The Magnificent Step Pyramid of Djoser in Saqqara – Now Open!
The Great Pyramid of Khufu in Giza is arguably the most famous of all pyramids in Egypt, or in the world for that matter. Yet, this was not the first pyramid that was built by the ancient Egyptians. An earlier Egyptian pyramid was built 4,700 years ago in Saqqara for a 3rd Dynasty pharaoh Netjerikhet, commonly known as Djoser. After 90 years of waiting, visitors to Saqqara can now venture inside the ancient structure popularly known as the Step Pyramid!
Open to the Public!
The last time the pyramid was opened to tourists was in the 1930s. It was closed due to concerns that the structure was unsafe. But the restoration project began in 2006 to try to make entrance into this iconic Saqqara monument available again to the public. Despite work being put on hold between 2011 and 2013, the outer facades, stairs, two entrances, internal corridors to the burial chamber and the stone sarcophagus have all been conserved.
Cintec, the Welsh company that repaired the pyramid, reported that the work was not easy or safe, “It really was extremely, extremely, dangerous,” Peter James, the company’s Managing Director, told The Times . According to Daily Mail , “Rubble had dropped onto the sarcophagus from the roof and many supporting internal stone beams had broken.” There was even concern that the engineers working inside could have caused the pyramid to collapse on them while they were working.
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Imhotep’s Innovative Step Pyramid at Saqqara
The original architect responsible for the design and construction of the pyramid was none other than Imhotep, who served as Djoser’s chancellor. The most noticeable difference between Djoser’s pyramid and that of Khufu is the shape of each structure. Unlike the Great Pyramid , Djoser’s pyramid consisted of six steps, similar to the ziggurats of the ancient Mesopotamian city states, and thus was commonly known as the Step Pyramid of Saqqara.
Ancient Origins Tours visited Egypt in February 2020. Here is the happy tour family: Lou, Richard, Marcie, Ken, Brian, Luminous, Alicia, Faye, Andrew, Steve, Aila, Lisle, and Mary Lou in front of Djoser’s pyramid. (Image: Alicia McDermott)
The unique shape of Djoser’s pyramid may be explained by looking at the building structures that were in use prior to the construction of pyramids in ancient Egypt. During Egypt’s Early Dynastic Period and Old Kingdom, rectangular structures with a flat roof and outward sloping sides were used to mark the tombs of the elite members of society. These structures, made of mud-brick or stone, were known as mastabas (meaning ‘bench of mud’ in Arabic).
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