Private Tour to Tomb of Mereruka Pyramid of Unas The Red Pyramid

Saqqara (Sakkara) Pyramids

Start with Pickup from your hotel in either Cairo or Giza By Tour guide to Start your full-day tour visiting Sakkara. Located 40 km southwest of Cairo, Saqqara is one of the most important cemeteries of Memphis, which was itself one of the most important cities in ancient Egyptian history. The name of the site most likely derives from the god of this necropolis, Sokar. Saqqara is truly an open-air museum, one that has all of ancient Egyptian history on display. Kings and noblemen from the very first two dynasties (c.3040–2686 BC) were buried here, and this is also the location of the Step Pyramid of Djoser (c.2686–2667 BC). The pyramids of some of the most important kings of the Old Kingdom Fifth (c.2494–2345 BC) and Sixth (c.2345–2181 BC) Dynasties are located in Saqqara. One of these, the pyramid of Unas (also known as Wenis; (c.2375–2345 BC), features the oldest pyramid burial chamber decorated with texts. These are the so-called Pyramid Texts.

Pyramid of Unas

The pyramid of Unas was built in the 5th Dynasty. Despite its size, this pyramid is very significant for having the first example of funerary texts known as Pyramid Texts. These texts were inscribed on the walls of the burial chamber and assisted the deceased pharaoh in his journey to the afterlife through instructive spells. As with most pyramids, two temples linked by a long causeway compose part of the pyramid complex. The remains of the valley temple can be seen at the modern entrance to the site of Saqqara. Much of the causeway, which was elaborately decorated, has been removed and reused by later kings, but a part of it still remains offering visitors a glimpse of what it once looked like.

Mereruka was vizier during the reigns of Kings Teti (c.2345–2323 BC). As vizier, the highest-ranking official, and husband of a daughter of Teti’s, Mereruka was a very powerful and wealthy man. It is all the more significant that he held this title during the reigns of the first two rulers of the Sixth Dynasty, a time when the elite’s power had grown substantially. Mereruka was buried in a mastaba to the north of the pyramid of Teti in Saqqara. Reflecting his status, it is among the largest in the Teti cemetery, and among the most exquisitely decorated tombs of the Old Kingdom (c.2686–2181 BC). The rooms inside the mastaba were often the venue for the performance of the cult for the soul of the tomb owner. Mereruka’s massive mastaba contains a total of thirty rooms, including six for his wife, and another five for his son. Many beautiful scenes adorning the walls of this tomb provide insight into life during the Old Kingdom.