Menkaure

Menkaure was the third pharaoh of Egypt’s Fourth Dynasty, ruling during the Old Kingdom in the late 26th century BCE. In Greek sources he is known as Mykerinos. His reign followed that of Khafre and is primarily remembered for inaugurating the smallest of the great pyramids at the Giza pyramid complex.

The main monument associated with Menkaure is his pyramid at Giza, the third and smallest of the three principal pyramids. The complex includes a mortuary temple connected to a valley temple by a short causeway. The site provides evidence of Old Kingdom mortuary cult practices and royal cults, and it sits within the Giza Plateau, a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Art and inscriptions from the Menkaure complex include statues and reliefs that depict the king with members of the royal family. A notable group statue from the valley temple shows Menkaure with a queen, illustrating royal portraiture and the importance of dynastic succession in funerary cults.

Family and lineage are commonly summarized as Menkaure being a son of Khafre. His queen is generally identified as Queen Khamerernebty II, though details about his mother remain uncertain. The relatively modest scale of his pyramid, in comparison with Khufu and Khafre, has shaped historical assessments of his reign and the resources allocated to royal monuments during this period.

Today, Menkaure’s pyramid remains a focal point of study for ancient Egyptian architecture, royal iconography, and the functioning of the Giza necropolis in the Old Kingdom.