Pyramid of Sahure

Pyramid of Sahure
Sahure's pyramid as seen from the causeway.
Sahure, 5th Dynasty
Coordinates	29°53′52″N 31°12′12″E / 29.89778°N 31.20333°E / 29.89778; 31.20333Coordinates: 29°53′52″N 31°12′12″E / 29.89778°N 31.20333°E / 29.89778; 31.20333
Ancient name	Ḫˁj-b3 S3ḥ.w Rˁ Khai ba Sahura The Rising of the Ba Spirit of Sahure
Constructed	c. 2480 BC
Type	True (now ruined)
Material	Limestone
Height	47 m (154 ft)
Base	78.75 m (258.4 ft)
Volume	96,542 m3 (126,272 cu yd)
Slope	50°11'

The Pyramid of Sahure was the first pyramid built in the necropolis of Abusir, Egypt. The pyramid was constructed for the burial of Sahure, second pharaoh of the fifth dynasty c. 2480 BC. Sahure's pyramid is part of a larger mortuary complex comprising a temple on the shores of Abusir lake, a causeway from this temple to the high temple located against the main pyramid and a separate cult pyramid for the Ka of the king. The complex was known in ancient Egyptian as Ḫˁj-b3 S3ḥ.w Rˁ, "The Rising of the Ba Spirit of Sahure".

The pyramid complex of Sahure was extensively excavated at the beginning of the 20th century by Ludwig Borchardt and is now recognized as a milestone in ancient Egyptian tomb architecture, its layout defining a standard that would remain unchanged until the end of the 6th dynasty some 300 years later. The valley and high temples as well as the causeway of the complex were richly decorated with over 10,000 sq. m (107,640 sq. ft) of fine reliefs that made the complex renowned in antiquity. The high temple is also remarkable for the variety of building materials used for its construction, from the alabaster and basalt floors to the fine limestone and red granite of the walls.

The first investigations of the pyramid of Sahure were undertaken in the mid 19th century by John Shae Perring and Karl Richard Lepsius who included the pyramid in his list under the number XXVIII. These investigations remained superficial, however, and no serious excavations of the pyramid took place at the time, due mainly to its state of ruin. The pyramid was entered for the first time a few years later by Jacques de Morgan but he too did not explore it further.