Die Pyramide von Sakkara

The Pyramid of Saqqara

Saqqara (Arabic: سقارة‎, Egyptian Arabic pronunciation: [sɑʔːɑːɾɑ]), also spelled Sakkara or Saccara in English /səˈkɑːrə/, is an Egyptian village in the Markaz (county) of Badrashin in the Giza Governorate that contains ancient Egyptian burial sites for royalty and served as the necropolis of the ancient Egyptian capital of Memphis. Saqqara is home to numerous pyramids, including the Pyramid of Djoser, sometimes called the Step Tomb, and a number of mastaba tombs. Saqqara is located about 30 km (19 mi) south of modern-day Cairo and covers an area of ​​about 7 by 1.5 km (4.3 by 0.9 mi).

To the north of the Saqqara site lies the Abusir pyramid complex, and to the south of it lies the Dahshur pyramid complex, which together with the Giza pyramid complex in the far north forms the pyramid fields of Memphis, or Memphite Necropolis, which was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1979.

Early Dynastic:

The earliest burials of nobles can be traced back to the First Dynasty on the north side of the Saqqara plateau. At this time, the royal burial site was at Abydos. The first royal burials at Saqqara, consisting of underground galleries, date from the Second Dynasty. The last king of the Second Dynasty, Khasekhemwy, was buried in his tomb at Abydos, but also built a funerary monument at Saqqara, which consisted of a large rectangular enclosure known as the Gisr el-Mudir. It probably inspired the monumental enclosure wall around the step pyramid complex. Djoser's tomb, built by the royal architect Imhotep, also includes a large number of mock buildings and a secondary mastaba (the so-called "south tomb"). The French architect and Egyptologist Jean-Philippe Lauer spent most of his life excavating and restoring Djoser's tomb.

Old Kingdom:

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Wooden statue of the scribe Kaaper, 4th or 5th Dynasty of the Old Kingdom, from Saqqara, ca. 2500 BC

Almost all of the kings of the fourth dynasty chose a different site for their pyramids. In the second half of the Old Kingdom, under the fifth and sixth dynasties, Saqqara was again the royal burial site. The pyramids of the fifth and sixth dynasties are not made entirely of solid stone blocks, but have a core of rubble. As a result, they are less well preserved than the world-famous pyramids built by the kings of the Fourth Dynasty at Giza. Unas, the last ruler of the Fifth Dynasty, was the first king to decorate the chambers of his pyramid with Pyramid Texts. In the Old Kingdom, it was common for courtiers to be buried in mastaba tombs near their king's pyramid. Thus, clusters of private tombs arose at Saqqara around the pyramid complexes of Unas and Teti.

The Egyptian Pyramids:

The Egyptian pyramids are ancient masonry structures in Egypt. Sources cite at least 118 identified "Egyptian" pyramids. About 80 pyramids were built in the Kingdom of Kush, which is now in modern-day Sudan. Of those located in modern Egypt, most were built during the Old and Middle Kingdom periods as tombs for the country's pharaohs and their consorts.

The earliest known Egyptian pyramids are at Saqqara, northwest of Memphis, although at least one step-pyramid-like structure dating to the First Dynasty has been found at Saqqara: Mastaba 3808, attributed to the reign of Pharaoh Anedjib, with inscriptions and other archaeological remains from that period suggesting there may have been others. The otherwise oldest among them is the Pyramid of Djoser, built ca. 2630–2610 BCE during the Third Dynasty. This pyramid and the complex surrounding it are generally considered to be the oldest monumental structures in the world constructed of hewn masonry.

Pyramid Symbolism:

The shape of the Egyptian pyramids is believed to represent the primordial mound from which the Egyptians believed the earth was formed. The shape of a pyramid is also believed to reflect the falling rays of the sun, and most pyramids were faced with polished, highly reflective white limestone to give them a brilliant appearance from a distance. Pyramids were also often named in reference to solar luminescence. For example, the official name of the Bent Pyramid at Dahshur was The Southern Shining Pyramid and that of Senusret II at El Lahun was Senusret Shines.

While it is generally agreed that pyramids were funerary monuments, there remains disagreement about the particular theological principles that may have led to their creation. One suggestion is that they were designed as a kind of "resurrection machine."

The Egyptians believed that the dark area of ​​the night sky around which the stars appear to revolve was the physical gateway to heaven. One of the narrow shafts extending from the main burial chamber through the entire body of the Great Pyramid points directly into the center of this part of the sky. This suggests that the pyramid may have been designed to magically transport the soul of the deceased pharaoh directly to the abode of the gods.

All Egyptian pyramids were built on the west bank of the Nile, which, as the location of the setting sun, was associated with the realm of the dead in Egyptian mythology.

Pyramids of Saqqara :

uploaded pictureThe most important pyramids located here include the Pyramid of Djoser - generally considered to be the world's oldest significant monumental structure made of carved stone -, the Pyramid of Userkaf, the Pyramid of Teti and the Pyramid of Merikare, all from Egypt's First Intermediate Period. Saqqara is also home to the Pyramid of Unas, which has a pyramid causeway that is one of the best preserved in Egypt. Along with the Pyramid of Userkaf, this pyramid was the subject of one of the earliest known restoration attempts, carried out by Khaemweset, a son of Ramesses II. Saqqara is also home to the incomplete step pyramid of Djoser's successor Sekhemkhet, known as the "Buried Pyramid". Archaeologists believe that this pyramid, if completed, would have been larger than Djoser's.

South of the main pyramid field at Saqqara is a second cluster of later, smaller pyramids, including those of Pepi I, Djedkare Isesi, Merenre, Pepi II and Ibi. Most of these are in a poor state of preservation.

The Fourth Dynasty pharaoh Shepseskaf either had no interest in pyramid building or was unable to do so, as his predecessors did. His tomb, also located in southern Saqqara, was instead built as an unusually large mastaba and sacrificial temple complex. It is commonly known as Mastabat al-Fir'aun.

In late 2008, a previously unknown pyramid was discovered in northern Saqqara. It is believed to be the tomb of Teti's mother. It is currently about 5 m (16 ft) high, although the original height was closer to 14 m (46 ft).