The Zoser (or Djoser) complex, also called the Step Pyramid of Saqqara or The Pyramid of Djoser, was built in Saqqara as a tomb. Even though the pyramids of Giza are well-known, the site of Saqqara is just as important. It is one of the many cemeteries near Cairo, northeast of the famous ancient city of Menfi.
Egyptian Pharaonic history is respected all over the world, especially in Egypt. This is because the Egyptian civilization is very famous and is always studied by international students who love history and monuments built that tell the stories of kings and historical events of the kings and queens who ruled Egypt.
If you love history and monuments built that tell the stories of kings and historical events of the kings and queens who ruled Egypt, we invite you to read this article to discover out’s secrets of Djo.
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Who is Djoser?
During the Third Dynasty of the Old Empire, around 2650 BCE, King Djoser (sometimes written as Zoser) or Netjerijet was in charge of Egypt.
Djoser was the first pharaoh to stay in one palace instead of moving from one court to another. He also grew Egypt’s power to Aswan in the south and Sinai in the north.
Djoser is well-known for two things. First, he is said to have saved Egypt from a seven-year famine by rebuilding the Temple of Jnum, the god of the source of the Nile River. Second, and more importantly, Djoser is known for the stepped pyramid of Saqqara, primarily built with stone blocks instead of mud bricks under the direction of the famous architect Imhotep.
The fact that Djoser was able to end famine and make such a significant monument shows that Egypt was politically and economically stable during his rule.
The Pyramid of Djoser | Saqqara
From an archaeological point of view, some people think that Saqqara is even more important than the necropolis of Giza. This vast site has tombs from the time before the ancient Kingdom and up to the time of the Greeks.
The stepped pyramid of Djoser, which dates back to the third dynasty (2667–2448 BC) and is thought to be the oldest stone structure in Egypt, is by far the most famous building in this area. Imhotep, who worked for him, built the pyramid for King Zoser (or Djoser).
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What can be found near the pyramid?
The pyramid is in the middle of a large courtyard with buildings for ceremonies and decoration on all sides. The pyramid, which is thought to be the oldest of the Egyptian ones, had six mastabas that got smaller as they went up. Each mastaba was built on top of the one below it.
The structure of the pyramid:
At first, the building was 62 meters tall and had a 109 by 125 meters base. It was made of limestone, and the White Wall of Narmer was used as a model for the wall surrounding the area.
The structure is more than 10 meters tall, lasts about 1.5 kilometers, surrounds about 15 hectares, and has 211 bastions and 14 false doors. Only one natural entrance near the southeast corner leads to the corridor where the colonnade starts. At first, it was covered with Tura blocks made of limestone.
The building is also an example of innovative architecture since it was used as a model for building the Pyramids of Giza and all other pyramids after the fourth dynasty.
The pyramid of Zoser is essential because it was the first to use several mastabas stacked on each other to make a stepped pyramid. Mastabas are tombs with a rectangular base that make up the pyramid but can also be used to create a single truncated pyramid burial.
This building bridges the smooth pyramids of Giza, and the smaller pyramids from the fifth and sixth dynasties found in Saqqara and other nearby places like Dahshur and Abu Sir.
Around the stepped pyramid of Djoser, there are at least a dozen other pyramids, as well as tombs and temples for the dead from the Greek and Pharaonic eras that are in different states of preservation.
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The construction of the Pyramid of Saqqara:
Many pyramids were built after Zoser was damaged because building techniques during the Middle Kingdom were paradoxically less advanced. After all, Egypt’s economy was getting worse then. However, most of these structures in Saqqara are still in good enough shape to be visited.
The necropolises of Saqqara are one of the most important places in all of Egypt. Anyone interested in the history of ancient Egypt should go there.
