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| Map of North Saqqara |
Near the remains of Memphis stands the Alabaster Sphinx. The Alabaster Sphinx was carved in honor of an unknown Pharaoh most likely during the eighteenth dynasty, between 1700 and 1400 BC. Although there was not an inscription, the facial features suggest that it was in honor of Hatshepsut or Amenhotep II or Amenhotep III. Amenhotep III is thought to be the builder of the Luxor Temple.
The Alabaster Sphinx is 8m (26 ft) long and 4m (13 ft) tall and weighs around 90 tons. It has corroded over the centuries, but remains very impressive. This monument may have stood outside of the Temple of Ptah along with the Colossus of Ramses II. The Alabaster Sphinx spent many years lying on its side in water. This was responsible for the damage to the surface of the monument.
The sphinx is sometimes referred to as the Calcite Sphinx. Calcite is an opaque white stone that is often times called alabaster. The Alabaster was quarried at a place east of 'Amarna called Hatnub. Calcite was also believed to have, in a mythical sense, solar connections. It was not often used as a building material.
The type of figure known as a sphinx is created with the body of a lion and the head of royalty. The lion is in a crouching position with its paws outstretched. The human head is adorned with the covering reserved for kings of that particular period.
The order that is so characterized inside the complex stops once outside the wall. The several hundred yards that separates the Djoser (Zoser) complex and the Pyramid of Unas is scattered with tombs. Many of the tombs in this area are shaft tombs. A shaft tomb is a hole that is very large and very deep in the rock with the burial chamber at the bottom of the hole. After the burial, the chamber was filled and covered. The reason for these types of tombs was to try to prevent grave robbers from plundering all that was inside. This also made some of the tombs very hard to find. A few of them have never been found.
The Pyramids of Abu Sir originally consisted of fourteen pyramids from the 5th Dynasty. Only four are still standing. Of the four, the first encountered as you come from the main Saqqara complex, is the Pyramid of Neferefre. This pyramid was never finished and is in very poor condition.
The pyramid for Neferikare is the next, to the north. It also is unfinished and is still the tallest of the group. It stands 68m high. To the northeast is the Pyramid of Niuserre, which is famous for its Funerary Temple.
The funerary temple was built for Neferikare, but was used for Niuserre because Neferikare died prematurely. Further to the northeast is the tomb of Ptah-Cepses. This tomb is not in good condition. The columns with lotus capitals are the oldest discovered. The last pyramid in this complex is the Pyramid of Sahure and it's Funerary Temple. These are not too badly damaged. A 240m ramp that connected the Valley Temple to this pyramid has been discovered during the excavation work in this complex. Some of the reliefs that were in the funerary temple have been removed and placed in museums. A few are still in the temple and are preserved quite well.
The funerary complex of Djoser (Zoser) is believed to have been built around the beginning of the 3rd Dynasty. It is a walled compound that is constructed from stone rather than the mud brick that was used before this time. The stones that are used are different from the huge stones used in the pyramids at Giza, in that they are small in size. Imhotep was the architect of this revolutionary wonder. He was later worshipped as a god for the remarkable craftsmanship in the complex. Imhotep translated into stone the early Egyptian architecture of mud-brick, wood and reeds. This is seen in many of the monuments that are in the complex.
The entire complex was once surrounded by an enclosure wall, that when complete, was about 600 yards (549m) long and 300 yards (274m) wide and rose to over 30 feet (9.1m). The wall is made of brick-size stones and is very impressive in its own right. Just the size alone would have made the wall and incredible project, but that is not the only thing impressive about this enclosure wall. The wall has projections and recesses that would have more than doubled the amount of stone and work required. The craftsmanship is very meticulous. The purpose of the wall is thought to have been one of symbolic nature, not of military protection, for the funerary complex inside.
The entrance to the complex is a very narrow passage. The gateway on the eastern wall is the only ancient entrance to the complex. However, the wall contained several false doorways. The entrance ceiling is a simulation of a roof made from split logs. This is the first of many organic original imitations.
