Saqqara

Close to Cairo, in North Saqqara 21km south of Giza, stands the first true pyramid, the Step Pyramid of King Zoser, it is a part of the largest archaeological site in Egypt. The site is relatively new as discoveries go; Auguste Mariette was responsible for the first find (the Serapeum) in 1851, which generated interest among Egyptologists and led to further excavations. As large as it is, several monuments and artefacts are still buried under the sand waiting to be discovered.

Back in the days of the Old Kingdom when Memphis was the capital of Egypt, Saqqara (pronounced sa-ah-rah) was its official cemetery; members of royalty, and nobility were buried there. The funerary complex grew over a period of three thousand years to cover seven kilometres of desert. Memphis, by the way, is considered the oldest imperial city in history.

King Zoser or Djoser, second king of the Third Dynasty (from 2667 to 2648BC or 2721 to2780BC depending on the source), when planning his final resting place in Saqqara wanted something more grandiose than the ordinary mastabas found in burial sites. Therefore, he summoned Imhotep, and told him to design a monument so the world would remember his greatness. Oddly enough, Imhotep was the one who left his mark on history. Imhotep, the Michelangelo of Ancient Egypt, was a man of many talents, he was King Zoser’s doctor, priest, sage, astronomer but he is best remembered as the world’s first architect and his creation, the pyramid, as history’s most enduring monument.

Dating back to 2700BC, Zoser’s Pyramid is situated in the Nile Valley and faces west the traditional direction to the Land of the Dead. The entrance is to the north according to traditional mastaba technique. To this day, the pyramid remains the first major work done in stone, the birth of architecture.  Built of local Tura stones, it is still standing after more than 4700 years.

The six-tiered pyramids, started as an underground burial chamber although its unusual shape made it different, it was square, when most mastabas were rectangular. In time, changes were made to the original plans and extensions were added. First, it was expanded horizontally to the east, then it went up vertically to four steps from it’s original two and then up to six steps to take the shape of a pyramid. Because of its tiered appearance, Zoser’s Pyramid is often referred to as the “wedding cake”. Originally, the pyramid stood 62meters and was covered with polished white marble. Before it was stripped of the casing stone, by the ever-busy looters, it measured 140m by 118m at the base. 

Surrounding the pyramid is an extensive funerary complex; it would take several days to visit all the monuments, so here is a description of what we consider the highlights of the site.

The remains of a wall, originally 544m.long, 277mwide and 10.4m high surround the complex. Fourteen doors were built along the wall, thirteen of those fake, they were meant for the Pharaoh’s Ka (soul) to go in and out, visitors however should enter by the door situated at the south eastern corner, the one meant for mortals.

The pyramid itself, just as claustrophobic as the Giza pyramid, contains the royal tomb. The tomb, lined in blue tiles, lies 28 meters underground at the bottom of a shaft sealed by a 3 tonne granite block. Visitors cannot enter the tomb, considered unsafe, but can view it through a slit cut in the wall.

A must see is the Serapeum dedicated to the Cult of Apis the Bull, situated at about 300meters northwest of the refreshment tent. The Ancients believed the bulls were the reincarnation of the god Ptah. Whenever the Pharaoh decided a sacrifice was needed the priests would choose the best-looking bull from the sacred herd. Whichever bull had the misfortune to be black, have a white marking on its forehead and be the only calf of its mother, was the elected one. It was then sacrificed to Ptah, mummified, and buried in a casket weighing seventy tons. Only 24 of the sarcophagi are left …….. How did they steal a seventy-ton casket? The remaining artefacts, overlooked by the thieves, are now on display in the Louvre Museum in Paris.

As wonderful as it would be to visit the Serapeum, sadly, it has been closed for visitors just like both mastabas of Ti and Idout.

Things to know
Things to know

Opening hours are daily from 8am to 4pm in winter, and 8am to 5pm in summer.