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The Saqqara Step Pyramid in the ancient
egyptian capital of Memphis, lies 20 miles
southwest of Cairo. This is the oldest of the royal pyramids. It was built
for King Djoser (Zoser: 2667 - 2648 BC), the second of the Third Dynasty
pharaohs in the 27th-century B.C. by the architect Imhotep. The original
structure was an under-ground burial chamber. This chamber was rare in
that it was square; most mastabas were rectangular. The royal tomb is 28m
underground with a vertical shaft leading to it. The entrance was sealed
with a 3 ton piece of granite. The chamber walls have inscriptions that
show beyond any doubt that this
is indeed a burial chamber. It also contains offering rooms and most of
the other features
that were often found in both earlier and later tombs. The pyramid is
composed of six receding layers on top of each other. A man can be seen
standing to the right of center
of its base. |