Sahure was a pharaoh of ancient Egypt and the second ruler of the Fifth Dynasty, who reigned for about 12 years in the early 25th century BC during the Old Kingdom Period. He was probably the son of his predecessor Userkaf with Queen Neferhetepes II, and was in turn succeeded by his son Neferirkare Kakai. Sahure's reign marked the political and cultural high point of the Fifth Dynasty. He launched naval expeditions to modern-day Lebanon to procure cedar trees, slaves and exotic items. His expedition to the land of Punt brought back large quantities of myrrh, malachite and electrum. A relief in his mortuary temple shows him celebrating the success of this venture by tending a myrrh tree. Sahure sent expeditions to the turquoise and copper mines in Sinai and ordered military campaigns that captured livestock from Libyan chieftains in the Western Desert. His pyramid in Abusir is smaller than those of the preceding Fourth Dynasty, but his mortuary temple is more elaborate. (Full article...)