Akademik

    Neferirkare succeeded his brother *Sahure as the third king of the Fifth Dynasty. He is one of the three kings mentioned in the story preserved in the Westcar Papyrus, in which it is foretold that triplets (the offspring of the sun-god Re and the wife of one of his priests) would inherit the throne instead of the descendants of King *Cheops, and would establish Re's supremacy. Although the named kings (*Userkaf, *Sahure and Neferirkare) were not triplets (*Sahure and Neferirkare were the sons of *Userkaf and his queen *Khentkaues), the Fifth Dynasty certainly enhanced the status of the sun-god. The rulers built solar temples at Abu Ghurob and took the additional title of 'son of Re'.

    Sahure inaugurated the royal cemetery at Abusir and Neferirkare's pyramid and funerary complex were also constructed there, although he died before this could be completed. His valley and mortuary temples were finished by his successors, Neferifre and *Niuserre, and the incomplete Valley Temple was incorporated into *Niuserre's own monument.

    In 1893, important papyrus fragments were discovered, dating to a reign towards the end of the dynasty, which provide important information about the accounts and administration of Neferirkare's funerary temple, and the offerings made to the king's statues and those of the queen-mother, *Khentkaues.

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(reigned c. 2475–2455 BC)

   Personal name Kakai. Third ruler of Dynasty 5. According to the later Westcar Papyrus, he was a brother of his predecessors, Userkaf and Sahure, but this is doubtful. It has recently been suggested that he was the son of Sahure. He built his pyramid complex at Abusir, which was excavated by the German Ludwig Borchardt in 1900 and from 1903–1907. He is the first ruler to use two cartouches with his prenomen and nomen in the royal titulary.

   See also Raneferef.