Pyramid of Djoser reopened: Why the first pyramid ever built is special

The structure is believed to be designed by Imhotep, described by some as the first architect of the world.

The Pyramid of Djoser

The 4,700-year-old pyramid is 60 metres tall, and consists of six stacked steps over a burial shaft tomb 28 metres deep and seven metres wide. It is located at the Saqqara archaeological site, 24 km southwest of Cairo, outside the royal capital of Memphis. A complex of halls and courts is located around the pyramid.

According to the Egyptian state news outlet Al-Ahram, the Djoser pyramid is the world’s oldest monumental stone building.

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Today a UNESCO world heritage site, the pyramid was constructed during the era of Pharaoh Djoser, the second king of Ancient Egypt’s Third Dynasty (2650 BC– 2575 BC). The Pharaoh’s 19-year reign saw significant technical innovations in stone architecture.

The pyramid’s architect, Imhotep, was also a physician and astrologer, and served as Djoser’s minister. In later periods, he was deified.

Restoration work for the pyramid, which began in 2006, was stopped in 2011 after a popular uprising in Egypt led to the ouster of longtime President Hosni Mubarak. The work resumed at the end of 2013.

During the restoration project, rubble removed from the building revealed a 16-foot tall granite sarcophagus weighing 176 tonnes, the Al-Ahram website said.

The project saw efforts to prevent the pyramid from collapsing, and external and internal restoration, including of the paths leading to the pyramid and the internal corridors leading to the burial chamber. The sarcophagus of King Djoser was also restored, along with the walls of the burial shaft tomb.

“Today we celebrate the completion of the project of warding off the danger and maintaining and restoring the first and oldest remaining pyramid in Egypt,” said Egypt’s tourism and antiquities minister Khaled al-Anani on Thursday.

The reopening was attended by the Prime Minister of Egypt, Mostafa Madbouli, along with foreign ambassadors.