope of 52 degrees. His queen, Reput-Nebu, was also buried nearby. His magnificent temple of the solar cult at Abusir is called the Joy of Re. While military campaigns to Libya and Asia are mentioned in documents of this period, we have no specific evidence regarding the military activities of this ruler.
[edit] References
- ^ Nicolas Grimal, A History of Ancient Egypt, (Blackwell: 1992), p.77
- ^ Bill Manley, The Penguin Historical Atlas of Ancient Egypt, Penguin Books: 1996, p.132
- ^ Kim SB Ryholt, "The Turin King-list" in The Political Situation in Egypt during the Second Intermediate Period. CNI Publications, (Museum Tusculanum Press: 1997), p.13
- ^ Miroslav Verner, Archaeological Remarks on the 4th and 5th Dynasty Chronology, Archiv Orientální, Volume 69: 2001, p.404
[edit] External links
| Preceded by Neferefre |
Pharaoh of Egypt Fifth dynasty |
Succeeded by Menkauhor Kaiu |
