Pharaohs
The Fourth Dynasty heralded the height of the pyramid-building age. The relative peace of the Third Dynasty allowed the Fourth Dynasty rulers the leisure to explore more artistic and cultural pursuits. Sneferu’s building experiments led to the evolution from the mastaba styled step pyramids to the smooth sided “true” pyramids, such as those on the Giza plateau. No other period in Egypt’s history equaled Dynasty IV’s architectural accomplishments. Each of the rulers of this dynasty commissioned at least one pyramid to serve as a tomb or cenotaph.
The pharaohs of the Fourth Dynasty ruled for approximately 120 years, from ca 2613 to 2494 BCE. The names in the table are taken from Dodson and Hilton.
| Name of King | Horus (Throne) Name | Date | Pyramid | Queen(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sneferu | Nebmaat | 2613–2589 BCE | Bent Pyramid Red Pyramid Meidum Pyramid |
Queen Hetepheres I |
| Khufu | Medjedu | 2589–2566 BCE | Great Pyramid of Giza | Queen Meritites I Queen Henutsen |
| Djedefre | Kheper | 2566–2558 BCE ? | Pyramid of Djedefre | Queen Hetepheres II Queen Khentetka |
| Khafre | Userib | 2558–2532 BCE | Pyramid of Khafra | Queen Meresankh III Queen Khamerernebty I Queen Hekenuhedjet Queen Persenet |
| Menkaure | Kakhet | 2532–2503 BCE ? | Pyramid of Menkaure | Queen Khamerernebty II |
| Shepseskaf | Shepseskhet | 2503–2499 BCE ? | Mastabet el-Fara'un | Queen Bunefer? |
| Djedefptah | ?? | 2499–2494 BCE ? | ?? | ?? |
Read more about this topic: Fourth Dynasty Of Egypt