Step pyramid of Zoser
The Step Pyramid of King Zoser is considered the oldest stone structures ever built by man, and the only one of its kind, in addition to the first colonnade and hypostyle, life-sized statues, cavetto cornice and a portico. It’s entirely built of limestone.
The most prominent monument at Saqqara is the Step Pyramid of Djoser, first king of the 3rd Dynasty (ca. 2650-2575 BC). This structure, believed to have been designed by a high official named Imhotep is the first pyramid and the earliest example of large-scale stone construction in Egypt.
The Step Pyramid stands at the heart of a large ritual complex, which covers roughly 15 ha (37 acres). A massive buttressed limestone wall surrounds the area, its exterior surface carved with niches in imitation of a royal palace façade, within which a number of different structures once stood.
The pyramid itself was first conceived as a large square mastaba, subsequently enlarged in several stages over the course of Djoser’s reign. The entire structure was originally covered with a casing of fine white limestone.
Below the center of the pyramid is a large vertical shaft, at the bottom of which lies a granite burial vault. The vault was sealed with a granite plug weighing some 3.5 tons; nevertheless, robbers were able to enter the tomb in antiquity, making off with the king’s treasures. A few mummy fragments were found in the vault in modern times, but carbon-dating has indicated that they are from a much later date than the reign of Djoser. In addition to the main shaft, eleven smaller vertical shafts lie below the eastern side of the pyramid, leading to galleries that extend to the west. We know from the presence of two intact alabaster sarcophagi, as well as fragments of others, that four of these galleries were used for the burials of royal family members. The other galleries were filled with stone vessels, some dating to the Early Dynastic era and most likely buried here to associate Djoser with his predecessors. The walls of the ‘king’s apartment’ are covered with blue faience tiles laid on a limestone background, imitating a reed-mat façade with niches containing carved scenes depicting the king performing rituals for his Sed-Festival (Jubilee).
North Entrance of the Step Pyramid
The Step pyramids, the tomb of the third dynasty king Djoser (2648-2667) BC. Currently has two entrances.
Unlike the south entrance, which was made around 2000 years after the pyramid was built , during the 26th dynasty (525-664)BC. The entrance on the north side dates to Djoser,s regin.
The Step Pyramid is Egypt’s oldest pyramid, and it is clear that king Djoser and his genius architect Imhotep did not plan to build a Pyramid from the outset; rather they first built a monumental stone Mastaba.
This was already equipped with an entrance that led into the subterranean passages of the tomb. This alone would have already been one of , if not the oldest, fully stone monumental structure in the world .However , an efficient bureaucratic system, and a growing experience with building in stone meant that the Mastaba was expanded into an even larger one that was large enough to cover the original north entrance.
The larger Mastaba itself eventually grew several stages later into magnificent 60 meter high monument that we see today.
The substructure of Djoser,s tomb was made to rival its awe-inspiring superstructure .
The new entrance replacing the old one leads into a veritable labyrinth of shafts and underground passages.
These are reached through a trench that begins in the floor of the mortuary temple of the step pyramids complex, which lies against the north face of the pyramid.
Several of the subterranean passages lead down to the bottom of the great central shafts 28 meters below the earth.This is the burial chamber,king Djosers final resting place.
The Step Pyramid underwent an extensive conservation project undertaken by the ministry of Tourism and Antiquities that lasted 2006 to 2020, during which its substructure was restored and the cost 10 Million US Dollar.