As you pass through the entrance, on the left and right, there are reproductions in stone of a double door. The doors appear to be able to open and close. These are permanently open.
Past the double doors is the colonnade. The colonnade has almost entirely been reconstructed by fitting bits and pieces of the stones found in the sand. There are forty columns in this area and are thought to represent the provinces or nomes that were in existence during that time. Originally the colonnade had a roof and would have formed a long T-shaped gallery.
The columns of the colonnade resemble bound reed bunches. Most of the columns have seventeen stalks. The ones toward the end have nineteen, as do the double freestanding columns on the western end. The columns are spaced closer together toward the west from the eastern entrance. This makes the distance seem greater.
The colonnade opens up into the Great Court. There are two altars near the center of the court. These altars are thought to have been part of the Sed (Heb-sed) festival. Very little is known about this festival. It is thought to have been a great public event in which the king was to run an actual race to prove his physical fitness to rule.
The Heb-sed Court is also thought to have played a part in the Sed festival. To the north of the colonnade is a double row of shrines that is called the Heb-sed Court. Most of these shrines have been reconstructed. At the far end of the court is the base of a statue that has been destroyed except for four pairs of unidentified feet.
The House of the South (Southern Buildings) is just beyond the Heb-sed court. The entrance to the southern buildings is located between the second and third columns, which makes the entrance off-center.
The House of the North (Northern Buildings) is just further along from the House of the South. Each column is carved to resemble an opened papyrus stalk.
On the other side of the great courtyard is the Step Pyramid. Also located in the complex is the mortuary temple as well as the southern tomb.
Across the Great Court of the Pyramid Complex of Djoser (Zoser) (2667 - 2648 BC), the second king of the 3rd Dynasty, stands the Step Pyramid. It is believed to have been created by one man, Imhotep. He has been called Doctor, Sage, Architect, Astronomer and High Priest. This complex represents the first major work in stone. That is, unless there are other works that have yet to be found.
On the Pyramid, most of the outer casing is gone. In some places the core masonry has disappeared as well. It is obvious there were different stages of construction. The eastern side gives the best picture, but it can be seen from the northern and southern side as well.
The original structure was an underground burial chamber. This chamber was rare in that it was square; most mastabas were rectangular. The royal tomb is 28m underground with a vertical shaft leading to it. The entrance was sealed with a 3 ton piece of granite. The face of the mastaba was a fine Tura limestone. Apparently it was intended for this to be the finishing touches to the building. It was then enlarged all around with ten feet of additional limestone and then again with an extension on the eastern side. The extension was twenty-five feet of limestone to make the mastaba rectangular. Again, it was enlarged and a two-tiered structure was made. A series of corridors and a tomb chamber was dug. Some of the chambers are lined with blue tiles. Some scholars think this tomb was intended for a member of Djoser's (Zoser's) family, but not for him. The only other site that has similar tiling is in the South Tomb which is located in the Djoser (Zoser) complex as well.
After the third stage was finished, the process to make it a true step pyramid was begun. Over 200,000 tons of stone was used to make the additional two tiers that went above the existing two-tiered structure. An additional two tiers were added above the existing four to make it into the six-tiered pyramid which is there today. A Tura limestone face was added on.
On the northern side of the pyramid, a few blocks of the casing remain. The casing blocks from the Great Pyramid rested on the individual blocks of the core masonry. The casing blocks on the step pyramid were set at an angle to take up the thrust of the successive layers.
The statue of Djoser (Zoser) that was found by excavators, was found in the Tomb Chamber. This statue was damaged but still intact. It is located in the Cairo Museum. The Tomb Chamber has a replica of the statue in this blue-tiled room. It can still be seen through the viewing slit that is at the entrance. The chamber is closed to the public. Scholars believed that the roof of the chamber could give way. The chamber walls have inscriptions that show beyond any doubt that this is indeed a burial chamber. It also contains offering rooms and most of the other features that were often found in both earlier and later tombs.
