Merenre Nemtyemsaf I
Pl. 41 · also Merenre I, Nemtyemsaf I, Methusuphis
2287 BC to 2278 BC, about 9 years · Old Kingdom
Merenre Nemtyemsaf I ruled Egypt during the Sixth Dynasty of the Old Kingdom, governing from the capital at Memphis. He reigned about 2287 to 2278 BC, though dates are uncertain by about twenty-five years. He was the son of Pepi I and Queen Ankhesenpepi I, succeeding his father to continue royal governance across Upper and Lower Egypt.
His brief reign of approximately nine years saw sustained royal control over the provinces and ongoing quarrying expeditions to Nubia and the eastern desert. Merenre commissioned his own burial monument, the Pyramid of Merenre at South Saqqara, which followed the tradition of inscribed burial chambers established by his predecessors.
Scholars know of Merenre through royal king lists, quarry inscriptions in Aswan, contemporary biographical texts in provincial tombs, and the architectural remains of his pyramid complex. Following his premature death, he was succeeded by his young half-brother, Pepi II.
Monuments
- Pyramid of Merenre at South Saqqara
Explore further
Try the name on the Cartouche Desk, or see where the reign falls on the timeline.
Dates are conventional and approximate. See method and sources.