Mortuary and Valley Temple

Mortuary Temple

The funerary chapels that Snofru built to the east of his pyramids, was extended into a small, squarish Mortuary Temple.
Unfortunately, this temple has been almost entirely destroyed over time, which makes it hard to identify the different elements that originally made up the temple. The general shape of the temple, however, does make it clear that this was just an intermediate monument between the funerary chapels of Snofru, and the traditional mortuary temple, as it would be defined just one generation later, during the reign of Khefren.

A floor made in basalt is one of the few things that remains of Kheops' Mortuary Temple.

A floor made in basalt is one of the few things that remains of Kheops' Mortuary Temple.


The Mortuary Temple was entered via a doorway in the eastern wall. Sockets in the basalt pavement mark the location of megalithic granite pillars that once surrounded an open court. Beyond the open court, there was an inner sanctuary, but no trace of a false door or perhaps a statue of the king, have been found.


Valley Temple

Only a vague outline of both the 739.8m long causeway and of the Valley Temple now remain.


© Jacques Kinnaer 1997 - 2023