The size of the entire complex was staggering. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. [16], Complex layout: 1) step pyramid, 2) south tomb and chapel, 3) Sed festival complex, 4) 'T' temple, 5) south court, 6) south pavilion, 7) north pavilion, 8) mortuary temple, 9) western mounds, 10) colonnaded entrance, 11) north court, 12) north galleries, 13) step tombs, 14) serdab, and 15) north altar, The crowning feature of the complex is the Step Pyramid which rises from the Saqqara plateau in six steps[16][17] to a height between 60m (200ft; 110cu)[18] and 62.5m (205ft; 119.3cu). The greatest advance, however, was a complete alteration of the shape of the monument from a flat-topped rectangular structure (known as a mastaba) to a six-stepped pyramid. It was eventually displaced as the capital when the city of Alexandria was founded in the 4th century BC, but still remains an important historical and archaeological site. The web of intricate tunnels leading up to the chambers is clad with blue tiles which were meant to resemble reed matting. The Step Pyramid Of Djoser 3rd Dynasty Pyramid complex of Djoser built by Imhotep, Saqqara Djoser's funerary complex, created by the great architect Imhotep, is characteristic of the kind of cultural and architectural developments that took place during his reign. Strategically situated at the mouth of the Nile Delta, the city served as a commercial, economic and religious hub throughout ancient Egyptian history. Regarded as the oldest pyramid ever built in Egypt, the Step Pyramid of Djoser was a monument that revolutionized ancient Egyptian architecture. Built as tombs for the pharaohs of the Old Kingdom, the earliest was the "Stepped Pyramid" at Saqqara, tomb of Djoser, great-great grandfather of Khufu, the builder of the largest of the. This is where Djoser got his inspiration from, 8. This corridor eventually leads to the South Court, a large square between the South Temple and the Pyramid. A granite plug sealed the passageway to the actual tomb. [16] This shift to limestone a hard, dense material compared to mudbrick presented novel challenges to the architects, though they kept to earlier tradition, copying architectonic elements and carving them into the stone. Web. Its architectural design remains unparalleled and scientists continue to conduct research on how it was constructed. [10] The king sought to associate himself with the eternal North Stars that never set so as to ensure his rebirth and eternity. The pyramids are the most famous monuments of ancient Egypt and still hold enormous interest for people in the present day. The necropolis is located close to the entrance to the Nile delta in Egypt's Lower Kingdom. Unlike most of the other pyramids that were built, the Pyramid of Djoser is a step pyramid and consists of 6 steps. It remains one of the greatest mysteries in history: How did the Ancient Egyptians manage to build these enormous structures? In fact, Djoser's pyramid is believed to have started off as a mastaba, and for unknown reasons underwent a series of expansions, to create the 197-foot-high (60 meters) step pyramid we see. Facts About Saqqara. 01 Mar 2023. Worldhistoryedu is not responsible for the content of external sites. Built entirely of stone, the innovative structure was a departure from the traditional use of mud bricks along with stone. In 2011, political turmoil erupted in Egypt after popular uprisings led to the overthrow of the president. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). The whole idea of building a pyramid is to allow the pharaoh to have an easy transition to the afterlife. Over the course of thousands of years, the Djoser Pyramid gradually deteriorated, suffering from the effects of fierce desert winds, looters and general neglect. It was built for the pharaoh Djoser who actually had another name. Investigations have shown that the pyramid began as a square mastaba, instead of the usual rectangular shape, and then was changed to rectangular. [12][13] The complex was a landmark achievement for Egyptian architecture. The World History Encyclopedia logo is a registered trademark. Inside the pyramid of Djoser. Both at work and at home, Mia is surrounded by books, and enjoys writing about great works of fiction and poetry. As with many of the monuments of Egypt, visitors and thieves explored the pyramid complex for centuries after it was abandoned but no systematic exploration was undertaken until Napoleon's Egypt campaign 1798-1801 CE. For reasons which remain unclear, Djoser's vizier, Imhotep (c. 2667 BCE), conceived of building a more impressive tomb for his king by stacking mastabas on top of one another, progressively making them smaller, to form the shape now known as the Step Pyramid. This intricate labyrinth of tunnels all leads to a central shaft that leads up to a 7-meter square that is located 27 meters (88 feet) below the ground. Djoser (c. 2670 BCE) was the first king of the Third Dynasty of Egypt and the first to build in stone. Omissions? Rising prominently out of the sands of the desert, the Djoser Pyramid attracted explorers and tourists alike, and the legendary French leader was among them. The complex has a monumental entrance, 17. