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Userkaf
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{{short description|5th dynasty pharaoh}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2020}} {{Infobox pharaoh | name = Userkaf | image = By ovedc - Egyptian Museum (Cairo) - 046 (cropped).jpg | caption = Head of Userkaf, recovered from his sun temple in Abusir<br />now at the [[Egyptian Museum]], Cairo | image_alt = Black statue of a head wearing a large crown | NomenHiero= <hiero>G43-S29-F12-D28-I9</hiero> | nomen = {{center|Userkaf{{sfn|Digital Egypt|2018}}<br>''wsr-k3-f''<br>''His Ka is strong''{{sfn|Leprohon|2013|p=38}}<br>Alternative translations:<br>''Powerful is his Ka''{{sfn|Grimal|1992|p=75}}{{sfn|Altenmüller|2001|p=598}}<br>''His Ka is potent''{{sfn|Magi|2008|p=12}}}} | PrenomenHiero = | prenomen = {{center|Userkaf<br>''wsr-k3-f''<br>''His [[Ancient Egyptian concept of the soul#kꜣ "double"|Ka]] is strong''{{sfn|Leprohon|2013|p=38}}<br>Alternative translations:<br>''Powerful is his Ka''{{sfn|Grimal|1992|p=75}}{{sfn|Altenmüller|2001|p=598}}<br>''His Ka is potent''{{sfn|Magi|2008|p=12}}<br><hiero>M23:t-L2:t-<-S29-F12-D28-I9-></hiero>}} | GoldenHiero = | golden = {{center|Bik Nebu Nefer<br>''bik-nbw-nfr''<br>''The perfect golden falcon''{{sfn|Leprohon|2013|p=38}}<br><hiero>F35*G7:S12</hiero>}} | NebtyHiero = <hiero>D4-U1-Aa11:t</hiero> | nebty = {{center|Irymaat<br>''nbtj iry-maat''<br>''He who ensures the [[Maat|harmony]]''<br>Alternative translations:<br>''Performer of [[Maat]]''{{sfn|Altenmüller|2001|p=598}}<br>''He who puts Maat into practice''{{sfn|Grimal|1992|p=75}}<br>''The one who has accomplished Maat''{{sfn|Leprohon|2013|p=38}}}} | HorusHiero = <hiero>D4-U1-Aa11:t</hiero> | horus = {{center|Hor Irymaat<br>''Hr-iry-maat''<br>''Horus, he who ensures the [[Maat|harmony]]''<br>Alternative translations:<br>''Performer of [[Maat]]''{{sfn|Altenmüller|2001|p=598}}<br>''He who puts Maat into practice''{{sfn|Grimal|1992|p=75}}<br>''The one who has accomplished Maat''{{sfn|Leprohon|2013|p=38}}}} | reign = Around 7 years, c. 2498 – c. 2491 BC{{efn|group=note|Proposed dates for Userkaf's reign: 2560–2553 BC,{{sfn|Hayes|1978|p=58}} 2513–2506 BC,{{sfn|Verner|2001c|p=91}}{{sfn|Altenmüller|2001|p=598}}{{sfn|El-Shahawy|Atiya|2005|p=61}} 2504–2496 BC,{{sfn|Beckerath|1997|p=188}} 2498–2491 BC,{{sfn|Clayton|1994|p=60}} 2494–2487 BC{{sfn|Malek|2000a|pp=98 & 482}}{{sfn|Rice|1999|p=215}}{{sfn|David|David|2001|p=164}} 2479–2471 BC,{{sfn|Beckerath|1999|p=285}} 2466–2458 BC{{sfn|Helck|1981|p=63}} 2465–2458 BC,{{sfn|Encyclopædia Britannica|2018}}{{sfn|Arnold|1999}}{{sfn|Wilkinson|2000|p=121}}{{sfn|Lehner|2008|p=140}}{{sfn|List of rulers of ancient Egypt and Nubia, MET|2019}} 2454–2447 BC,{{sfn|CMA|2018}} 2454–2446 BC,{{sfn|Beckerath|1997|p=188}} 2435–2429 BC,{{sfn|Strudwick|1985|p=3}}{{sfn|Hornung et al.|2012|p=491}} 2392–2385 BC{{sfn|Dodson|Hilton|2004|p=288}}}} | predecessor = [[Shepseskaf]] (most likely) or [[Thamphthis]] (possibly known as Djedefptah) | successor = [[Sahure]] | dynasty = [[Fifth dynasty of Egypt|Fifth Dynasty]] | father = unknown, but probably belonged to a branch of the [[Fourth Dynasty of Egypt|Fourth Dynasty]] royal family | mother = [[Khentkaus I]]?