Pyramid of Unas

Welcome to the funerary complex of King Unas, the final ruler of the Fifth Dynasty of the Old Kingdom. While this pyramid may appear modest in size—and even somewhat ruinous from the outside—it holds a distinction of unparalleled…

Our approach to the pyramid follows the long, monumental Causeway, originally known as 'Beautiful are the Places of Unas.' This structure once stretched for 750 meters, a covered corridor that served as the processional route for…

At the end of the causeway, we reach the ruins of the Mortuary Temple, which sits against the eastern face of the pyramid. While much of the stone has been plundered over the centuries for other buildings, the layout is still…

Standing before the pyramid itself, we can analyze its construction. It is much smaller than the Step Pyramid, rising to an original height of about 43 meters. …

Descending into the heart of the pyramid, we enter the antechamber, and the sensory experience changes dramatically. The air is cool and still, and suddenly, the silent stone walls are alive with writing. …

We now move into the burial chamber, the most sacred spot in the complex. The walls here continue the theme of the Pyramid Texts, but the highlight is the ceiling. …

At the western end of the burial chamber sits the massive stone coffin of King Unas. While it was long thought to be basalt, modern analysis has identified the material as greywacke, a hard, dark stone that represented the…

Our visit to the Pyramid of Unas concludes, and with it, our encounter with the earliest literature of humanity. We have walked the causeway of famine and trade, explored the ruins of the mortuary cult, and stood in the presence…