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. The archaeologist Lauer, who excavated most of the pyramid and complex, believes they were originally stored by Khasekhemwy toward the end of the Second Dynasty and were given a "proper burial" by Djoser in his pyramid to honor his predecessors. Thank you for your help! [4] It was built in the 27th century BC during the Third Dynasty for the burial of Pharaoh Djoser. The false doors and the trench were incorporated into the complex to discourage unwanted guests. License. Some of these buildings have niches for statues. The Structure & Dimensions of King Khufu Pyramid. The south tomb has been likened to the satellite pyramids of later dynasties, and has been proposed to house the ka in the afterlife. This meant that they were of little use to prevent the collapse of the roofs. The afterlife is just like life on earth and the pharaoh must eat and drink. Notably, the representation of the Egyptian pyramid in the game is actually far more detailed and accurate than many archaeological reconstructions! The corridor is oriented slightly to the south-west. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. [23] A second casing of fine white limestone was applied to this which increased the mastaba's base length to 71.5m (235ft; 136cu) square (M2). Imhotep's architectural plans were both ambitious and completely original. Djoser's burial chamber was carved of granite and, to reach it, one had to navigate the corridors which were filled with thousands of stone vessels inscribed with the names of earlier kings. All of these, with the surrounding wall, made up a complex the size of a city in ancient Egypt. The pyramid complex was enclosed by a wall with a single entrance at the southeast corner of the precinct. His design would go on to win him legendary status. This article lays out all the facts you need to know about the important ancient monument. As the complex was protected by a huge wall, there was one main entrance to enter the burial site. It wasnt until the New Kingdom, between the 16th and 11th centuries B.C., that Netjeriykhet was being referred to as Djoser. It has even featured in the video game Assassins Creed: Origins, where players have to enter its labyrinthine passageways to find a mystical ancient tablet. The outer blocks were inclined to ~82 and the top of the mastaba likely had a slightly convex shape. The Great Pyramid of Khufu in Giza is arguably the most famous of all pyramids in Egypt, or in the world for that matter. The technological advances of the 18th century meant that Egypt began to attract more and more visitors from across the Mediterranean. The trench resembles a (hieroglyph h) which represents the floorplan of a house. Table of Contents hide 1. World History Encyclopedia is a non-profit organization. Djoser's pyramid held a life-sized statue of him which is currently in the Cairo Museum. It still stands today, over 4000 years later, making it the oldest remaining stone building in history. [b] The first is a narrow 1.05m (3.4ft) wide by 6m (20ft) long corridor cut into the enclosure walls bastion. Submitted by Joshua J. This means that it started out being built with the shape of a mastaba, but 6 steps were added on top of it. An architect named. The complex consists of the Step Pyramid, the House of the North, the House of the South, the Serdab, the Heb Sed Court, the South Tomb, Temple T, and the Northern Mortuary Temple. They also had a statue of the dead person hidden within the walls. [1] He is known for the building of the first pyramid built in Egypt, the Step Pyramid at Saqqara. Djoser Pyramid is made up of 6 mastabas one above the other, giving the building its unique shape. Djoser's tomb predates that of Sneferu, whose Red Pyramid was the first completed true pyramid, built sometime between 2613 and 2589 BCE. Djoser probably succeeded his brother to the throne. The pyramid is part of a complex of buildings, said to have been planned and executed by that most famous architect of the ancient world, Imhotep. The pyramid sides rise at an angle of 5152 and are oriented to face the four cardinal points of the compass. The tunnels were clad with blue wall tiles, 14. This necropolis (literally city of the dead) is among the worlds largest and most striking funerary complexes, set over an area of more than 10km. [26][27] This extension was built from locally sourced limestone rubble and cased by 1.5m (5ft; 3cu) thick limestone coating that