The Mortuary Temple is just north of the pyramid and is in total ruin. On the southern wall back across the Great Court from the pyramid are carved cobra heads or uraei. The cobra head is an often seen symbol in Egypt. It was once a symbol of the north.
The Southern Tomb is located just outside of the southern wall. Steps lead up the wall to the other tombs and monuments outside the walls. On the left side of the stairs, there is a large hole. At the bottom of the hole, is an entrance that leads to an amazing set of chambers. This Southern Tomb is closed to the public. These chambers are also lined with the blue tiles that are found in the burial chambers in the Step Pyramid. The inscriptions found in these chambers are remarkable. They are perfectly executed and pure in line.
Unas (Unis) (circa 2356 - 2323 BC) was the last king of the Fifth Dynasty. The pyramid dedicated to this king lies to the south of the Step Pyramid. The Pyramid of Unas (Unis) is in poor condition however, the burial chambers are worth the visit. In this chamber, you will find the earliest Egyptian funerary texts carved into the walls and filled with a blue pigment. These are referred to as the Pyramid Texts. They are the rituals and hymns that were said during the burial. Before this time, nothing was engraved in the walls of the pyramids.
The pyramid, when it was complete stood about 62 ft (18.5 m). The core of the pyramid was loose blocks and rubble and the casing was of limestone. Today it looks like a pile of dirt and rubble, especially from the east side. Although the outside of the pyramid is in ruin, the inside is still sound. You may enter the pyramid from the north side. Trying to block the way, are three huge slabs of granite. Once inside the chamber, you will find the Pyramid Texts that were intended to help the pharaoh's soul in the afterworld. They were to help the soul find Re, the sun god.
Queen Nebet was the wife of Unas (Unis). This mastaba is located north of the Pyramid of Unas. It is very well preserved and fascinating. There are three rooms in this tomb. The most interesting is the second room. It contains some scenes of Nebet in the harem, or women's quarters, in the palace, which is rare to be seen. A gallery can be reached through a doorway from the second room. This gallery's walls are beautifully decorated.
The causeway to the Pyramid of Unas (Unis) has been partially reconstructed. The causeway was originally enclosed entirely. It extends for about 700m toward the pyramid. The walls were inscribed with scenes of everyday life of the Egyptian. Almost all of the carvings in the pyramids and other monuments contain inscriptions and reliefs of royalty or noble life. The roof had a narrow slit to allow sunlight in to illuminate the inscriptions on the walls.
In 1865, Mariette discovered the mastaba of Ti. It has since been restored by the Egyptian Department of Antiquities. Ti was a hairdresser to the royalty during the early V Dynasty, as well as controller of the farms and stock that belonged to the royal family. His wife was related to the royal family so his children were referred to as royal descent. He was not given this title. In this tomb, his wife and eldest son were also placed although their remains were stolen along with the goods that were inside.
The mastaba was originally placed on top of the sand. It has sunk entirely into the sand it was placed on top of. The open court has a shaft that leads to the burial chamber. A narrow passageway leads into the burial chamber. The reliefs inside are close in quality and quantity to those in Ptah-Hotep's tomb, although there is much more of a variety of reliefs in Ti's tomb. All of these passageways are decorated with impressive reliefs. The main hall has a small room that sits along one wall with three eye level holes so that the dead could witness the offerings that were part of the tomb rituals. Inside this room was a statue of Ti. The original is in the Egyptian Museum and a replica has been put in the room in its place.
Teti was the founder of the 6th Dynasty (2345-2181 BC). His pyramid was discovered in 1853 by Mariette, but it is mostly a pile of rubble in constant danger of being covered by the sand. There is a steep pathway that leads to the funerary chamber. The chamber ceiling is decorated with stars.
