The 4,700-year-old step pyramid, built in the 27th century B.C. Some spaces were filled with blocks adorned with carvings of stars. While its true function remains unknown, this mysterious structure is the only one to have actual internal spaces. This includes the ‘PREMIUM’ Luxor Pass (which allows entry to the Seti I and Nefertari tombs) which normally costs $200. He also appears in a relief at Kom Ombo. The pyramid is located south of Cairo in the ancient capital of Memphis and was made a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1979. And though currently inaccessible to visitors, behind the platform lies the South Tomb. The Great Pyramids at Giza are the most popular pyramids among people today, but in fact there are many pyramids all the way down to Sudan. Within a limestone box sits the serdab, or statue, of King Djoser himself. With no signage, it was easy to get lost and disoriented, but that was all part of the experience. Later, at the end of my trip, I based myself in downtown Cairo for better access to the historic sites in the city center, not to mention the airport. The shapes of these sanctuaries seem to copy arched-roof cabins made of reeds and wood. More than satisfied, I made the long journey back to the surface. A custodian stands next to a sarcophagus in the Pyramid of Djoser. I’m a budget traveler, but those with more money to spend will find no shortage of accommodation options in the Giza area. You will want to commute to central Cairo at least once, however, to visit the Egyptian Museum and maybe an additional day for Islamic Cairo. Exterior of the Pyramid of Djoser which is also referred to as the Step Pyramid. The Pyramid of Djoser is a step pyramid that originally had a height of 62.5 meters (205 feet) and a base of 121 meters… After walking through another series of tunnels, I arrived at the same burial vault I’d just seen from above. And amazingly, royals would continue to build tombs there up until the Roman period. In Abu Sir/Saqqara I stayed at the Sakkara Inn. The Greater Cairo Area is home to many of Egypt’s, and the world’s, most impressive sites. "We completed the restoration... of the first and oldest pyramid in Egypt, that of King Djoser, the founder of the Old Kingdom," Egyptian Antiquities and Tourism Minister Khaled El-Enany said during the official reopening on March 5. While regarded as a wise and benevolent ruler (as evidenced by the Famine Stelae at Aswan), he was also considered by his later successors to be one of Egypt’s most innovative. Before Pharaoh Djoser took the throne, kings were typically buried in Abydos. Or maybe twelve. Mohamed el-Shahed/AFP via Getty Images. The last time the pyramid was opened to tourists was in the 1930s. But there were still several people lingering around, and I decided to wait a bit longer. Sep 12, 2020 - After 14 years, the oldest pyramid in the world, known as the Pyramid of Djoser, has reopened. In all, the entire project took 14 years to complete, including a few years during which the restoration process had been paused due to the Arab Spring. It’s literally a one-minute walk from the Sphinx entrance of the Giza Necropolis. Looking at it from above, it appears to barely rise above the ground. However, if you want to use a DSLR, you’ll need to buy the photo pass to take pictures inside the tombs or pyramids. As at many sites throughout Egypt, Saqqara has a confusing ticketing system. p.parentNode.insertBefore(s,p); As with the prior Nubian-led 25th dynasty, these later pharaohs showed great reverence for their ancient predecessors. But even after 3,000 years of continuous building activity at Saqqara, the Step Pyramid of Djoser continues to loom over everything around it. Today, the general area north of the pyramid is filled with blocks cleared out from the South Tomb at the opposite end of the complex. "We are in awe as to how he was able to create this structure, which has remained standing for 4,700 years.". I’d made it. Note that this doesn’t include the photography pass, which costs 300 EGP on its own. })(document, 'script', '//aff.bstatic.com/static/affiliate_base/js/flexiproduct.js'). It’s widely regarded as the world’s very first pyramid. The restoration of our heritage is at the top of our priorities.". Strong winds, natural disasters, and earthquakes made the Djoser Pyramid vulnerable and on the verge of collapse. And at night time, it would also get a clear view of the North Star. History's earliest cut stone structure reopened again for tourists after almost 20 years of renovations. However neither the mummified bodies of Djoser or his chancellor … A custodian stands next to a sarcophagus in the Pyramid of Djoser. Though the area is largely in ruin, the remnants of some stone flooring, along with pieces of ancient pillars, can clearly be distinguished. The building is 625 m high and its base is 121 m long and 109 m wide. Djoser, however, wasn’t the first pharaoh to build at Saqqara, a vast burial ground situated some 30 km south of modern Cairo. It cost $6.6 million to complete the entire restoration. Ultimately, all of the passageways lead to dead-ends. Even better is that if you get the Cairo Pass, you can get 50% off the Luxor Pass. Some of the more interesting ones are now on display at both the Cairo Museum and the nearby Imhotep Museum. These items were often beer, grain, fancy clothes or expensive jewellery. It took almost 20 years to complete restoration on the 4,700-year-old pyramid. That means that with both passes, I saved over $250 in Cairo and Luxor! As mentioned above, the aging Pharoah would have to run around the markers in the Great Court to demonstrate his physical fitness. But thanks to his monumental pyramid at Saqqara, Djoser remains a household name even millennia after his lifetime. Pharaoh Djoser was a ruler in the Third Dynasty believed to have been buried in the Step Pyramid in Saqqara, a stunning six-tier monument built in 2600BC that is still standing today. The Pyramid Of Djoser, Egypt’s Oldest And Largest, Restored To Its Former