formed an extension of M2. Here are some interesting facts about the Pyramid of Djoser, one of the most fascinating buildings in Egypt. The first pyramid (The Step Pyramid of Djoser built around 2600 BC - seen above) was originally surrounded by a 34 ft tall wall which had 15 doors in it. He was also the one who discovered the secret chambers inside the Djoser Pyramid that were decorated with blue tiles. [10], The northern (funerary/mortuary) temple was on the north side of the pyramid and faced the north stars, which the king wished to join in eternity. It was what we now call a "step pyramid," consisting of six terraces some 200 feet (60 m) high." 1. The Great Step Pyramid Complex at Saqqara, known to the ancient Egyptians as kbhw-ntrw (libation of the deities), is one of those superstars of Egyptian monuments that is almost always on the itinerary of antiquity tours to Egypt, and for good reason. The outer facade of the building is plain and shows no efforts at ornamentation but the inside is beautifully constructed with Djed pillars (representing stability) throughout. A pyramid was not simply a grave in ancient Egypt. This made it one of the Titanic's sister ships . The following Facts about Djoser will tell the readers about an ancient pharaoh from Egypt during the Old Kingdom which took place in the third dynasty. [18][33] The alteration from mastaba to pyramid came with a shift in construction. Djoser's political activities: Where is the pyramid of Djoser located? This necropolis (literally 'city of the dead') is among the world's largest and most striking funerary complexes, set over an area of more than 10km. After fourteen years of a $6.6 million-dollar restoration work, the 4,700-year-old structure was. 21. These grand, impressive tributes to the memory of the Egyptian kings have become linked with the country even though other cultures, such as the Chinese and Mayan, also built pyramids. (Egypt's Ministry of Antiquities) CAIRO, EGYPT ABC News reports that the 14-year restoration of the step pyramid of Djoser, which is located in the Saqqara necropolis . The ancient Egyptians held strong beliefs about the afterlife, burying their rulers with their possessions (and sometimes even their slaves!) The wall reached a height of about 10.5 meters (34 feet). 2575 bce) of ancient Egypt, who undertook the construction of the earliest important stone building in Egypt. The conservation was done with assistance from a host of international engineering companies. [4] The worlds first pyramid was built for the Pharaoh Djoser. It used to serve as an important necropolis for over 3,000 years, well into Roman times. Though the Dynastic Egyptians themselves did not credit him as such,[11] most Egyptologists attribute Djoser's vizier Imhotep with the design and construction of the complex. The Step Pyramid stands at a height of 204 feet (62 meters) with six stepped layers. Many historians believe that Djosers Pyramid is the oldest large-scale cut stone construction project in history. The other two pyramids are for Khufu's son and grandson. The pyramid went through several revisions and redevelopments of the original plan. It used to be the tallest building in the world. [30] Lauer believed that the alteration was made to have the tomb visible from Memphis. Djoser was highly respected during his reign and still, centuries after, was held in high regard as evidenced by the Famine Stele from the Ptolemaic Dynasty (332-30 BCE) which tells the story of Djoser saving the country from famine by re-building the temple of Khnum, the god of the source of the Nile River, who was thought to be holding back his grace because his shrine was in disrepair; once Djoser restored it, the famine was lifted. . [40] In the Fourth Dynasty, when there was a religious shift to an emphasis on rebirth and eternity achieved through the sun, the temple was moved to the east side of the pyramid, where the sun rises, so that through association the king may be reborn every day. Beneath the pyramid is a massive subterranean world spanning more than 5.7 kilometers in length. The women in ancient Egypt enjoyed legal and economical equality with men. A freelance writer and former part-time Professor of Philosophy at Marist College, New York, Joshua J. [10] The process of building such a structure would be far more labor-intensive than previous monuments of mud-brick. The initial mastaba, however, was a square, which makes historians believe that the structure was never meant to be a mastaba and that the steps were part of the general plan. Why Imhotep decided to change the traditional rectangular mastaba shape is unknown but it is probable that Imhotep had in mind a square-based pyramid from the start. The Pyramid of Djoser was built in the 27th century BCE by ancient Egyptian pharaoh Djoser of the 3rd Dynasty. It was Firth who, in 