The pyramid complex of Userkaf is located almost exactly at the North-Eastern corner of the 3rd Dynasty complex of Djoser at Saqqara.

The return to Saqqara-North, and more precisely to the site chosen for Djoser's complex, is interesting and may have been symbolic. Userkaf's predecessor, Shepseskaf, the last king of the 4th Dynasty, had already chosen to return to Saqqara, but he had his funerary monument built several kilometers to the south of the Djoser complex, after several generations who had prefered the northern sites of Giza and Abu Rawash.

Userkaf's immediate successors continued Userkaf's move north and had their funerary monuments built at Abusir, a couple of kilometers to the north of Saqqara.

Userkaf's pyramid complex was named wab-s.wt, "the pure(st) of places".

Structure

The structure of Userkaf's funerary complex deviates from the tradition. It consists of all the traditional parts, but these are arranged in a fairly unusual way, with the mortuary temple oriented towards the south instead of the east. This has been explained by some as the result of the choice of place where Userkaf wanted his monument to be built, or by others as a short-lived theological experiment.

The complex consists of a main pyramid, to the east of which is located a small offering chapel. The main pyramid and offering chapel are surrounded by an enclosure wall. The satellite pyramid is located to the South-West and the temple to the South of the main pyramid. The smaller pyramid to the South of the temple has been interpreted as the Queen's pyramid.

Above: Map of Saqqara, highlighting the location of the pyramid of Userkaf.
Left:The three largest still standing pyramids in Saqqara, seen from the South.

Clickable map of the Pyramid complex of Userkaf at Saqqara.
Source: Lehner, Complete Pyramids, p. 140