King Senefru is the fourth Dynasty founder, and the father of the famous pharaoh King Khufu, the Great Pyramid owner, which considered one of the ancient world wonders.
Senefru designed and built the first true pyramids and founded Egypt's fourth dynasty, which continued more than 100 years.
He came from a family in Middle Egypt, near Hermopolis, and probably ascended the throne by marrying the royal heiress, his predecessor’s daughter.
Records of his reign are sparse, but it is clear from extensive cemeteries around his own and his son’s pyramids that members of the royal family were appointed to the highest administrative offices.
According to Royal Papyrus, Senefru led an extensive raid southward into Nubia, where he captured much booty.
Later in his reign a smaller raid was conducted westward against the Libyans. In the Sinai, two reliefs of the king attest his presence in the turquoise mines.
The excavations in the valley temple of one of Senefru’s pyramids at Dahshūr, southwest of Cairo, disclosed the earliest list of names administrative and governmental pisions of Egypt although the actual organization of the country probably occurred earlier.
The list also shows that the king held extensive estates throughout Egypt. Senefru presided over a period of expansion and technical innovation in the construction of pyramids.
The three major pyramids he built were far larger than those constructed by his predecessors, and their forms illustrate the transition from the step pyramids of the 3rd dynasty to the flat-sided true pyramids built in the 4th dynasty and after.
After a 24-year reign, Senefru was succeeded by his son Khufu, the renowned builder of the Great Pyramid in Al-Gizah. Senefru’s reign has been considered by historians as a golden age.
The king was regarded as a beneficent ruler, and numerous places named for him kept their names long after his death. He also became the central or secondary figure of a number of popular tales.
Contributed Ali Abu Dashish
Follow the latest news on Google News
