Tomb of Kagemni

Cairo Outskirts & the Nile Delta

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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.

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