Quick answer
Abusir is the royal cemetery of the Fifth Dynasty, on the desert edge between Giza and Saqqara, with the pyramids of Sahure, Neferirkare and Nyuserre and, just to the north at Abu Ghurab, the remains of sun temples dedicated to Ra. Access has been irregular, so it suits enthusiasts who arrange it in advance with a specialist guide.
What is Abusir?
Abusir is where the kings of the Fifth Dynasty built their pyramids and their temples to the sun, about a century after the Giza pyramids, when the cult of Ra reached its height. The founder of the dynasty, Userkaf, was buried at Saqqara, but he built the first sun temple here, and his successors Sahure, Neferirkare, Neferefre and Nyuserre placed their pyramids on this ridge.
The pyramids are smaller than Giza's and built of rougher masonry with rubble fill, so today they look like weathered hills. What makes Abusir important is what surrounded them. The mortuary temples were richly carved with scenes of ships, foreign expeditions and the king hunting, and the archive of papyri found in Neferirkare's temple in 1893 is one of the most important sets of administrative documents from the Old Kingdom, recording priests' rosters, temple inventories and offerings. Czech archaeologists have excavated at Abusir for decades and continue to make finds. For the wider context, see our guide to the Old Kingdom.
What can you see at Abusir?
The highlights are Sahure's pyramid and temple, with its causeway and basalt-paved court, and the mastaba of the vizier Ptahshepses, with its lotus-bud columns.
- Pyramid of Sahure: the northernmost of the group, with the best-preserved temple complex. Sahure's temple pioneered the layout used for the rest of the Old Kingdom, with palm-shaped granite columns and fine reliefs, many of which are now in museums.
- Pyramid of Neferirkare: the largest at Abusir. It was planned as a step pyramid and later enlarged, and was never fully cased.
- Pyramid of Nyuserre: Nyuserre squeezed his complex in between his predecessors' and borrowed part of Neferirkare's causeway.
- Mastaba of Ptahshepses: the tomb of a vizier who married a daughter of Nyuserre, one of the largest private tombs of the Old Kingdom, with an unusual double chamber for boats.
What were the sun temples?
The sun temples were open-air sanctuaries to Ra, each built around a squat masonry obelisk on a platform with a great altar in front, and two of them have been located at Abu Ghurab, just north of Abusir. Ancient records name six built by Fifth Dynasty kings, but only those of Userkaf and Nyuserre have been found.
Nyuserre's is the better preserved. The obelisk has gone, leaving its massive base, but the altar survives: a single round calcite slab surrounded by four more carved in the shape of the hieroglyph hetep, 'offering', pointing to the four directions. A covered corridor was decorated with the 'Room of the Seasons' reliefs showing the natural world through the year; those blocks are now in museums in Cairo and Berlin. The site is reached separately from the pyramids on a short desert track and is rarely open, so ask well ahead.
Can you visit Abusir, and how?
Abusir has been opened to the public at various times, but it is not on the standard tourist circuit and access arrangements change, so plan it ahead through a specialist guide or operator. At the time of writing, check egymonuments.gov.eg and ask your guide which parts are accessible and which tickets or permits apply.
Abusir is reached from the Saqqara road and lies a few kilometres north of Djoser's Step Pyramid, so it fits naturally into a day at Saqqara, perhaps in place of Memphis. Allow 1.5 to 2 hours, wear sturdy shoes for loose sand and rubble, and bring water: there are no facilities. You will very likely be the only visitors.
Who should go to Abusir?
Abusir is for travellers who have already seen Giza, Saqqara and Dahshur and want to understand the Old Kingdom in more depth. First-time visitors with only a few days in Cairo will get more from the decorated tombs at Saqqara and the interior of the Red Pyramid at Dahshur. If you love the period, though, the empty desert, the sun temple altar and the sense of a working excavation make it one of the most rewarding half-days near Cairo. It is a natural addition to a slower, history-focused trip; see Egypt for history lovers.
Look out, too, for the later history of the site. Abusir was reused as a cemetery long after the pyramids were built, and the Czech mission has excavated deep Late Period shaft tombs here, including that of Udjahorresnet, an Egyptian official who served the Persian kings in the 6th century BC. These are not normally open, but your guide can point out where the work is going on.
Abusir: FAQs
Is Abusir open to tourists?
It has opened to visitors at various times, but access is irregular. Check current arrangements on egymonuments.gov.eg and with your guide before planning a visit.
Where is Abusir?
On the desert edge west of the Nile, between Giza and Saqqara, a few kilometres north of the Step Pyramid.
Can you go inside the Abusir pyramids?
Not as a rule. The interiors are unstable and have generally been closed; the visit focuses on the temples, causeways and mastabas.
What is the sun temple at Abu Ghurab?
The sun temple of Nyuserre, an open-air sanctuary to Ra with a large calcite altar formed of hetep (offering) signs pointing in four directions.