The Amazing 2nd Dynasty Ruins of King Khasekhemwy

Shunet el-Zebib is a truly ancient mudbrick structure in Abydos, Upper Egypt, which dates all the way back to the second dynasty. It was built by King Khasekhemwy, some time around 2700 BC.

For its age and the building material used it really is quite an incredible structure and it’s amazing the ruins still exist today. It consists of two interlaced rectangular surrounding walls.


The outer wall is 5 metres thick and 11 metres high and measures 133.5 by 77.7 metres. The inner wall is 123 metres by 56, is 3 metres thick and 8 metres high. As we can see on this picture the inner wall is niched with the palace façade style of decoration.


Shunet El-Zebib is one of a group of structures, all broadly similar in layout and scale and the earliest dates to King Aha of the First Dynasty, but some structures may date back even earlier.


In this video I present a brief history of this incredible ancient structure of early dynastic Egypt.

Matt Sibson
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