The Pyramid of Khentkaues II at Abusir

On the south side of the pyramid Neferirkara in the attack is the structure of the small may have been previously investigated by Ludwig Borchardt.

    In spite of its location between east and west indicate that this is a small pyramid, Borchardt took double as a bench of great importance, and therefore not fully explored.

    Only after achieving a lot later in the 1970s by a team of Czech archaeologists have uncovered the true nature and owner clearly that there is no other then the presumption of Neferirkara, Khentkaues II (Khentkaus II).

Inscriptions inside the pyramid to help us to decipher the history of this period. We are told that there are probably two of the stages of this building the pyramids. The pyramid was probably begun under Neferirkara, but over the tenth year of his reign, and stop construction. We assume that this was due to the death of the king.

     In this part of the construction, and Khentkaues the second refers to as "the king's wife." After some time, and the continuation of construction, but this time referred to as "the mother of the King, pointing out that his son, and perhaps Niuserre, and now completed the pyramid of the pharaoh.

    You may have even ordered the same Khentkaues resume work. Niuserre perhaps slightly when he ascended the throne, and if so, perhaps Khentkaues acted as trustee, effectively, and the ruler of Egypt.

Pyramid itself, mostly in ruins, like other ill-treatment and measures four feet, and was a simple design was created by using limestone to ignore Neferirkara pyramid. Is the essence of three layers, associated with a mortar of mud. The roof of the white limestone of high quality, which was once pyrami dark gray granite of the fragments were found.
Entrance of the pyramid near the ground level in the center of the northern wall.

     Passage of priority, the smaller blocks of fine white limestone, first down, and is becoming a slight lead to the East and the barrier was closed by a simple stone burial chamber. The burial chamber is in line with the white limestone, but with the largest blocks serving as the flat roof.
 
There were remnants of a small queens funeral inside the pyramid, including parts of the coffin of pink granite, and fragments of the scrolls and fragments of mummies, stone vessels. Clear signs of the facility, which had previously belonged to Khentkaues II.
Outside the eastern wall of the pyramid is a funerary temple, as Neferirkara, was also completed in several stages.

    The oldest part of the temple, which was very modest in size and made of limestone, and was entered through the portico columns of the south-east. Unfortunately, this section of the temple so completely destroyed by thieves stone is very difficult to restore the original design in every detail.

    Entrance of the temple was originally from the east, near the south-east corner and decorated pillars of limestone monochrome red and carries hieroglyphic inscriptions in sunk outside the vertical relief with the queen was pregnant, and the name and description.
 
There was an open courtyard decorated with columns, such as they took the eastern half of the temple complex. Baptist courtyard leading to the western part of the temple complex, which was a center of worship Queens morgue. Here, there was one room with access to worship wooden statues of the queen view room with a pink granite back door, an altar and attachments storage.

There was also a stairway leading to the roof-terrace, the ritual astronomy were more likely to take place.

Rooms in the western part of the temple were decorated with scenes and inscriptions in relief sculpture of color. Theme decor of the temple covering a wide range of topics, surprising, including the slaughter, and work on farms, and processions carrying the body of the funerary offerings to the Queen, and others.
 
    Some scenes are exceptional cases, where, unfortunately, preserved only in very small fragments, which may represent Niuserre ruling, and family members standing in front of the true mother. In the excerpt from the scene, in some parts and other inscriptions and seals of limestone and clay, and the Queen's name preceded by the title as the "mother of two kings of Upper and Lower Egypt" or sometimes "King of Upper and Lower Egypt and the mother of the King of Upper and Lower Egypt."

The remainder of the scene in one of the pillars still standing in the courtyard of the temple last brought an unexpected surprise. Vertical hieroglyphic inscription with the rest of the securities, and the name, Khentkaues, and ends with the image of the queen seated on a throne holding scepter Wadja.
    Queen adorned the front of the Cobras attack, known as the cobra. At this point in Egyptian history, and the right to wear a cobra on his forehead is a privilege exclusive to the ruler or the king of the gods.

However, it is possible that the cobra here may be some who served a symbolic purpose.
The original plan called for the hierarchies that can be locked inside a high wall built of blocks of limestone. This has started but not completed. In fact, parts of the wall that had arisen at the partially dismantled, at a later date, the complex was rebuilt and enlarged. Therefore, obtained from the original materials used in building the pyramid of worship near the small south-eastern corner of the oldest churches of stone.
 
    Reconstruction also included to broaden the base of the temple toward the east. A new entrance, enormous in size and again decorated with columns of limestone twin, was built specifically in the East-West axis of the complex of the pyramid, while a small pile of stone near the entrance of visitors remember their duty to cleanse himself before entering the temple.
 
Most of this construction of brick, which was beaten, and sometimes white and adorned with paint. At least for a period of time, it softened the contrast between the impact on the various construction phases.
 
The spacious lobby which was built supplied an important crossroads, as it allows access to a set of five magazines in the south-eastern corner of the expanded part of the temple and a series of interior rooms in the northeast corner of the country, while also communicating with the interior of the temple, which contains the rooms of worship in the West.
This stage of the new construction really means a radical change in the concept behind the pyramid of the queen.
 Originally an appendage of the large complex pyramid Neferirkara, architecture, and has become functionally "independent" of the tomb of the person who was of similar rank to that of the governor.
• Height 17m
• A 25m
• 52 ° Tilt
• Dynasty 5
• Satellite Pyramids (1)
• Queens Pyramids (0)