Stones used for building Zoser's step pyramid.
Southeastern corner, here with some of the original casing.
Zoser was a pharaoh of the 3rd Dynasty and ruled from for 20 years, from 2667 until 2648 BCE. For more information check the Encyclopaedia of the Orient: Zoser, Saqqara, Imhotep. King Zoser's main architect Imhotep got a bright idea some time in the 27th century BCE. Why not repeat the tomb structure of earlier times, until it reached a summit? What better way of impressing the gods! The old style tomb was the mastaba, a rectangular massive structure rising up from the ground anything between a few metres and up to 10. With Imhotep 6 steps were built before beautiful white limestone casing was added. The pyramid of Zoser appears quite impressive to the eye as long as there were no other great pyramids to compare it with. But it was actually 4 metres smaller than the one of Menkaure at Giza. Moreover, the building technique was inferior to what was going to be applied at Giza. Instead of great stones, normal sized mud-bricks were used. The pyramid is normally closed for entrance, but it is a theoretical chance of getting permission to enter from the Antiquities Inspectorate at the site.
Northwestern corner. This is the area of the mortuary temple.
