The Pyramids at Saqqara

Saqqara is an ancient necropolis located near Egypt's old capitol of Memphis.

Click here to see a diagram of the Saqqara site with links to all the pictures of the Step Pyramid and the Unis Pyramid Complex. Click on the "Details" Page link at the top of the page.

Memphis remained an administrative center when the capitol was moved to Thebes (Luxor) in the New Kingdom. The nobles from Memphis and many pharaohs were buried there.

Several pyramids are located there, the most famous and most visible is the Djoser Step Pyramid. This pyramid was built before the Great Pyramids at Giza. Its architect was Imhotep who was made a god for his services.

The Djoser complex includes a miniature city constructed so that the Pharaoh could work in the afterlife, just as he did in this life. The Djoser Pyramid complex had a heavy influence on the art deco movement in architecture and objects d'art, as did all things Egyptian.

Other places of interest at Saqqara are the Tombs of the Apis Bulls and many tombs and pyramids in various states of repair. We climbed down a small pyramid to the burial chamber. We also climbed down a spiral stair to reach a burial chamber. If you are claustrophobic, there are many other
sites of interest above ground.

This model shows the typical components of a pyramid complex: the Funerary Temple, the causeway up to the Pyramid, the Mortuary Temple and the Pyramid and a smaller satelite pyramid. There are often individual pyramids for the queens, as well. As part of the Unis Pyramid Complex there is a reconstruction of a portion of the covered causeway that led from the Nile up to the pyramid of Unis. They mummy of the Pharaoh was brought accross the Nile in a boat that was then preserved in special stone lined pits beside the pyramid.

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