The Step Pyramid of Saqqara

The Step Pyramid of Saqqara
Today, Djoser's pyramid and its surrounding mortuary complex is recognized as the first stone building in the world. (Although stone had been used for certain features in earlier tombs, this was the first to be constructed entirely of stone.) The genius who produced this vast monument for Djoser was his vizier, Imhotep, who seems to have been a man of many parts. His high standing at court is indicated in the inscription on the base of a brolcen-off statue of Djoser where, after the name of the king, Imhotep's titles read: 'The Treasurer of the King of Lower Egypt, the First after the King of Upper Egypt, Administrator of the Great Palace, Hereditary Lord, the High Priest of Heliopolis, Imhotep the builder, the sculptor, the maker of stone vases...'

Djoser Step Pyramid

The whole concept of Djoser's funerary monument was that of an area for the spirit, focused on the pyramid itself. This began life as a normal mastaba, but was subsequently subject to several major enlargements, adding one mastaba upon another, until it consisted of six unequal steps rising to 204 ft (62 m). Its base area is 358 x 411 ft (109 x 125 m). The substructure is a honeycomb of shafts and tunnels, several of them dug by robbers which are difficult to distinguish from those original tunnels left unfinished. Vast quantities of stone vases were found beneath the pyramid, many of exquisite form and artistry, a number of them bearing the names of earlier kings. Perhaps Djoser added these vases to his monument as an act of piety towards his predecessors, to save their funerary goods as best he might. A mummified left foot found in one of the passages may be the only remains of the king. Other members of the royal family were buried in some of the shafts and tunnels, one being a young child of about eight years old found in a fine alabaster coffin. The various enlargements of the ground plan of the pyramid finally meant that these other tombs were all sealed beneath its expanding structure with no access. A new entrance to the king's actual burial chamber, cut from Aswan granite and plugged with a three-ton stopper after the burial, was dug from the north.

Close to this northern entrance stands the serdab (Arabic for 'cellar'), a box-like structure of finished Tura limestone with a pair of small holes pierced through its front-facing slope. This was found during the excavations of C.M. Firth and was a complete surprise. Within the serdab was a painted limestone, life-size seated figure of Djoser, the oldest royal sculpture of this scale known from Egypt. It represents the king closely wrapped in a long white cloak, probably that used in the king's jubilee or heb-sed festival (p. 19). Food offerings and incense would have been placed on an altar before the two small eyeholes in the wall of the serdab, enabling the ka (the spirit of the king) to partake of the spirit substance - whilst, at the end of the day, the mortuary priests could enjoy the material substance of the offerings.

Wall Surrounding Djoser Step Pyramid

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Step Pyramid of Djoser facts at Saqqara Part 1

The Pyramid complex of Djoser (Zoser)

  Djoser Step Pyramid

The Step Pyramid of Djoser is located within the boundaries of the Pyramid Complex of Djoser. This Complex was built during the reign of King Djoser (Zoser) (2630B.C.-2611B.C.)

Djoser (Zoser) Step Pyramid

The  Djoser Step Pyramid contains at least one million tons of stones

The Complex contains , in addition to the Step Pyramid , several building , colonnades and temples . The whole Djoser (Zoser) Complex is a masterpiece of harmony and order . The Complex is masterpiece the First Major Construction in Stone .

Was this the first time Egyptians used stone in their building ?
Prior to Djoser (Zoser), stone was quarried , transported and dressed . Egyptians may have used just a few tones of limestone during the First and Second Dynasties .The Step Pyramid Complex Djoser (Zoser) contains at least one million tons of stones . It is incredible that such a sudden increase in production could have been achieved , in just on generation .

This Complex deserves as much attention as the Great pyramids of Giza . The amount of stone used in the Djoser Complex ( such as the enclosure wall ) indicates mastery of stone-making , before the time of Khufu ( Cheops in Greek ) .

Tell me about enclosure wall :
The enclosure wall is part of the Djoser Complex that King Djoser built . it surrounds an area more than a square mile . When complete , the enclosure wall was nearly 600 yards (549m) long , and 3000 yards (247m ) wide , and rode to a high of over 30' (9.1). It is built of limestone and faced with fine polished limestone in Ancient Egypt .

The enclosure wall was a major project in itself .
Yes . Its successive recesses and projections required more than triple the amount of both stone and labor of a similar simple wall .

Where do we enter the Djoser (Zoser) Pyramid Complex ?
The Enclosure Wall , which surrounds the Complex , has 14 bastion gates , but only one is real . the other 13 are simulated . The reason for such simulated gates remains a total mystery .

Lets go through the only entrance .

After going through the entrance , we walk through see beautiful colonnade . We then turn right and continue towards the Djoser (Zoser) Pyramid .

On the right hand side one can notice Fluted columns .
These columns are fluted , which looks the same as the ell -Known Doric columns of Greece .

Are these columns older than the Greek Columns ?
These Egyptian columns are at least two thousands years older than the Greek columns .

So , Why are they called Greek Doric columns , when they are actually of Egyptian design ?
it is a historical deception .

Step Pyramid :

• Step Pyramid of Djoser facts at Saqqara Part 1
• Step Pyramid of Djoser facts at Saqqara Part 2

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Step Pyramid of Djoser facts at Saqqara Part 2

The Step Pyramid Of Djoser ( Zoser )

How did the idea of pyramid come to Imhotep ? ( Imhotep was the architect of Djoser's Step Pyramid )

Step Pyramid Of Djoser (Zoser)

The idea of a step pyramid was not his original intention . The original objective was ti build a mastaba-type tomb to bury the King when he died .Building a step pyramid was an after thought , that occurred a few years later . The mastaba-type tomb is functionally and structurally independent of the later addition of the stepped pyramid .

How did the mastaba-type tomb wined up to the Step Pyramid of Djoser (Zoser)?

It occurred over five stages of construction .

How did we figure out the construction stage of the Djoser (Zoser) Pyramids ?

The stages of construction can be followed because almost all the outer casing has disappeared , as well as many layers pf the core masonry . The eastern , southern , and northern faces show clearly the five distinct construction stages .

Can you explain the five stages ?  

Djoser (Zoser) Step Pyramid

The First Stage was building if ab unusual square stone mastaba 206*206*26 ( 63m*63m*8m) ( others were rectangular ) , with an underground burial chamber . The core masonry was made of small stone blocks , laid like bricks . The stone mastaba was faced with fine limestone , which proves it was intended to be a finished building in Ancient Egypt .

The Second Stage comprised the addition of ten feet (3m() of fine limestone around the perimeter of the mastaba .

The Third Stage was addition of the further twenty-five foot (7.5m) extension to the eastern face , providing a rectangular ground plan . An additional central shaft , as serious of corridors and tomb chamber were also dug .

The Fourth Stage was the construction of a four tired structures of stone weighing 200,000 tomes , on top of the exiting tomb structure .

The Fifth Stage was the addition of two more steps and the final six-tired pyramid , was In turn , faced with fine limestone , to give it a smooth finish .

In simple terms , this structure is basically a mastaba-type tomb which was covered with a series of limestone steps .

Exactly . The main purpose of this structure was the burial of Djoser (Zoser) and his family . The Step Pyramid was an afterthought . The burial chambers are not an integral part of the pyramid structure .

Step Pyramid :

• Step Pyramid of Djoser facts at Saqqara Part 1
• Step Pyramid of Djoser facts at Saqqara Part 2

Read more »