Saqqara Step Pyramid, or Pyramid of Djoser, is a 6-tiered pyramid that is located in the Saqqara necropolis. It is considered the first man made stone construction in history, dating back to the 27th century BC during the 3rd dynasty. The pyramid is the central piece to the vast mortuary complex of Saqqara.

The Pyramid of Djoser was built for King Djoser and it was a ground-breaking construction at its time, managing to be a precedent in several aspects, of which the most important is being built from stone instead of mud-brick. Beneath the pyramid are a series of tunnels reaching 6 km in length, which were used to get the buried bodies and offerings into the main shaft in the pyramid.

Surrounding the pyramid is a formidable complex that is one of the most beautiful and rich mortuary complexes of Egypt, which till this day produces very important discoveries, due to the site’s religious importance during several dynasties. The complex is surrounded by a limestone wall 10.5 m high with 14 door interruptions and only one entrance. On the outer side of the complex, a 750 m long trench surrounds it. The trench is dug deep into the ground and is 40 m wide, making it the greatest structure of its kind in the whole of Memphis. To the north of the pyramid is the pyramid’s temple and to the south is the South Court, a large court that was used in festivals, and the South Tomb, which is similar to the satellite pyramids of the later dynasties. There is also a beautiful roofed colonnade leading from the enclosure wall to the south of the comlex, with 6.6 m high stone pillars on the sides of the colonnade.

All these marvelous structures show how the Saqqara complex was a marvelous place built to serve the purposes of the Egyptians life and after-life. The complex is one of the finest examples of ancient Egyptian cities, and visiting it can let your mind wander in the imagination of living in such a place.