Iput I and Khuit Pyramids

The Pyramid of Iput I

 

Iput I was probably Teti's (6th Dynasty) principle queen, and may have legitimized his ascent to the throne of Egypt. She was probably the daughter of Unas (5th Dynasty) and the mother of Teti's successor, Pepi I.

 

This complex, located about 90 meters north of Teti's pyramid, has no valley temple, causeway or cult pyramid. It has a number of unusual features such as, the mortuary temple, locatedon the east side of the pyramid.

 

The entrance hall had four limestone pillars followed by an antechamber with two pillars. There is also a pillared courtyard. The inner part of the temple consisted of an offering hall and rather than a complete chapel, three deep niches for statues of the queen just south of the offering hall. North of the offering hall was a storeroom.

 

It is believedthat the pyramid was originally meant to be a mastaba and transformed later into a pyramid probably after her son, Pepi I, ascended to the throne.

 

The Pyramud of Khuit

 

The pyramid of one of Teti's other wives, Khuit, her pyramid sits just next to Iput I's pyramid, north of Teti's complex.

 

The mortuary temple sits in front of the east wall of the pyramid. Little of this apparently has been excavated, but the previously excavated offering hall has the usual false door and altar. Offering bearers decorated the walls.

 

The pyramid's original entrance was on the north side of the pyramid in the floor of the courtyard. It accessed a descending corridor leading to a burial chamber and east of it, a storage room. The burial chamber sits beneath the vertical axis of the pyramid. Khiut's Pyramid dimensions not available.

 

The pyramids of Iput I and Khuit were discovered between July 1897 and February 1989 by Victor Loret just north of Teti's pyramid complex at Saqqara.