Saqqara

Saqqara (Sakkara, Saqqarah) a large necropolis some 30 km south of modern-day Cairo and covering an area of around 7 km by 1.5 km.

Saqqara served as necropolis to Memphis while it was the capital of ancient Egypt. Although the capital moved to Thebes and elsewhere, Saqqara remained an important complex for minor burials and cult ceremonies for more than 3,000 years, well into Ptolemaic and Roman times.

An especially important monument is the step pyramid designed by Imhotep for King Djoser of the 3rd dynasty (c.2667-2648 BC). It is a precursor of the massive stone pyramids of Giza. There are another 16 pyramids in various states of preservation or dilapidation. That of the fifth-dynasty Pharaoh Unas, located just to the south of the step pyramid, houses the earliest known example of the Pyramid Texts . Besides the pyramids, there are many mastaba tombs of coutiers, some superbly preserved, with both their structures and lavish internal decorations intact.

A few of the pyramids at Saqqara date from the First Intermediate Period, the most notable being Khendjer's Pyramid in South saqqara.

Adapted from Wikipedia

Links

Saqqara in Digital Egypt

Saqqara in Global Egyptian Museum

Saqqara in Artefacts of Excavation (The Griffith Institute)

Location of Saqqara

Models by site for Saqqara