Pyramid complex of Teti (VI Dynasty) in Sakkara

Dd-swt-tti (Teti's [cult] places are enduring)


 

 

A - antechamber
B - three magazines
C - burial chamber
D - three portcullises
E - corridor chamber
F - descending passage
G - entrance chapel
H - cult pyramid
I - entrance
J - chamber

king's tomb:
original base length:   78.5 m
slope:   53o 13'
height:   52.5 m
antechamber:   3.75 x 3.12 m
burial chamber:   7.9 x 3.45 m

cult pyramid:
base length:   15.7 m
slope:   63o
height:   15.7 m

perimeter wall:   105 x 127.57 m  
 

 The pyramid's core had five levels, and the underground part looked very much like those of Djedkare's and Unas's pyramids. The entrance into the subterranean part of the pyramid was under the north chapel, in the pavement of the courtyard at the foot of the pyramid's north wall. Both ends of the corridor were sheated with pink granite plugging blocks in the middle of the horizontal part. The antechamber and the burial chamber adjoining it on the west also had gabled ceilings made of three layers of huge limestone blocks. On the west wall of the burial chamber stood the sarcophagus, which was long ago plundered. The walls of the antechamber and burial chamber are ornamented with pyramid texts, and the ceiling once again imitates a starry sky, though here the stars are all oriented toward to east. The serdab which is located east of antechamber, as it is in Unas's pyramid, has three deep niches and is undecorated. The open courtyard around the pyramid is surrounded by a limestone perimeter wall. In the northwest part of the courtyard, were discovered a square shaft about 40 meters deep. A peculiarity of Teti's mortuary temple connected with the causeway's bend to the southeast is a small courtyard along the south part of the east facade. The open courtyard was surrounded by eighteen pink granite pillars;  all but the corner pillars were square. On the courtyard side, they bore the king's name and titles in deep relief.
The cult pyramid, enclosed by its own perimeter wall, stands near the southeast corner of the pyramid, as was usual at this time. In the pavement of the surrounding courtyard, there were quartzite basins for libations. The valley temple has not yet been excavated.
 

 

A - entrance chapel
B - sanctuary
C - five statue niches
D - cult pyramid
E - open court
F - entrance hall
G - causeway

Copyright © 2000-2013 Dariusz Sitek, Czestochowa - Chicago - Ann Arbor