5th Dynasty

The History of Egypt for Kids - 5th Dynasty of the 'Sun Kings'

The History of Ancient Egypt and facts about the line of pharaohs in the 5th Dynasty including King Sahure and King Unas

Ancient Egyptians

Ancient Egyptians - 5th Dynasty
A comprehensive guide and fact sheet about the 5th dynasty of the royal house of Egypt. Discover fascinating facts and information about ancient Egypt and the 5th Dynasty of Ancient Egyptian pharaohs.
 
The definition of the 5th Dynasty
5th dynasty pharaohs timeline and chronology
5th dynasty Egyptian pharaohs King Sahure and King Unas
History of the 5th dynasty of the Old Kingdom
Facts and information about the 5th dynasty time period
5th dynasty line of succession
Names, dates and events of the "Sun Kings"
An overview of the history of the 5th Dynasty of ancient Egypt

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History of the 5th Dynasty and its Pharaohs including King Sahure and King Unas
Overview with interesting facts and information about the civilization and history of the 5th Dynasty Pharaohs and Kings of the Old Kingdom period in ancient Egyptian history. The Age of the 'Sun Kings'.

Fifth Dynasty Dates: 2467–2323 B.C.E.

Ancient Egyptian History - 5th Dynasty Fact Sheet

Fact 1 on 5th Dynasty:

The 4th royal house of Egypt included Khufu aka Cheops who built the Great Pyramid of Giza, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.
 

Fact 2 on 5th Dynasty:

The pharaohs of the 4th royal house were autocratic rulers only delegating power and responsibilities to members of the royal family but this all changed when the 5th royal line of the sun kings came to power.
 

Fact 3 on 5th Dynasty:

An old prophecy had told how children of a priest of the sun-god Ra would overthrow the 4th royal house of Egypt. This legend might have emerged as it is unclear how the first King of the 5th dynasty, Userkhaf, came to power. But the period is referred to as the era of the Solar Cults or the Sun Kings.
 

Fact 4 on 5th Dynasty:

The end of the previous royal line had seen the growing influence of the priests of the sun-god Ra.
 

Fact 5 on 5th Dynasty:

Userkhaf took the throne and built a sun temple at Abusir, a few miles north of Saqqara. The capital was based at Memphis in Lower Egypt although the Elephantine in Upper Egypt also rose in prominence.
 

Fact 6 on 5th Dynasty:

Userkhaf also built his pyramid tomb at Abusir. A total of 14 pyramids on the Abusir pyramid complex, which served as the main royal necropolis during this period. The Abusir pyramids were Step Pyramids and much smaller that the great pyramids that had been built at Giza. The "Sun Kings" also built solar pyramid complexes at Abydos.
 

Fact 7 on 5th Dynasty:

A significant change occured in Egyptian religion during this period when the sun-god Ra became the closest equivalent to an Egyptian "state" god. As the influence of Ra increased so did the influence, power and wealth of the sun-god's priests
 

Fact 8 on 5th Dynasty:

The sun temple of Heliopolis, the "City of the Sun", was the most important cult centre of Egypt. It was one of five great temples built at Heliopolis that were famous for their size and beauty. Over 10,000 priests and slaves served in the massive sun temple of Heliopolis.

Continued...
 

Ancient Egyptian History - 5th Dynasty Fact Sheet

Definition of the 5th Dynasty
Definition: The 5th Dynasty of ancient Egypt consisted of a succession of kings from the same family who succeeded each other on the royal throne of Egypt by right of inheritance. The Kings of Egypt and pharaohs of the 5th Dynasty ruled during the time period known in ancient Egyptian history as the Old Kingdom, the Age of the Pyramids.

Fifth Dynasty Dates: 2467–2323 B.C.E.
 

Ancient Egyptian Dynasties


 

 

The Ancient Egyptians

 

History of the 5th Dynasty Pharaohs
Overview with interesting facts and information about the Pharaohs and Kings of the Old Kingdom period in ancient Egyptian history.

