Saqqarah

About

Stretching for 7 kilometers, the vast necropolis at Saqqarah was used for almost the entirety of ancient Egyptian history. Djoser, founder of the Old Kingdom in the 27th century BC, erected the very first pyramid in Egypt here. Known as the ‘Step Pyramid’, it’s considered to be the earliest large-scale cut stone construction in the world. Nearby is the Pyramid of Unas, last King of the Fifth Dynasty, which dates from the 24th century BC. Visitors are able to enter the pyramid, and inside see the famed "Pyramid Texts," the oldest known Egyptian funerary hieroglyphs. The many engravings within the Mastaba of Ti have proved to be one of the most valuable sources of information about life during the Old Kingdom, and make it one of the best-decorated examples of funerary architecture in the country. However, before you set about exploring the Necropolis, you should stop by the Imhotep Museum to see the many artefacts found in Saqqarah.