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Titulary what's this?
Horus Name

Setibtawy  "Horus, the favorite of he Two Lands

Nebty Name

Setib-nebty  "The favoriteof the Two ladies

Golden Horus Name

Bik-nub-netjery  'The Golden Falcon is divine"

Praenomen Niuserre "The one of the force of re" , or "Possessed of Re's Power"
Nomen Ini, In, Iny
   
Manetho Rathures, Rathoris
King Lists Ini
Alternate Names Niouserre, Niussera, Ni-user-re, Ni,-user-ra
Dates what's this?
manetho reigned 44 years, considered unreliable
turin canon reigned 10 years
reference to a Sed Festival suggests 30 or more
piccione 2488--2477 BCE
clayton 2453--2422 BCE
dodson 2432--2421 BCE
oxford 2445--2421 BCE
krauss 2455-2420
von beckerath 2420-2480
malek 2408-2377
redford 2474-2444
dodson 2432-2421
allen 2420-2389
Succession
Predecessor Brother, Neferefre
Successor Menkauhor
Associated People
Father Neferirkare
Mother Khentkawes II
Wife Reput-nebu
Wife Khentkawes
Brother Neferefre
Official Ty
Burial Place
Pyramid Complex at Abu Sir
Monuments
Solar Temple at Abu Ghurab, Shesepu-ib-re
Pyramid Complex at Abu Sir , "The Pyramid which is Established of Places"
History

Niuserre w as the second son of Neferirkare and Khentkawes II and while he was married to a women names Reput-nebu (a statue of her was found in eh pyramid complex), they had no known children.

Unlike his predecessors, Niuserre managed to build both a Sun Temple and a pyramid complex.  He built a Sun Temple in Abu Ghurab, just north of Abu Sir (it's within a kilometer or so,  which makes the distinction a bit odd). It is the biggest and most complete of the sun temples and it is the only one completely constructed of stone. THe alter stone in front of the obelisk (all sun temples have an obelisk) is still in place today. Most of the sun temples were at least partially made of mud brick (usually the core was stone, then the additions and often hasty finishing was performed in mud brick.

 

But don't slam mud brick -- in a desert environment, the stuff lasts just about as long as stone. There are structures that are 3000-4000 years old made of mud brick that still stand all over Egypt.

The sun temple has many inscriptions that show the Sed festival of the king and his relationship to the sun god, Re. Because of the detail level of his monument, it is assumed that he solar cult reached it's zenith during the reign of Niuserre.

His pyramid complex, however, is located in Abu Sir between the pyramids of Sahure and Neferirkare. Instead of building his own valley temple, he connected his own complex to the valley temple of Neferirkare. This may have been mere expedience on his part -- it was easier to use the existing structure than build a new one; or it may have been a problem with finding an appropriate place to build his own, and he was forced to use the existing one.

Reliefs on his pyramid and solar temple show his military feats, although these may be simply rituals and not actual historic events. The burial chamber of the pyramid shows his campaigns against Libya in the Western Desert and against the asiatics in the Sinai. These are the same enemies faced by nearly all the pharaohs, so I'm inclined to believe that there is some truth to the military campaign,k even if he never actually went on them himself (despite the reliefs of smiting).

Manetho credits Niuserre with over forty years on the throne, but this isn't supported by any of the existing evidence. (I think Manetho just made up length of reign to reflect the power or relative importance of the king). Although, the Turin list is damaged and can't be relied on to set the time he was ruling, either. The sed festival represented in his solar temple may actually represent the 30th year  of his reign, or it may be a symbolic inscription of his rejuvenation after death. No one knows.

In addition, inscriptions in the Wadi maghara describe the mineral mines in the region -- another important piece of data for future kings, since the increase in monumental statue carving continues for a few millennia!

 

 

pharaohs

Userkaf
Sahure
Neferirkare (Kakai)
Shepseskare
Neferefre
Niuserre
Menkauhor
Djedkare
Unas

monuments

Solar Temple, Abu Ghurab
Pyramid, Abu Sir