Abū Ṣīr

▪ archaeological site, Egypt

also spelled  Abusir 

ancient site between Al-Jīzah (Jīzah, Al-) (Giza) and Ṣaqqārah, northern Egypt, where three 5th-dynasty (Egypt, ancient) (c. 2465–c. 2325 BCE) kings (Sahure, Neferirkare, and Neuserre) built their pyramids (pyramid). The pyramids were poorly constructed (in comparison with Egyptian monuments of similar types) and are now in a state of disrepair. The adjoining mortuary temples are notable for their elaborate sculptured wall reliefs and columns in the forms of palm, lotus, and papyrus plants. Near their pyramids a number of the kings, including Userkaf and Neuserre, built sanctuaries with obelisks (obelisk) dedicated to Re, the sun god. In 1979 Abū Ṣīr and other sites in the area— Dahshūr, Ṣaqqārah, Abū Ruwaysh, Memphis, and the Pyramids of Giza (Giza, Pyramids of)—were collectively designated a UNESCO World Heritage site.

      Two significant groups of papyri have been discovered at Abū Ṣīr, one having been recovered in 1893 and another having come to light during excavations in 1982. The Abū Ṣīr papyri are the archives of the temple priesthood of the mortuary cult of Neferirkare and provide important information on the economic function of an Old Kingdom (Egypt, ancient) (c. 2575–c. 2130 BCE) funerary endowment.

      Although numerous excavations in the area have usually yielded disturbed remains, in 1998 a team of archaeologists from Charles University in Prague uncovered the intact sarcophagus of Iufaa, a priest and palace administrator who lived about 525 BCE.

Additional Reading

Zahi Hawass, “Abusir Tomb,” National Geographic, 194(5):102–113 (November 1998).

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