Glory. Natasha Ishak is a staff writer at All That's Interesting. The Pyramid of Djoser (or Zoser), or step pyramid (kbhw-ntrw in Egyptian) is an archeological remain in the Saqqara necropolis, Egypt, northwest of the city of Memphis. Visitors would be forgiven for thinking it was designed by a contemporary architect in recent times. If you have the slightest interest in Egyptian culture and history, exploring Saqqara should be one of your top priorities during your stay in the Greater Cairo area. Built as a tomb for the pharaoh Djoser (or Zoser), the Djoser Pyramid was constructed between 2630 BC and 2611 BC in Saqqara, Egypt. I took things even further and also stayed for a few nights in the small village of Abu Sir, just north of Saqqara. Notice how they’re fastened with ‘dummy gates’ which mimic real ones but have no practical function. Pharao Djoser of the third Dynasty conceived the plan, enlarging his mastaba further and further (due to his long reign) until he ended up with a gigantic step pyramid. And now, over 4600 years after its construction, Saqqara’s Step Pyramid continues to make headlines. Coming out of the dim colonnade, visitors find themselves in front of the open and vast Great Court. This expansive stretch of desert contains almost nothing except the remains of two small altars. In fact, he, along with New Kingdom architect Amenhotep Son of Hapu, were perhaps the only commoners to have cults developed around them. It was here in the Heb-Sed Court that plays or rituals were carried out that commemorated the death and resurrection of Osiris, lord of the underworld. In 2006, thousands of years after it was first built, the Pyramid of Djoser began undergoing a massive restoration project. A majestic limestone structure in the heart of the Pyramid Complex of Saqqara, the Pyramid of Djoser (or Zoser) stands as one of the most renowned archaeological sites in the world. For archaeology enthusiasts, it makes much more sense to stay in or near Giza and dedicate 3 or 4 full days to exploring the various pyramid sites. Supposedly, as many as five changes of plan took place during construction. 3 of 17. The pyramid contains 40,000 pharaonic drawings on the wall of the long corridors inside the pyramid. Also note the two staircases which together likely represented the kingdoms of Upper and Lower Egypt. It was an exciting spectacle, for sure. Entrance hall and vestibule of the Pyramid of Djoser circa 1920. One of Egypt’s earliest monarchs, King Djoser remained highly revered throughout the rest of ancient Egyptian history. One large section of the chamber consists of walls entirely decorated in blue tiles, said to resemble rolled-up reed mats. We know relatively little about his reign. The Step Pyramid of Djoser. The imagery here mirrors similar art at the bottom of the South Tomb at the other end of the Great Court. I was able to hire a driver for the day through my hotel for $40 USD. Situated near the southeast edge of the complex, this is the same entrance used by tourists today. Despite there being over a dozen false doors placed along the enclosure wall, there was only one single entrance for visitors. The Pyramid of Djoser contains 400 underground rooms, including burial chambers and fictitious rooms, to prevent the mummy from rising from grave robbers. It’s believed that the Step Pyramid started as a simple limestone mastaba, though, unusually, a square one and not a rectangle. s.async = true; Meanwhile, there were other areas filled with stone rubble and pot shards. That’s why I recommend buying the 440 EGP Inclusive Ticket, which allows access to every site of the Saqqara necropolis. Khaled Desouki/AFP via Getty ImagesThis photo taken on July 14, 2018 shows a view of the Pyramid of Djoser, or Zoser, when it was still closed for improvements. Unlike the granite sarcophaguses placed inside pyramids from the 4th dynasty onward, here we see a massive rectangle comprised of no less than 32 granite blocks. To the ancient Egyptians, spirits of the gods or kings could inhabit physical objects like statues. 1848 votes and 112176 views on Imgur: The magic of the Internet. They’re widely believed to be the world’s oldest columns made of stone. Upon entering Saqqara and before your visit to the pyramid, it’s worth stopping by recently-opened Imhotep Museum to learn more about the architect and his legacy. But as with just about everything in ancient Egypt, there were surely deeper symbolic elements to the Heb-Sed ceremonies as well. As we’ll go over below, you can find many more like them inside the Step Pyramid. But I still had doubts about whether I’d really make it inside the Step Pyramid. Djed pillars represent the backbone of Osiris, god of the underworld, and also the stability of the kingdom as a whole. With my camera out, I managed to blend in with the international press. Staying in Giza, right by the Giza Necropolis, allows you to get there right when the pyramids open at 8:00 am. But this tradition later changed and the pharaohs were then buried near Memphis, one of the oldest and most important cities in ancient Egypt. Along the upper portion of the southern platform is a series of cobra friezes – thought to be the oldest stone friezes in the world. Coming out of the southern entrance, I was disappointed to find the northern entrance still locked. The magnificent Pyramid of Djoser is certainly now a testament to the scale of those efforts. Here we can see Djoser running – a clear depiction of the Heb-Sed festival. Another thing that sets this colonnade apart from later constructions is that the columns here are not freestanding, but connected to the walls with masonry. The Djoser pyramid is the oldest pyramid still standing today, but as we know, nothing can survive forever. All ancient Egyptian pharaohs identified with Osiris in death. Inside the box, a life size statue of Djoser in painted limestone was discovered. *Note: Prices tend to change slightly every year, so these may no longer be the exact prices.*. 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