Tomb of Kagemni

Cairo Outskirts & the Nile Delta


The plump-looking chief justice under Teti, Kagemni appears in his own mastaba tomb as though he enjoyed the riches of the land, if the splendid and lively friezes inside are anything to go by. Look for catfish and eels thriving in the Nile, cows being milked, men feeding puppies, even dragonflies and other insects. Particularly vivid are the scenes of a crocodile and hippo fighting, and a row of vigorous dancers and acrobats.

Next door, the tomb of Mereruka contains similarly precise scenes, while the tomb of Ankhmahor is closed because of deteriorating conditions.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Cairo Outskirts & the Nile Delta attractions

1. Tomb of Mereruka

0.04 MILES

Mereruka was the successor to Kagemni as Pharaoh Titi's chief justice and his tomb, like Kagemni's, is full of preserved reliefs of daily life. Some of…

2. Pyramid of Teti

0.07 MILES

The Pyramid of Teti (2345–2323 BC), the first pharaoh of the 6th dynasty, was built in step form and cased in limestone, but today only a modest mound…

3. Tomb of Ankhmahor

0.09 MILES

The tomb of Ankhmahor contains similar precise friezes to the Tomb of Kagemni, but is closed because of deteriorating conditions.

4. Pyramid of Userkaf

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Northeast of the Step Pyramid is the Pyramid of Userkaf, the first pharaoh of the 5th dynasty (closed to the public for safety reasons). Although the…

5. Saqqara

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Covering a 7km stretch of the Western Desert, Saqqara, the huge cemetery of ancient Memphis, was an active burial ground for more than 3500 years and is…

6. Step Pyramid of Zoser

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7. Tomb of Akhethotep & Ptahhotep

0.54 MILES

This joint mastaba for Akhethotep and his son Ptahhotep has two burial chambers, two chapels and a pillared hall. The painted reliefs in Ptahhotep’s…

8. Mit Rahina

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The only remaining evidence of Memphis is this noteworthy open-air museum, built around a magnificent fallen colossal limestone statue of Ramses II. Its…

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