Djoser's Step Pyramid at Saqqara|A sensational deification campaign
A sensational deification campaign. The local Memphis god of death, Sokar, is phonetically similar to Saqqara
【Highlights of Saqqara】
① Djoser's Step Pyramid: The first pyramid-shaped tomb from the Old Kingdom era of the Egyptian Pharaohs
② Hypostyle Hall: The entrance to Djoser's Step Pyramid, with over 40 columns in the style of papyrus stalks
③ The semi-open false door of the Hypostyle Hall: Originally colored like wood, its open structure allowed the pharaoh's soul to move freely
④ Heb-Sed festival courtyard in the south: The Heb-Sed was a running ceremony performed during the pharaoh's coronation
⑤ The Serdab in the eastern courtyard: Peek through a small hole to see the seated statue of Pharaoh Djoser, the original is now in the Egyptian Museum
⑥ The relief of the desert serpent god Wadjet: Wadjet symbolizes the fiery serpent of destruction in the desert and is also the protector of the pharaoh
⑦ Serapeum of Saqqara: A temple dedicated to the Apis bull, each granite sarcophagus weighs over 80 tons
【Step Pyramid】
The pyramid started as a flat rectangular mastaba, with layers added and each layer decreasing in size, evolving into a sloped pyramid.
【Hypostyle Hall】
Entering the Step Pyramid from the southeast corner temple, this Hypostyle Hall now has a concrete ceiling for protection, with over 40 columns in the style of papyrus stalks, leading out to the open southern courtyard.
【The Semi-Open False Door ka】
Originally colored like wood and with an open structure, it was meant for the pharaoh's soul, ka, to move freely. In ancient Egypt, ka was a synonym for the soul of the deceased.
【Wadjet Relief in the Southern Courtyard】
This fiery destroyer, who protected the childhood of the falcon god Horus, is also the protector of the pharaoh and a royal symbol. It often appears on both sides of the wings of Horus and on the pharaoh's headdress.
【Heb-Sed Festival Area in the Southern Courtyard】
The base of the pyramid is known as Heb-Sed, where the pharaoh's coronation ceremony included a running ceremony, symbolizing strong vitality and assuring the gods of his ability to protect the people and rule Egypt.
【Serdab in the Eastern Courtyard】
A small house containing the statues of the deceased, with a small statue of the pyramid's owner, Pharaoh Djoser, inside. The feeling of making eye contact with the deceased is quite eerie, and the original is now in the Cairo Museum.
【Vizier Imhotep】
The Step Pyramid was built around 2650 BC, designed by the then Vizier Imhotep. Imhotep was later revered by the ancient Egyptians as the god of architecture and construction.
【Old Kingdom Pharaoh Djoser】
Pharaoh Djoser (2667-2648 BC) commissioned his vizier Imhotep to design a grand tomb. Imhotep did not disappoint, creating a step pyramid with several surrounding subsidiary temples in a large ceremonial complex, with walls nearly 1.7 kilometers long.
【Serapeum of Saqqara】
Starting with Pharaoh Amenhotep III (1390-1352 BC), there was a custom of holding funeral ceremonies for the Apis bull here, as the bull symbolized Ptah (a calf struck by lightning), a sign of the Nile's bountiful harvest.