Saqqara Pyramid: First Pyramid in the world

What is the Saqqara Step Pyramid?

The Saqqara Step Pyramid is one of Egypt’s most significant tourist attractions, attracting tourists from everywhere in the world. It represents the first pyramid built by the ancient Egyptians, followed by the three pyramids, the largest of which represents one of the world’s seven wonders.

“The Pyramid of Saqqara, the Pyramid of Djoser, and the Step Pyramid” are three names, all given to that grand edifice; the first name is due to its location, the second name is due to King Djoser, who lies inside, while the third name is due to the stepped shape that characterizes it.

Where is the Saqqara Pyramid located?

The pyramid of Djoser is located in the village of Badrasheen in Giza Governorate in the Saqqara region and was built during the reign of King Djoser, the second king of the Third Dynasty, by the architect Imhotep, who was commissioned to create the cemetery that includes the pyramid to bury the nobles. The pyramid took twenty years to implement, starting in 2737 to end in 2717 BC.

The Saqqara cemetery is the only Egyptian cemetery that includes tombs dating back to the beginning of ancient Egyptian history and extending to its end, as well as monuments that date back not only to the era of the ancient Egyptians but also to the Greco-Roman era.

The pyramid of Djoser is one of the pyramids of the cemetery of Saqqara, as it includes several pyramids, temples, and burials. The graveyard of Saqqara was named after the god of the necropolis, “Sukar,” and it was classified in 1979 as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.

The Saqqara Pyramid impressive history

Saqqara Step Pyramid of Djoser, built in Saqqara about 4,700 years ago, is the first pyramid ever built by Egyptians.

The ancient Egyptian pharaoh who gave the pyramid his name was Pharaoh Djoser; However, it was actually called “Nettegricht,” and he ruled during the third Egyptian dynasty of the era of the pharaohs. Scientists attribute the planning of the pyramid to the famous pharaonic architect Imhotep.

In his book The Complete Pyramids: Solving Ancient Mysteries, Egyptologist Mark Lehner stated that Djoser was the name given to this king more than a thousand years after his reign.

The pyramid began as a terraced tomb, a flat structure with sloping sides, and through a series of expansions, evolved into a pyramid of 60 m high, with six tiers, each built on top of another.

The pyramid was built using 11.6 million cubic feet (330,400 cubic meters) of stone and mud, and the tunnels beneath the pyramid form a maze about 3.5 miles (5.5 kilometers) long.

In earlier times, pharaohs were buried in smaller tombs in ‘Mastaba’ where thieves could reach them by digging from above, as Egyptologist Reg Clark wrote in his 2019 book “Securing Eternity: Protecting Ancient Egyptian Tombs from Prehistory to the Pyramids,” adding that Djoser’s stepped pyramid made it nearly impossible for a thief to reach the burial chamber by digging from above and that protection from grave robbers may be the reason for the ancient Egyptians to build the stepped pyramid.

The astonishing exterior design of the Saqqara Pyramid

The Saqqara step pyramid was not only characterized as the first royal tomb in the form of a pyramid but also was built of stones with a layer of white lime, as the tombs of kings were constructed of mud bricks at that time, while the king’s room was built of granite.

The pyramid of Djoser consists of six terraces built on top of each other, and the pyramid rises from the ground by 60 meters, and the pyramid has a rectangular base of 118 meters from north to south, and 140 meters from east to west.

The first Egyptian pyramid consists of six terraces built on top of each other, something that represents a tremendous development in the design of the tombs of the era, which was limited to a single terrace; the stepped pyramid of Djoser is 62 meters high, with a base of 109 m × 125 m, and was covered with polished white limestone.

The spectacular infrastructure of the Step Pyramid

It contains the king’s sarcophagus chamber, entrance, and rooms covered with vines, in addition to 11 vestibules with underground passages and a group of wells.

The king’s burial chamber consists of red granite stone underground with a depth of 28 meters with a size of 7 * 7 meters; you will see a room directing you to the king’s burial chamber through a hole with a diameter of 1 meter.

The main entrance was closed with a large piece of granite stone weighing approximately 4 tons; the king’s burial chamber and maneuver room walls were decorated with stones and then a layer of sand.

A set of corridors linked by a group of corridors was built around the burial chamber of King Djoser; after passing through the eastern vestibule, you will see four chambers covered with blue vines and frames in the form of curtains.

The blue vines of the ancient Egyptians meant water in the afterlife after death, as it was a belief in the Egyptian religious beliefs of the pharaohs.

You will see three graffiti of Djoser during the official celebrations of the Dam Day.

You will see that the burial chamber of King Djoser is coated with four layers of red granite stone.

A statue of the king was found in the burial chamber along with the mummy and sarcophagus of King Djoser.

You will also notice that the pyramid of King Djoser is surrounded by niches for worship and a group of underground corridors connected to each other under 27 meters.

Landmarks associated with the Pyramid

A large moat: the width of the trench reaches 40 m, and its length is 57 m

A wall: It surrounds the Pyramid and is up to 1645 m long.

Southern cemetery: this cemetery is still a mystery that has puzzled scholars till our present time.

Funerary temple: The temple was built in the northern part of the Pyramid, where more than 4 thousand vessels were collected of alabaster and other various stones from (granite – diorite). There are five corridors inside the Pyramid under the stepped Pyramid, about 30 m, a large part of which belongs to the first and second dynasties.

Tour of the Step Pyramid of Djoser

When you intend to go on a tourist tour to the pyramid of Saqqara, get ready first for that tour so that you get the most entertainment and learning by choosing the right time; it is better if your trip is in the winter as the Saqqara region is characterized by extreme heat.

If you are going during the summer, wear cotton clothes and do not forget sunglasses and a hat, and if you are in winter, choose comfortable clothes to facilitate movement, so as not to let the clothes restrict you so that you can go down the cemetery and see it from the inside.

When you arrive, you will see Saqqara Step pyramid in the middle of a vast architectural ensemble surrounded by a 6-meter-long wall topped with enormous cobras made of rock. Still, parts of this wall were destroyed by temporal factors, a spectacle that is not without prestige.