The Saqqara Necropolis lies outside Cairo, Egypt. It’s approximately 9 miles southeast of its more famous cousin at Giza, although it forms part of the same UNESCO World Heritage Site that includes the Giza Pyramids and Sphinx.
The Pyramid of Djoser
At the heart of the Saqqara funerary monuments is the Pyramid of Djoser, also known as the Step Pyramid, for obvious reasons.
Built around 4700 years ago, in the 27th Century BC, the Pyramid of Djoser is considered to be the oldest completely stone structure on Earth. It originally stood 203 feet tall and was the prototype for all the Egyptian pyramids that would follow.
Djoser’s pyramid began as a single mastaba, a flat-topped, horizontal stone structure with slightly sloping sides. Another mastaba was then built atop the first. Then another… until there were six in total. And hey presto! the World had its first stone pyramid!
View south towards the Dahshur necropolis, which includes the Bent (left, in the background) and Red (right) Pyramids
The Step Pyramid enclosure at Saqqara was surrounded by a 34-foot-high wall and numerous associated structures.
The reconstructed entrance to the Djoser enclosure
The courtyard to the south of Djoser’s Pyramid
The Step Pyramid from the Courtyard of Heb Sed
Saqqara as a whole was the necropolis for the ancient Egyptian city of Memphis. It was in use for over 3000 years, and stretched 4 miles, north to south. Eventually though, it was abandoned and buried by the desert, leaving only the Pyramid of Djoser visible.
The Pyramid of Teti at Saqqara
The site was re-discovered in 1851, and ongoing excavations continue to reveal new structures to this day.
Ongoing excavations at Saqqara, within the Djoser enclosure
A local
Another cute local
Me and Rich at Saqqara
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This post was inspired by the photo theme of Horizontal Line(s) from Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge and Jo’s Monday Walk.
Jaspa's Journal 
What a marvelous post. Thanks Jaspa. 😀
Glad you enjoyed it, Cee!
Fabulous shots. I may never get there, so I really appreciate all the ins and outs of these structures.
Speaking of ‘ins’, I’d love to see inside a pyramid one day!
Barely just home, Jaspa. Many thanks for this. I hope to be posting a walk next Monday. 🙂 🙂
Look forward to it, Jo!
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Reblogged this on Die Goldene Landschaft.
Thanks for the reblog, Reinhard.