Minkhaf
Encyclopedia
Minkhaf I was an ancient Egypt
ian prince of the 4th dynasty
. He was a son of Pharaoh
Khufu
and served as vizier
.
, half-brother of pharaoh Djedefra
and elder brother of pharaoh Khafra
. His mother may have been Queen Henutsen
. Minkhaf had a wife and at least one son, but their names are not known.
Minkhaf held the titles Eldest king’s son of his body, Chief Justice and Vizier. He served as vizier
during his father Khufu's reign.
numbered G 7430-7440 in the east field
which is part of the Giza Necropolis. The construction of the mastaba started during the reign of his father Khufu. The mastaba contained an interior chapel and an exterior chapel consisting of four rooms. One of the rooms was built to house at least four statues. The niches were large enough to hold standing statues and the niches were inscribed with Minkhaf's name and titles.
Two burial shafts were found, labeled G 7430 A and G 7430 B. Shaft G 7430 A contained Minkhaf's sarcophagus which was found in a coffin pit located on the western side of the burial chamber. A canopic pit where the Canopic jar
s woould have been stored was located in the south-east corner of the burial chamber. Shaft G 7430 B belonged to Minkhaf's wife, but the structure was unfinished and appears to not have been used.
Minkhaf's sarcophagus is now in the Egyptian Museum
in Cairo
.
Ancient Egypt
Ancient Egypt was an ancient civilization of Northeastern Africa, concentrated along the lower reaches of the Nile River in what is now the modern country of Egypt. Egyptian civilization coalesced around 3150 BC with the political unification of Upper and Lower Egypt under the first pharaoh...
ian prince of the 4th dynasty
Fourth dynasty of Egypt
The fourth dynasty of ancient Egypt is characterized as a "golden age" of the Old Kingdom. Dynasty IV lasted from ca. 2613 to 2494 BC...
. He was a son of Pharaoh
Pharaoh
Pharaoh is a title used in many modern discussions of the ancient Egyptian rulers of all periods. The title originates in the term "pr-aa" which means "great house" and describes the royal palace...
Khufu
Khufu
Khufu , also known as Cheops or, in Manetho, Suphis , was a Pharaoh of Ancient Egypt's Old Kingdom. He reigned from around 2589 to 2566 BC. Khufu was the second pharaoh of the Fourth Dynasty. He is generally accepted as being the builder of the Great Pyramid of Giza, one of the Seven Wonders of...
and served as vizier
Vizier (Ancient Egypt)
The vizier was the highest official in Ancient Egypt to serve the king, or pharaoh during the Old, Middle, and New Kingdoms. Vizier is the generally accepted rendering of ancient Egyptian tjati, tjaty etc, among Egyptologists...
.
Biography
Minkhaf was a son of Pharaoh KhufuKhufu
Khufu , also known as Cheops or, in Manetho, Suphis , was a Pharaoh of Ancient Egypt's Old Kingdom. He reigned from around 2589 to 2566 BC. Khufu was the second pharaoh of the Fourth Dynasty. He is generally accepted as being the builder of the Great Pyramid of Giza, one of the Seven Wonders of...
, half-brother of pharaoh Djedefra
Djedefra
Djedefre was an Egyptian pharaoh, the son and immediate successor of Khufu. The mother of Djedefre is unknown. His name means "Enduring like Re." Djedefre was the first king to use the title Son of Ra as part of his royal titulary, which is seen as an indication of the growing popularity of the...
and elder brother of pharaoh Khafra
Khafra
Khafra — also Khafre — was an Egyptian pharaoh of the Fourth dynasty, who had his capital at Memphis. According to some authors he was the son and successor of Khufu, but it is more commonly accepted that Djedefre was Khufu's successor and Khafra was Djedefre's...
. His mother may have been Queen Henutsen
Henutsen
Henutsen was an ancient Egyptian queen of the 4th dynasty.- Biography :Henutsen was a daughter of Pharaoh Sneferu and his third wife. Henutsen married her elder half-brother Khufu. Her name is known only from a 16th dynasty stela, found next to an Isis' temple which was built during the reign of...
. Minkhaf had a wife and at least one son, but their names are not known.
Minkhaf held the titles Eldest king’s son of his body, Chief Justice and Vizier. He served as vizier
Vizier (Ancient Egypt)
The vizier was the highest official in Ancient Egypt to serve the king, or pharaoh during the Old, Middle, and New Kingdoms. Vizier is the generally accepted rendering of ancient Egyptian tjati, tjaty etc, among Egyptologists...
during his father Khufu's reign.
Tomb
Minkhaf was buried in the double mastabaMastaba
A mastaba, or "pr-djt" , is a type of ancient Egyptian tomb in the form of a flat-roofed, rectangular structure with outward sloping sides that marked the burial site of many eminent Egyptians of Egypt's ancient period...
numbered G 7430-7440 in the east field
Giza East Field
The East Field is located to the east of Khufu’s pyramid and contains cemetery G 7000. This cemetery was a burial place for some of the family members of Khufu....
which is part of the Giza Necropolis. The construction of the mastaba started during the reign of his father Khufu. The mastaba contained an interior chapel and an exterior chapel consisting of four rooms. One of the rooms was built to house at least four statues. The niches were large enough to hold standing statues and the niches were inscribed with Minkhaf's name and titles.
Two burial shafts were found, labeled G 7430 A and G 7430 B. Shaft G 7430 A contained Minkhaf's sarcophagus which was found in a coffin pit located on the western side of the burial chamber. A canopic pit where the Canopic jar
Canopic jar
Canopic jars were used by the Ancient Egyptians during the mummification process to store and preserve the viscera of their owner for the afterlife. They were commonly either carved from limestone or were made of pottery...
s woould have been stored was located in the south-east corner of the burial chamber. Shaft G 7430 B belonged to Minkhaf's wife, but the structure was unfinished and appears to not have been used.
Minkhaf's sarcophagus is now in the Egyptian Museum
Egyptian Museum
The Museum of Egyptian Antiquities, known commonly as the Egyptian Museum, in Cairo, Egypt, is home to an extensive collection of ancient Egyptian antiquities. It has 120,000 items, with a representative amount on display, the remainder in storerooms....
in Cairo
Cairo
Cairo , is the capital of Egypt and the largest city in the Arab world and Africa, and the 16th largest metropolitan area in the world. Nicknamed "The City of a Thousand Minarets" for its preponderance of Islamic architecture, Cairo has long been a centre of the region's political and cultural life...
.