The pyramid of Pharaoh Djoser is located in Sahara and today is the oldest pyramid on the entire planet. Its value is difficult to exaggerate; it is a vivid example of how people studied architectural craft. The pyramid, as his tomb, was ordered to be built by the pharaoh Djoser, and the high priest of the temple of worship of the sun god Ra – Imhotep took up this difficult task. It was he who developed the drawings, which represented a tomb in a new form, like none of the pharaohs had before.
It is also interesting that Imhotep himself later became more popular among the Egyptians than his ruler, and the people of Egypt elevated the saints to him: Imhotep was called the god of construction and medicine. Be that as it may, the fact that this pyramid has survived to this day is already a great miracle. Initially, there was a small town around it, in which there was also a temple for the worship of the Pharaoh, two large apartment buildings, a special hall that led to the tomb with columns and ordinary farmhouses for cattle and camels. Only the pyramid has survived to this day. Its size is 62 meters in height and an area of 125 by 115 meters. It was the Djoser pyramid that was taken as the basis for the construction of all the other Egyptian pyramids and even the construction of the great Sphinx.
This design was completely innovative for its time. Inside the pyramid itself there were 11 full premises, which, apparently, were intended for all members of the pharaoh’s family. On the walls of the rooms were drawings that reflected the external arrangement of the city, from which it became known about the rest of the premises. The pharaoh himself was buried at a depth of 27 meters under the pyramid, in a special capsule. After everyone recognized Djoser’s pyramid, where it is located and by whom it was created, bad rumors circulated around Egypt.
The thing is that during his life, Pharaoh Djoser, in addition to his main tomb, gave the task to Imhotep to build a second burial ground, only more modest and inconspicuous. Perhaps the first was to avert eyes, since the ruler knew how often such places were robbed and the rest of the dead was disturbed. Whatever it was, when it was precisely Djoser who our contemporaries tried to find in his grave after the discovery of this treasury, they did not find anything there. Among the numerous internal corridors, only one mummified arm was found. Who it belongs to is still unknown. Until now, no one has found the body of the pharaoh, nor the remains or the burial place of his priest and the first architect in the history of mankind.
The main builder, or as he was called in Egypt “the one who looks at the Supreme God”, was later elevated to the rank of the same deities. And all due to the fact that during his life, Imhotep was a bit of a shadow and the right hand of his pharaoh. It is worth being frank, Djoser during his rule did not distinguish himself by anything special and went down in history only thanks to his tomb, as well as to the man to whom he once gave the order to build it. An interesting fact is that when excavating this miracle, it was revealed that various mystical rituals were often performed in the temple, which, in general, was logical enough for that time. The ibis birds, which were the symbol of Sahara, were found here in the form of mummies. Imhotep thought for a long time how to please his master and decided that his soul after burial should have a way to heaven, in the form of convenient steps. That is why the second name of this tomb is “stepped”.
Today, archaeologists can only guess about the approximate age of this building. Quite common figures tell us that all the above action took place around 2600 BC. Why was such a huge and expensive complex of buildings chosen, given that all the rulers before Djoser were not compared to this? And all simply because in this way the ordinary people were frightened, who continually loved to rebel and argue about a way of life. Therefore, Vladyka wanted to show all his strength, power, and most importantly, his belonging to the world of Gods and higher beings. Also important is the fact that the pyramid was conceived as a place for diverting eyes before the true burials of both the pharaohs and all their wealth. Yes, the wives, children and close relatives of the head of state were buried here, but without pomp and so many honors as the main ruler. That is why many of the robbers who encroached on Joser’s retirement found nothing but mummified corpses. Many were simply afraid to go in there, not to mention stealing something because of the legend that Imhotep was a priest and a witcher, and built such a non-standard structure with the calculation of magic and witchcraft: everyone who violates the peace of his pharaoh will lose his peace life and get stuck in these stone walls forever. Be that as it may, but all these tricks worked wonderfully, as evidenced by the well-preserved stone step beauty, which is still well preserved. to steal something because of the legend that Imhotep was a priest and a witcher, and built such a non-standard structure with the calculation of magic and witchcraft: everyone who violates the peace of his pharaoh will lose peace during his life and will be stuck in these stone walls forever. Be that as it may, but all these tricks worked wonderfully, as evidenced by the well-preserved stone step beauty, which is still well preserved. in order to steal something because of the legend that Imhotep was a priest and a witcher, and built such a non-standard structure with the calculation of magic and witchcraft: everyone who violates the peace of his pharaoh will lose peace during his life and will be stuck in these stone walls forever. Whatever it was, but all these tricks worked wonderfully, as evidenced by the well-preserved stone step beauty, which is still well preserved.
