The Southern Tomb at Djoser Pyramid in Saqqara Egypt | Discover History of Egypt Monuments and Pharaonic Civilization from the old kingdom to the new kingdom in Cairo, Giza City.

Saqqara is located 40 km southwest of Cairo and it was one of the most important cemeteries of Memphis (the oldest capital of united Egypt). The name Saqqara comes from the name of the god Sokar, God of the necropolis.

Saqqara has many monuments from the old kingdom to the new kingdom but one of the most important and iconic monuments is the complex of king Djoser.

The Southern Tomb at Djoser Pyramid in Saqqara Egypt

The Step Pyramid of Djoser (c.2686–2613 BC), is the world’s oldest monumental structure entirely built of stone. Imhotep, the famous architect designed the step pyramid of his majesty king Djoser.

The complex consists of

  • Step Pyramid
  • Serdab
  • Heb-Sed jubilee festival
  • Surrounded wall
  • House of the North
  • House of the South
  • Chapels of the North
  • Caples of the south

Discovery of Step Pyramid

The robbers discovered the step pyramid many years before it was officially discovered.

Napoleon’s Egypt campaign 1798-1801 CE. Was first explored, examined, recorded, and studied the monuments of ancient Egypt. Among them were the step Pyramid and its complex.

The English archaeologist Cecil Mallaby Firth (1878-1931 CE) arrived at the site1920. Then in 1926 the French architect and Egyptologist Jean-Philippe Lauer (1902-2001 CE) joined him on-site.

The complex was in a very bad condition of conservation but lately, skillful and efficient Egyptian conservators did the restoration work that took 14 years with a budget of EGP 104 million.

The Southern tomb of King Djoser

The south tomb of king Djoser is located to the south of the Step Pyramid. It is consisting of two parts, The superstructure is like Mastaba and is decorated with the frieze of Cobras. The substructure is like a very deep shaft about 30 meters.

There are staircases that led to that part underground starting with the entrance then corridors and it ends with the burial chamber with a granite sarcophagus.

Today September 13, 2021, Dr. Khaled Al-Enany Minister of Tourism and Antiquities, inaugurated the southern tomb of King Djoser in Saqqara, after completing the restoration that began in 2006 and can visit by out Cairo Tours.