Userkaf

Userkaf ("his soul is powerful") was probably the grandson of Djedfere and Queen Neferhetep. The Westcar Papyrus suggests that his mother was Reweddjedet the wife of the High Priest of Re at Heliopolis. However, it is suggested that she was actually Menkaure's daughter and Shepsekaf's half sister Khentkawes.This dynastic marriage would have helped him entrench his hold on the crown.

He built a pyramid outside Djoser´s enclosure wall at Saqqara. However, his mortuary temple was at the south, not east of the pyramid. This may have been due to problems with the geography of the area, or may have been because the sun would have shone on the temple all day. He and his successors were known as the "Sun Kings". He also built a sun-temple at Abu Gurob which included a sun alter and Benben (stumpy obelisk) which was a precursor to the sun temples adopted by Akhenaten.