The stepped pyramid of Djoser is the burial place of one of the Egyptian pharaohs and his entire family. This is the very first construction of the tomb in the form of a pyramid and the ancestor of this method is Djoser himself and his priest Imhotep. By the way, the latter, with time, also became (or even more) popular than its ruler. At the entrance to the pyramid itself there is a stone at the foot, which testifies to all the dignities and ranks of the world’s first architect. During the reign of Djoser, Imhotep became the keeper of the upper seal, the divider of land and harvest, the main priest of the god Ra, the adviser and the right hand of the ruler. After his death in Egypt, they created a temple to worship his spirit and a school for teaching all his wisdom. On the walls of the pyramid inside, amazing frescoes are preserved that tell the story of the reign of the pharaoh, all the members of his dynasty and his deeds. For example, it was from such wall inscriptions that it became known that Joser connected Upper and Lower Egypt and came up with a way for his soul to move to heaven after death. That is how the architect and builder Imhotep embodied his request. Subsequently, the followers built all the other tombs in the manner and likeness of the first.
Pharaoh Djoser’s pyramid – a brilliant idea or an accident?
The first idea, according to scientists, was to build a rectangular cube, which would have inside the halls and labyrinths, through which the soul would rise to heaven. But it was the first architect who had the idea to incline all the walls to a single center, in order to simplify the task of the pharaoh’s spirit. The first dimensions of the building were grandiose – more than 60 meters in height and an area of 125 × 115 meters. Over time and the impact of a huge number of natural factors – the area of the pyramid has significantly decreased, but the base still survived to this day. The height is less than 1 meter, the area is 121×109. Yes, and it is not so important. We could not find what was left if the high priest was not so adventurous: he was the first in the history of mankind who came up with the use of not typical raw materials and bricks from it, but heavy stone blocks. One can only guess? how did the Egyptians pile these boulders one upon another? Whatever it was, but this building can safely be reckoned one of the very first, architectural, man-made wonders of the world. It is also worth noting that the place for construction was chosen excellent: the view from the pyramid complex opens to Memphis and the entire site is heated under the sun of the colorful plateau.
Djoser’s step pyramid in Sahara, its myths and riddles
The Djoser Pyramid, the photo of which can easily be found on the net, like other attractions in Egypt, has a lot of mysteries. The most important incomprehensible fact is the mystery of the disappearance of the body of the pharaoh himself. According to the structure of the pyramid, the capsule with the mummy was supposed to be under the center of the structure at a depth of about 30 meters. But the place for the capsule was empty during the opening of the treasury. In addition, numerous strange objects for sacrificial rites were found on the territory of the complex and on the ruins of other structures near a tomb. And everything was mystical: the location of the temple for worship of Pharaoh, as God, and the intricate corridors that the conservative Imhotep simply could not plan. The history of Sahara as a region also tells that at the location of the tomb once stood the temple of worship of the god Pta – the main god of Memphis. Given the reverent attitude of the Egyptians to their religion, and even more so to their shrines, it is strange where and why the temple disappeared, and whether Djoser himself was involved in this.
Another important fact is the beginning of a seven-year drought in Egypt, which was accompanied by the start of the tomb structure. Many also consider this a very strange and illogical coincidence.
Around this tomb goes an incredible number of legends and mysterious stories. And all of them arise because it is difficult for a person today to explain how, without special equipment and professional knowledge, did ancient people manage to create such a perfect architectural structure? Some myths say that as a priest of the sun god Ra – Imhotep entered into a conspiracy with dark forces and sold the soul of his ruler for the sake of unique knowledge in construction. Other legends testify that Djoser, realizing that he would die anyway, gave all his treasures to the gods to help build such a unique resting place. It is interesting that some scholars do not reject this version at all, because in no museum in the world, or in any private collection, wealth from this pharaoh was discovered, which simply had to be in the tomb. And inside 11 halls only one mummified hand was found, and whose it is, is still not clear. So think after that what is true and what is fiction. And the pyramid will still rise above the burnt Egyptian Sahara for many centuries, still also exciting the minds and curiosity of our descendants.