Djedefre

Djedefre was a pharaoh of the Fourth Dynasty who ruled Egypt from Memphis from around 2566 BC to 2558 BC, with chronology uncertain by about 20 years. He succeeded his father Khufu, while his mother remains unknown. His consorts included his half-sister Hetepheres II and Queen Khentetka.

Djedefre departed from his father's cemetery at Giza, moving eight kilometres north to build his pyramid complex at Abu Rawash. Placed on an elevated plateau, the pyramid was encased in red granite and local limestone. Excavations at the site have yielded shattered fragments of royal statues and sphinxes, representing some of the earliest known examples of sphinx sculpture in Egyptian royal art. His reign also witnessed a major religious development: Djedefre was the first Egyptian ruler to integrate the formal epithet Son of Ra into royal titularies. Scholars know him through his monument at Abu Rawash, quarry inscriptions, and later king lists.

Monuments

• Pyramid of Djedefre at Abu Rawash
• Abu Rawash sphinx fragments

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Try the name on the Cartouche Desk, or see where the reign falls on the timeline.