1924 CE, discovered the Serdab and Djoser's statue. [42], The complex is enclosed by a wall 10.5m (34ft) high that stretched for over 1.6km (0.99mi). His minister, Imhotep, a talented architect and physician, was himself deified in later periods. [10], The substructure of the south tomb is entered through a tunnel-like corridor with a staircase that descends about 30m before opening up into the pink granite burial chamber. Found alongside his remains were up to 40,000 stone urns. Plan of Djoser's Stepped Pyramid complex, Saqqara, Egypt, Old Kingdom, 3rd Dynasty, c. 2675-2625 B.C.E. The pyramid of Djoser (or Djeser and Zoser), sometimes called the Step Pyramid of Djoser, is an archaeological site in the Saqqara necropolis, Egypt, northwest of the ruins of Memphis. The pyramid and its surrounding complex was designed to be stunning and inspire awe. Detail, Step Pyramid of DjoserInstitute for the Study of the Ancient World (CC BY). His mother is believed to be queen Nimaathap. This was when elite young men took a year off after their formal education to visit sites of artistic, intellectual and architectural heritage. The symbolic king's inner palace, decorated in blue faience, is much more complete than that of the pyramid. Three sides were extended and built out to create eight shallow steps rising at an angle of 49. Some speculate that they were designed to present Djosers reign as the culmination of Egyptian history. The surrounding complex included a temple, courtyards, shrines, and living quarters for the priests covering an area of 40 acres (16 hectares) and surrounded by a wall 30 feet (10.5 meters) high. Located in the northwest of Memphis city, in Saqqara necropolis, the archaeological remain of the Pyramid of Djoser is the burial of Pharaoh Djoser. Running a website with millions of readers every month is expensive. The Pyramid of Djoser, also known as the Step Pyramid, a UNESCO world heritage site, was reopened on March 5, after a restoration took 14 years and nearly $6.6 million. Following Napoleon's artists and scientists, German, English, and Prussian archaeologists and researchers visited the Step Pyramid throughout the 19th century but no critical, scientific, examination was begun until the 1920's CE when the English archaeologist Cecil Mallaby Firth (1878-1931 CE) arrived at the site. These make accessing the enclosure wall more difficult, indicating its function as a safe-guard. The meaning of this door carving is not clear but may have represented a symbolic passageway to the afterlife. The Pyramid of Djoser was built roughly 4,700 years ago during the Third Dynasty of the Egyptian Old Kingdom. When republishing on the web a hyperlink back to the original content source URL must be included. A History of Ancient Egypt: From the First Farmers to the Great Pyramid, John Romer p294-295, "Egypt reopens Djoser pyramid, country's oldest, after 14-year restoration", Virtual exploration of the southern entrance of the Step Pyramid, Virtual exploration of the burial chamber, Unfinished Northern Pyramid of Zawyet el'Aryan, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Pyramid_of_Djoser&oldid=1137091111, Buildings and structures completed in the 27th century BC, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, Memphis and its Necropolis the Pyramid Fields from Giza to Dahshur, This page was last edited on 2 February 2023, at 19:22. The idea was this statue would help protect the tomb. [16][19] These phases are traditionally labelled, following Jean-Philippe Lauer's excavations: M1, M2, M3, P1, P1', and P2. (2016, February 14). [18] The builders used larger and better quality, roughly dressed limestone blocks but instead of horizontal beds, they built successive inclined accretion layers 23m (6.69.8ft) thick. This article was most recently revised and updated by. Criterion (i): In Memphis was founded one of the most important monuments of the world, and the only surviving wonder of the ancient world, namely, the Great Pyramid of Giza. At some point between 2667 and 2648 BC, this step pyramid was constructed for Pharaoh Djoser, setting new standards for the burial rites of the Egyptian ruler. The purpose of the House of the North and House of the South is unknown but it has been speculated they represented Upper and Lower Egypt. After this, it appears a plan to build a 4-step pyramid was created which was changed yet again to its final form with 6 steps. [8] He reigned long enough to allow the grandiose plan for his pyramid to be realized in his lifetime.[9]. Thank you! The Oldest Pyramid in the World Is a Stunning Accomplishment! Just outside these walls, there was a huge trench that was dug and most probably served as a quarry for the structures inside the complex. [16] In earlier projects, this element was built with wooden planks, ropes, and poles hung with reed mats.