Pyramid of Djoser | Ankh | The most prominent monument at Saqqara is the Step Pyramid of Djoser, first king of the 3rd Dynasty (ca. 2650-2575 BC). This structure, believed to have been designed by a high official named Imhotep is the first pyramid and the earliest example of large-scale stone construction in Egypt. The Step Pyramid of Djoser stands at the heart of a...
Abusir pyramids | Ankh | Abusir is located in the desert west of Cairo, between Giza and Saqqara. The site is dominated by the remains of seven pyramid complexes, five of which can be deated securely to the 5th Dynasty (2504-2347 B.C.): those of Sahure, Niuserre, Neferirkare, Neferefre, and Queen Khentakawes II. A number of papyrus archives have been found in...
Dahshur Pyramids | Ankh | The pyramid field of Dahshur lies about 10 km south of Saqqara. The Pyramids here include the famed Bent and Red Pyramids built by the 4th Dynasty king Senefru (father of Khufu, builder of the Great Pyramid), As well as the “White Pyramid” of Amenemhat II, the pyramid of Senwosret II, and the “Black Pyramid,” built...
Black Pyramid | Ankh | Though stripped of its limestone casing and somewhat eroded, The Pyramid of Amenemhat III at Hawara or the Black Pyramid remains remarkable for its complex system of secret passages. Amenemhat III (1855-1808 BC) built both this pyramid and the Black Pyramid at Dahshur, and it is thought that he abandoned this one because of the rising water...