Ancient Egyptian History - 5th Dynasty Fact Sheet

Fact 9 on 5th Dynasty:

Another extremely important change during the era was that, rather than members of the royal family being granted exclusive rights to the exalted positions in the government of Egypt, these roles became open to commoners. This reduced the autocratic power of the pharaohs and the influence of the nobles and the royal family.
 

Fact 10 on 5th Dynasty:

Sahure, the second king, successfully extended trading opportunities by investing in building new boats for the navy and sending trading missions to Canaan and the Land of Punt.
 

Fact 11 on 5th Dynasty:

Sahure was also a military leader and launched campaigns against the Libyans in the Western Desert. He is famous for the Sahure Pyramid complex at Abusir.
 

Fact 12 on 5th Dynasty:

King Niuserre, another military leader, led campaigns in the west in the Sinai and in the Western Desert.
 

Fact 13 on 5th Dynasty:

Another religious change took place in the reign of Djedkare Isesi. Djedkare did not build his own sun temple. The popularity of Ra was now rivalled by the cult of Osiris, the ancient Egyptian god of the Underworld..
 

Fact 14 on 5th Dynasty:

The last king in this family of monarchs was Unas who continued to expand trade in lands beyond Nubia. His popularity and credibility as the ruler of Egypt dramatically declined when a terrible famine hit Egypt.
 

Fact 15 on 5th Dynasty:

At the end of this period the priests of Egypt increased their power further by producing magical spells that would help the pharaoh during his journey through the Underworld. These spells were inscribed on the walls of the pyramids. They became known as the Pyramid Texts and the majority of the text related to solar and celestial subjects. The Pyramid texts honored both the sun god Ra and also Osiris.
 

Fact 16 on 5th Dynasty:

The five pyramids at Saqqara with Pyramid texts are those of the King Unas, the last king of the 5th Dynasty, and five kings of the Sixth Dynasty.
 

Fact 17 on 5th Dynasty:

The death of Unas saw the end of this line of the ancient Egyptian kings.
 

Ancient Egyptian History - 5th Dynasty Fact Sheet

5th Dynasty Chronology - Succession and History of the Kings
The following 5th Dynasty Chronology details the names of the Kings and Pharaohs of the 5th Dynasty and the dates of the years during which they reigned, together with a map of ancient Egypt.
 

Chronology of the Kings

 

Name

Dates of Reign

King Userkaf2467–2458 BC

King Sahure2458–2446 BC

King Neferirkare Kakai2446–2426 BC

King Shepseskare Ini2426–2419 BC

King Neferefre (aka Raneferef)2419–2416 BC

King Niuserre2416–2392 BC

King Menkauhor2396–2388 BC

King Djedkare Isesi (aka Izezi)2388–2356 BC

King Unas (aka Unis & Weni)2356–2323 BC
Chronology of the Kings

 

Meidum Step pyramid

The Ancient Cities of Egypt

5th Dynasty History
Discover fast, interesting fun facts about 5th Dynasty for kids with some amazing, cool and quick information about ancient Egypt and Egyptians. Ideal for children, homework, schools, teachers and kids of all ages! Find fascinating fun facts about the history and kings of this dynasty for kids and the history, culture and civilisation of the ancient Egyptians and ancient Egypt. Interesting, fun facts about 5th Dynasty for research, schools, students and kids of all ages.

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5th Dynasty

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Ancient Egyptian history for kids, schools, homework and research

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Anubis


Anubis

5th Dynasty
Learning about the ancient Egyptians and 5th Dynasty inspires everyone to visit historical sites and undertake Egypt Travel and Tours to experience the wonders of this magical land at first hand. Many people choose to experience a tour of Egypt on a Nile Cruise stopping at the famous destinations and sites of Egypt such as the Pyramids of Giza and the Great Sphinx. The information and facts about 5th Dynasty will provide you with a great insight into Egypt and the legacy of the ancient Egyptians.

Ancient Egyptian History

 

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