Mastaba of Ti

Welcome to the Mastaba of Ti, one of the most important and beautifully decorated non-royal tombs of the Old Kingdom. Built during the Fifth Dynasty, around 2400 BCE, this tomb belonged to a high-ranking official named Ti, who…

We begin at the entrance of the mastaba, which originally stood in the open air, welcoming visitors and priests. The portico consists of two sturdy pillars that lead into a small vestibule. …

Moving inward, we enter a large, open-air courtyard supported by twelve square pillars. This is the largest space in the mastaba and would have been accessible to more people than the inner chambers. …

We now enter a narrow corridor that is arguably the highlight of the tomb. The walls here are covered from floor to ceiling with some of the most vivid and detailed reliefs in Egypt. …

The corridor leads us into the Offering Hall, the spiritual heart of the superstructure. This room contains two magnificent false doors carved into the western wall. …

Hidden behind one of the walls of the Offering Hall is a small, enclosed room called a 'serdab.' This room has no door and was completely sealed after the burial. However, if you look closely at the wall, you will see two small…

Finally, we must acknowledge the physical reality that lies beneath our feet. The large shaft we saw in the courtyard descends nearly fifteen meters through the solid bedrock to the actual burial chamber. …

As we exit the Mastaba of Ti, I hope you carry with you a sense of the immense richness and humanity of the Old Kingdom. We have moved from the public courtyard where scribes recorded daily reports to the intimate corridors of…