<br />Raddjedet (myth) | spouse = [[Neferhetepes (wife of Userkaf)|Neferhetepes]] (most likely) or [[Khentkaus I]] | children = [[Sahure]]<small> ♂</small>, Khamaat<small> ♀</small> | monuments = [[Pyramid of Userkaf|Pyramid ''Wab-Isut-Userkaf'']]<br>Pyramid of Neferhetepes<br>[[Sun temple of Userkaf|Sun temple ''Nekhenre'']]<br>Temple of [[Montu]] in [[El-Tod]] | Alt = Ouserkaf, Weserkaf, Woserkaf, Usercherês, {{lang|grc|Οὐσερχέρης}} |death_date=c. 2491 BC}} '''Userkaf''' (known in [[Ancient Greek]] as {{lang|grc|Οὐσερχέρης}}, {{transliteration|grc|Usercherês}}; died {{Circa}} 2491 BC) was a [[pharaoh|king]] of [[ancient Egypt]] and the founder of the [[Fifth Dynasty of Egypt|Fifth Dynasty]]. He reigned for around seven years in the early 25th century BC, during the [[Old Kingdom of Egypt|Old Kingdom]] period. He probably belonged to a branch of the [[Fourth Dynasty of Egypt|Fourth Dynasty]] royal family, although his parentage is uncertain; he could have been the son of [[Khentkaus I]]. He had at least one daughter. [[Sahure]], who succeeded him as king, was probably his son with his consort [[Neferhetepes (wife of Userkaf)|Neferhetepes]]. A tomb belonging to another possible son, Waser-If-Re, has been discovered in [[Saqqara]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=El-Aref |first1=Nevine |title=Tomb of prince Waser-If-Re unearthed in Saqqara |url=https://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/9/40/544833/Antiquities/Ancient-Egypt/Tomb-of-prince-WaserIfRe-unearthed-in-Saqqara.aspx |access-date=6 May 2025 |agency=Ahram Online}}</ref> His reign heralded the ascendancy of the cult of [[Ra]], who effectively became Egypt's [[state god]] during the Fifth Dynasty. Userkaf may have been a high-priest of Ra before ascending the throne, and built a [[Egyptian sun temple|sun temple]], known as the ''[[Sun temple of Userkaf|Nekhenre]]'', between [[Abusir]] and [[Abu Gurab]]. In doing so, he instituted a tradition followed by his successors over a period of 80 years. The ''Nekhenre'' mainly functioned as a mortuary temple for the setting sun. Rites performed in the temple were primarily concerned with Ra's creator function and his role as father of the king. Taken with the reduction in the size of the royal mortuary complex, this suggests a more concrete separation between the sun god and the king than in the preceding dynasties. After Userkaf's death, his temple was the subject of four building phases, during which it acquired a large obelisk. Userkaf built a [[Pyramid of Userkaf|pyramid]] in Saqqara close to [[Step Pyramid of Djoser|that of Djoser]], a location that forced architects to put the associated mortuary temple in an unusual position, to the south of the pyramid. The latter was much smaller than those built during the Fourth Dynasty but the mortuary complex was lavishly and extensively decorated with fine painted reliefs. In addition to his own pyramid and temple, Userkaf built a smaller pyramid close to his for one of his queens, likely Neferhetepes. Although Userkaf was the object of a funerary cult after his death like the other Fifth Dynasty kings, his was relatively unimportant, and was abandoned after the end of the dynasty. Little is known of his activities beyond the construction of his pyramid and sun temple. The Old Kingdom royal annals record offerings of beer, bread and lands to various gods, some of which may correspond to building projects on Userkaf's behalf, including the temple of [[Montu]] in [[El-Tod]] where he is the earliest attested pharaoh. Beyond the borders of Egypt, a military expedition to [[Canaan]] or the [[Eastern Desert]] may have taken place, and trade contacts with the [[Aegean civilizations|Aegean]] seem to have existed at the time.
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