What is Saqqara?
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Saqqara (also spelt Sakkara and several other ways) is a pyramid in Egypt,
near the River Nile just south of Cairo. It is not just any pyramid but
the very first stepped pyramid in Egypt. Built in 2686 B.C. for the Pharoah
Zoser, the first King of the Third Dynasty, by the architect Imhotep
I first visited Saqqara when I stayed in Cairo for a few days in 1980,
prior to flying in a Douglas DC-3 to Hurghada on the western Red Sea coast.
At that time I was working on an oil rig in the Red Sea (the Sedco 472
drillship for those of you who know about these kind of things!). I had
not yet seen the Giza pyramids but was astonished at the size of the Zoser
pyramid and the complexity of all the tombs and ancient remains all around
the site. I went there several times over the next few months and even
after visiting the proper pyramids at Giza, I still think Saqqara
is by far the better of the two sites - far fewer tourists and a lot more
to see. So, if you ever get a chance to go to Egypt, and are staying near
Cairo, make sure you go to Saqqara - it is well worth the effort... and
email me with your impressions too!
For far more info on Saqqara and other ancient Egyptian sites look at these
links :
Saqqara
online
The University of Memphis
Institute of Egyptian Art and Archaeology
Egypt
voyager - Djoser Virtual Tour
