Saqqara and the stone landscape of ancient Egypt

South-west of Gizeh, Saqqara gathers pyramids, decorated tombs and underground galleries across a cemetery shaped by many eras.

Saqqara stretches across the desert south-west of Gizeh as a cemetery of pyramids, mastabas, decorated tombs and underground galleries. Its most recognisable monument is the Step Pyramid of Djoser, a six-level stone structure from the Third Dynasty. Around it, royal and private burials preserve a long record of ancient Egyptian history.

Saqqara: where the pyramid form begins

The Step Pyramid belongs to the reign of King Djoser, also known as Netjerykhet, around 2667–2648 BC. Its architect was Imhotep, whose name survives as the earliest recorded architect associated with a major Egyptian monument. The pyramid rises from a large funerary complex enclosed by limestone architecture, courts and ceremonial structures.

The monument developed from the mastaba, a rectangular tomb form with underground burial spaces. Six mastaba-like levels are stacked above one another, producing the stepped profile that gives the pyramid its name. The complex marks a major stage in the history of monumental stone building in Egypt, before the smooth-sided pyramids of later royal cemeteries. The Step Pyramid complex remains the central monument of Saqqara.

Royal tombs across many Egyptian periods

Saqqara served Memphis, the ancient capital whose religious and administrative landscape extended along the Nile Valley. Burials at the cemetery date from the First and Second Dynasties, around 3040–2686 BC, through the Old Kingdom and later periods.

The site includes pyramids associated with the Fifth and Sixth Dynasties. The pyramid of Unas contains Pyramid Texts, inscriptions placed within a royal burial chamber. These texts form one of the earliest substantial bodies of religious writing from ancient Egypt. Noblemen’s tombs preserve painted and carved scenes, including images of agriculture, craft, animals and ritual activity.

New Kingdom burials add another layer to the cemetery. The tomb of Horemheb belongs to a general who became king, although his royal burial was made in the Valley of the Kings. Saqqara therefore connects royal, military and elite histories within one archaeological landscape.

Serapeum, Apis bulls and the wider cemetery

South of the Step Pyramid complex, the Serapeum consists of underground galleries associated with the burial of Apis bulls. The sacred animals were connected with Ptah, Memphis’s principal god, and received formal funerary treatment. The galleries remained in use from the Eighteenth Dynasty into the Ptolemaic Period, linking New Kingdom religion with the Hellenistic age.

Saqqara also contains evidence from the First Intermediate Period, Middle Kingdom, New Kingdom, Ptolemaic Period and Roman era. The Monastery of Apa Jeremiah represents the Coptic period and remained in use until the eighth century AD. The Saqqara cemetery thus presents tombs, temples, galleries and religious remains from a long sequence of Egyptian history.

The cemetery forms part of the Memphis and its Necropolis World Heritage property, inscribed in 1979. Its wider setting includes the pyramid fields of Gizeh, Abusir and Dahshur. Saqqara’s importance lies in the concentration of monuments from different periods, with the Step Pyramid providing the clearest visual marker.

Visiting Saqqara: what travellers from Western Europe should know

• Saqqara lies in Giza Governorate, south-west of Cairo and near the ancient city of Memphis. Road transport from Cairo is the principal way to reach the archaeological area.
• The site covers desert terrain with exposed stone, uneven ground and underground spaces. Visits involve walking between separated monuments.
• The Step Pyramid complex includes open courts, limestone structures and the pyramid itself. The Serapeum is a subterranean gallery complex.
• The official language is Arabic and the currency is the Egyptian pound.
• Entry requirements depend on your nationality; UK travellers can check the FCDO travel advice at gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice, Irish travellers the Department of Foreign Affairs at ireland.ie.

Searching for Saqqara on social platforms

These links open searches for Saqqara on each platform.

Frequently asked questions about Saqqara

Where is Saqqara?

Saqqara lies in Giza Governorate, south-west of Cairo, beside the ancient capital of Memphis. It forms part of the wider Memphite necropolis.

What can visitors see at Saqqara?

The archaeological area contains the Step Pyramid of Djoser, royal pyramids, decorated private tombs, the Serapeum and remains from the Coptic period.

What makes Saqqara distinctive?

Its monuments span several millennia, while the Step Pyramid records the early development of monumental stone pyramid architecture during Djoser’s reign.