Fodor's Expert Review Tomb of Queen Meresankh III
Just east and in the shadow of the Great Pyramid is the tomb of Khafre’s wife and the granddaughter of Khufu, Queen Meresankh III. The powerful queen was interred in a large and elegantly decorated mastaba (an oblong or rectangular tomb with a flat roof and sloping sides), one of many such 4th and 5th Dynasty tombs in the area. The interior walls depict colorful scenes of full-size figures engaged in key Old Kingdom activities such as baking bread, sculpting, and metal smelting. One scene shows Meresankh’s body undergoing mummification on an embalming table beneath a tent. The queen is also shown with her mother, the equally eminent Queen Hetepheres II, on the eastern wall of the chapel. A second chamber contains 10 rock-cut statues of the queen, her mother, and her daughters.
The website of Egypt's Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities has a link that allows you to "visit" this matsaba virtually, but, as you don’t stumble upon the tomb of a pyramid owner’s wife every... READ MORE
Just east and in the shadow of the Great Pyramid is the tomb of Khafre’s wife and the granddaughter of Khufu, Queen Meresankh III. The powerful queen was interred in a large and elegantly decorated mastaba (an oblong or rectangular tomb with a flat roof and sloping sides), one of many such 4th and 5th Dynasty tombs in the area. The interior walls depict colorful scenes of full-size figures engaged in key Old Kingdom activities such as baking bread, sculpting, and metal smelting. One scene shows Meresankh’s body undergoing mummification on an embalming table beneath a tent. The queen is also shown with her mother, the equally eminent Queen Hetepheres II, on the eastern wall of the chapel. A second chamber contains 10 rock-cut statues of the queen, her mother, and her daughters.
The website of Egypt's Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities has a link that allows you to "visit" this matsaba virtually, but, as you don’t stumble upon the tomb of a pyramid owner’s wife every day, an in-real-life visit is best. There's a separate admission fee, though, so be sure to ask for a ticket at the entrance.
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