Step Pyramid

Djoser, Imhotep and Egypt’s First Pyramid… Six Tombs on Top of Each Other

/ Curt Mekemson / 40 Comments
The ancient stone monument, the Pharaoh Djoser’s Step Pyramid, was built by the pharaoh’s vizier, Imhotep.

Whenever people think of ancient Egypt, one of the first thoughts that pops into to their minds is the three pyramids of Giza: The Great Pyramid, the Pyramid of Khafre, and the Pyramid of Menkaure, along with the Great Sphinx. They were in built Egypt’s early history during the Fourth Dynasty of the Old Kingdom between 2600 and 2500 BC and are the main focus of my next Egypt post— along with camels.

But today, I want to go back to their precursor, the Step Pyramid of the Pharoah Djoser, located in the Saqqara necropolis outside of Memphis.  Built in the 27th Century BCE (2700-2600) during Egypt’s Third Dynasty, it is the oldest, complete stone building complex known in history. Its architect was Djoser’s brilliant vizier, Imhotep. If you ever watched the Mummy movie series, he was cast as the bad guy, intent on world domination and allergic to cats. But to ancient Egyptians he was a good guy, so good that he was eventually (with eventually being 2000 years Egypt time) given the status of a god complete with a portfolio that included major medical responsibilities.  

Imhotep’s first layer of the pyramid was based on a mastaba, or eternal house, an ancient Egyptian tomb that was built as a one story, rectangular mud brick building with inward sloping sides where royalty from Egypt’s Early Dynastic and Old Kingdom period were buried. He then proceeded to build a series of five mastaba-like structures on top of the first one with each being smaller, thus creating the pyramid concept. The structure stands at 203 feet tall with a base of 410 by 357 feet. A maze like series of tunnels run under the pyramid that were used for the burial of Djoser, royal family members, and grave goods from royal ancestors. The latter included over 40,000 vessels. 

This statue of King Djoser, found in a sealed room in the Step Pyramid, is made of limestone. He looks like one serious dude— not someone to cross. It now resides in the Egyptian Museum in Cairo. It is known as the oldest life-size statue in Egyptian History. It would have been created to contain his ka, or life force after he died. The room contained small holes so the ka could wander over to the room where food offerings were kept and feast— if the priests hadn’t already eaten them.
The Step Pyramid complex covers over one square mile and, in addition to the pyramid, incudes temples, colonnades, and a wall.
And I should add pushy sales people who refuse to take “no” for an answer and often resort to trickery to bamboozle tourists. They come in droves around the pyramids and other major attractions. On the one hand, I recognize that these people are just trying to make a living off of people who can afford it. On the other, they can be obnoxious on a level of 10 out of 10. They are best ignored unless you really want to buy something. Given the slightest sign of interest, they’ll be on you like a tick on a dog.
This beautiful temple was part of the Step Pyramid complex at Saqqara.
It reached out toward Djoser’s Step Pyramid.
The walkway through the temple was covered with stone columns that resembled log rafters.
Looking back at the temple.
I’ll conclude with this photo of Peggy and me in front of the Step Pyramid that was taken by our fellow traveler and friend, Steve Jones. I rendered it in black and white to give it an old-time feeling.

Next Post: We will travel back to South Dakota and the incredibly ambitious stone carving of Chief Crazy Horse. After 75 years, it may be a quarter finished.