The Stepped Pyramid Of Djoser In Saqqara

The stepped pyramid of Djoser in Saqqara, Egypt was one of the oldest, most extravagant royal tombstone structures in the early dynastic period of Egypt. It was the great tomb built for the pharaoh Djoser of the Third Dynasty by the master builder Imhotep, who was also the high priest of the sun god Re. The stepped pyramid consisted of large mastabas with each face pointed toward one the cardinal points of the compass. It was constructed as a series of six stacked mastabas assembled one on top of another to form the structure. The Pharaoh’s tomb was located underground, as well as a chapel. The pyramid also included a chapel, and a serdab. It is about 200 feet high and was made of white limestones. Several hundreds of rooms and galleries made of
Djoser’s stepped pyramid is in the center of a 37 acre rectangular court surrounded by a wall of white limestone. Other buildings inside the enclosure include courts, palaces, other tombs and a royal pavilion. A funerary temple was also build for priest to perform daily rituals to celebrate the pharaoh. The temple is on north side facing the stars of the northern sky. During the Old Kingdom, Egypt accumulated enormous wealth and power. During this time, pharaohs wanted more magnificent architectural structures and tombs dedicated for them. The most well known of these structures are the Great Pyramids in Gizeh, Egypt. The three pyramids were dedicated to the Fourth Dynasty pharaohs, Khufu (r.2551-2528 BCE), Khafre (r. 2520-2494 BCE), and Menkaure (2490-2472 BCE). Unlike the pre-dynastic stepped pyramid, the Old Kingdom pyramids were smoother on the sides which was influenced by the powerful cult of Re, the Heliopolis. Similar to the stepped pyramids, the four sides are facing the cardinal points of the compass. The pyramids were primarily made of limestones from the Gizeh plateau. The workers had to cut into the rock and remove huge blocks with equal size. They also had to dress, or smooth the