The Pyramid of Menkaure is the smallest of the three main pyramids at Giza, built for the Fourth Dynasty pharaoh Menkaure in the 26th century BCE. It originally stood about sixty-five meters high, far lower than the pyramids of his predecessors Khufu and Khafre, and its lower courses were cased in red granite from Aswan. In 1196 the ruler Al-Aziz Uthman tried to dismantle it, gave up after months of work, and left a large vertical gash in the north face. Menkaure's basalt sarcophagus was lost at sea in 1838 when the ship carrying it sank off the coast of Spain. Three small pyramids for queens stand to the south. Famous statues of the king, including one with his queen, were found in his valley temple.
Before and after
- c. 2,590 BCEConstruction of Red Pyramid
- c. 2,589 BCEConstruction of Dahshur
- 26th century BCEThe Great Sphinx
- c. 2,560 BCEConstruction of Great Pyramid of Giza
- c. 2,510s BCEConstruction of Pyramid of Menkaure
- from 26th century BCE to 20th century BCELagash
- from c. 2,500 BCE to 64 BCEPhoenicia
- from c. 2,498 BCE to 2,345 BCEFifth Dynasty of Egypt
- c. 2,360 BCEOrigins of Pyramid of Unas
More in Civilizations & archaeology
- from 31st century BCE to 14th century BCEConstruction of Stonehenge
- 13th century BCEAncient Celts
- 7th century BCEConstruction of Hanging Gardens of Babylon
- 80 CEThe Colosseum is inaugurated
- from 285 CE to 1453Byzantine Empire
- 25 March 421 CEFounding of Venice
The era
This moment belongs to the Ancient civilizations (3,200 BCE to 500 CE), writing, cities and empires. You can also browse everything in the 26th century BCE.