This mastaba is from the VIth Dynasty along with those of Mereruka and Kagemni. In the entrance the reliefs show scenes involving agriculture and fording. Medical scenes are shown in the doorway that leads into a five pillared room. Thus, this tomb is referred to as the Physician's Tomb. Ankh-mahor was not a physician. He was a ka-priest. The reliefs in the five-pillared room are not in good condition, however they do show mourners very graphically.
This mastaba is actually a double mastaba. Ptah-Hotep seems to have held a very important position during the reign of Djedkare during the V Dynasty. Djedkare was the predecessor of Unas. Ptah-Hotep was self-described as a priest of Maat. Akhti-Hotep is thought to have been Ptah-Hotep's father. He was the vizier, chief of the treasury and the granary, as well as a judge. This mastaba is smaller than the Mastaba of Ti, but is more interesting. The reliefs that are found inside are not all completed. The main corridor has reliefs on both sides. On the left are what appear to be preliminary drawings in red. Over the red are corrections in black made by the master artist. Other reliefs show fowl being carried by servants to Ptah-Hotep. At the end of the corridor to the right to a pillard hall and then left is Ptah-Hotep's tomb chamber. The reliefs in the tomb chamber are the best preserved of the Old Kingdom. They have retained some color and are more famous than the mastaba of Ti. The ceilings in the tomb chamber are imitations of the trunks of palm trees. Back into the pillard hall and to the left is the chamber of Akhti-Hotep. It is quite similar to Ptah-Hotep's, although less decorated. Through a passageway to the left is a chamber that contains a mummy that has not been identified. The passageway leads to the pillard hall and the entrance corridor.
The Mastaba of Mereruka is the largest in Saqqara. It has 32 rooms. Mereruka was the vizier to Teti, who was pharaoh during the VI Dynasty. He was also married to Teti's daughter, Hert-watet-khet. She is buried in the mastaba as well as their son, Meriteti. The paintings on the wall in the entrance show Mereruka painting the seasons and playing a board game. The first three chambers are painted with scenes of furniture making, hunting and goldsmith working. There is a sacrificial chamber at the far end of the mastaba with six pillars. In this chamber a statue of Mereruka was found intact. Hert-watet-khet's, Mereruka's wife, rooms are on the western side of the mastaba.
The mastaba of Kagemni is of the VIth Dynasty. Kagemni is thought to have been a judge and a priest. The reliefs that are found in this mastaba are not as numerous as Mereruka's tomb, but the detail in each is very apparent.
Beyond the antechamber, you will find a three-pillared room. The reliefs on these walls show different scenes. There are scenes of fishing, ones with crocodiles, dragonflies, frogs and grasshoppers. Geese are shown with hyenas. On a different wall, a cow is lassoed and a puppy is being fed. There is a room to the right of the three-pillared room which has reliefs of greyhounds and monkeys. Kagemni is shown in one as well. Birds are done very well in this room. The details of wading birds, ducks and geese eating are wonderfully done. There are also three offering rooms in this chamber.
Princess Idut was Unas' daughter who was king of the Vth Dynasty. The reliefs are of good quality and in good condition. In the second chamber of the mastaba, there is a scene of hippo hunting. There are also scenes of men approaching the princess on shore. The scenes in other rooms are very typical of other offering scenes.
The legendary Serapeum is where the sacred bulls of Apis are buried. Archeologist Mariette discovered this temple in 1850, in the early days of archeology. In this dig, he found the famous "Squatting Scribe" statue. This statue is considered to be one of the greatest sculptures ever found. He also found the statue of the dwarf god, Bes. In Le Serapeum de Memphis, Mariette describes some of his excitement about his find:
"One finds," said the geographer Strabo (1st century AD), "a temple to Serapis in such a sandy place that the wind heaps up the sand dunes beneath which we saw sphinxes, some half buried, some buried up to the head, from which one can suppose that the way to this temple could not be without danger if one were caught in a sudden wind storm." Did it not seem that Strabo had written this sentence to help us rediscover, after over eighteen centuries, the famous temple dedicated to Serapis? It was impossible to doubt it. This buried Sphinx, the companion of fifteen others I had encountered in Alexandria and Cairo, formed with them, according to the evidence, part of the avenue that led to the Memphis Serapeum...
