ABU SIR /
Pyramid of Nyuserre
The Pyramid of Nyuserre, with its mortuary temple to the right.
Nyuserre was a pharaoh of the 5th Dynasty and ruled for 25 years, from 2445 until 2421 BCE. For more information check the Encyclopaedia of the Orient: Nyuserre. Nyuserre must have been one of the least selfish pharaohs. He took upon himself to complete his father, Neferirkare's pyramid. What remained in his treasury was no more than what was needed to build a pyramid 21 metres smaller than his father's, 51 metres high to 72 metres. He placed his pyramid squeezed in between his father's and his uncle, Sahure's, making the three pyramids lie closer than any other pyramids in Egypt. He must have sought for the strength of the family, as if the three pyramids together secured him a safer place in the afterlife. The funerary complex and his causeway is notable for the extensive use of black basalt, covering the ground and the bases of the walls. Walls were made from fine limestone, with a belt of red granite. Reliefs were carved into the upper half.