It did not seem to me possible to leave to others the credit and profit of exploring this temple whose remains a fortunate chance had allowed me to discover and whose location henceforth would be known. Undoubtedly many precious fragments, many statues, many unknown texts were hidden beneath the sand upon which I stood. These considerations made all my scruples disappear. At that instant I forgot my mission (obtaining Coptic texts from the monasteries), I forgot the Patriarch, the convents, the Coptic and Syriac manuscripts, Linant Bey himself, and it was thus, on 1 November 1850, during one of the most beautiful sunrises I had ever seen in Egypt, that a group of thirty workmen, working under my orders near that sphinx, were about to cause such total upheaval in the conditions of my stay in Egypt."
Worship of the Apis bull was a late development. The bull was thought to have been an incarnation of Ptah. The sacred bulls were buried in a single block of granite that weighed between sixty and eighty tons. All twenty-four sarcophagi had been plundered. Their lids had been prised loose and the contents taken. Further excavation revealed an older gallery and then another one further on. The way into the first of the galleries was blocked by a huge rock. Explosives were used to open the way. Beneath where the rock had been, was found a mummy of a man. This was the mummy of a son of Ramesses II, Prince Kha-m-was. He was in charge of the restoration of the Pyramid of Unas. He was also governor of Memphis and a high priest of Ptah. He had requested to be buried with the sacred bulls rather than a tomb of his own.
The Persian Shafts are found south of the Pyramid of Unas. A spiral staircase is used to reach the tombs. It descends about eighty feet to the bottom. The tombs belong to the high officials in the two centuries of Persian occupation and rule. The tombs are linked together by underground passageways. One tomb belonging to Psam-tik, a Chief Physician, has hieroglyphs taken from the Pyramid Texts. The adjoining tomb, which belonged to an admiral, Djenhebu, was found to have the mummy intact and many items of gold and jewelry, among other items. The third tomb belongs to Pedese, the son of Psam-tik.
North of the tombs of Mereruka and Kagemni, lie the massive mastabas of the early kingdom. Very little is left to be seen here. The original pieces that were found here were of immense importance to Egyptian archeological value. The earliest kings of Egypt were entombed here.
South Saqqara is completely separate from Saqqara. It is located about 1km south of the pyramid of Sekhemkhet, which is the most southern of all the pyramids in Saqqara. South Saqqara was founded in the 6th Dynasty (2345 - 2181 BC) by the pharaohs. A few of the tombs are interesting and are based on the architecture of the Pyramid of Unas. Most of the tombs have been plundered for their stones by stone-masons or their suppliers of stones.South Saqqara
The pyramids of Pepi I and Merenre are in complete ruin. To the east of the pyramid of Merenre is the Pyramid of Pepi II. This pyramid is surrounded by an entire funerary complex. The inner chamber contains inscriptions and stars. There are smaller pyramids in the complex as well that belonged to his queens. They are all designed the same as Pepi's and contain a miniature funerary complex as well. The Pyramid of Queen Neith has some wonderful decorations and inscriptions.
To the east of the Pepi II complex is the Mastaba Faraoun, the tomb of Shepseskaf. He was the last Pharaoh of the 4th Dynasty (2613 - 2494 BC). The inside is undecorated and large granite blocks make up the walls. The tomb looks like a huge sarcophagus from the outside. It was originally covered with a thin layer of limestone.
Further to the south are two more pyramids. The first belongs to Khendjer. This pyramid is made of brick and has a funerary complex that is made of quartzite. The second pyramid has no inscriptions and is unfinished. It has white stone chambers which are underground and a funerary chamber made of quartzite. No signs of use are found.
