Saqqarah Things to Do

Within a short distance from the Zoser Pyramid is the subterranean tomb of Mereruka, his son and his wife. The highlight of this tomb has to be the intricate and fascinating detail of the wall carvings which portray life in those ancient times. There are scenes of hippo hunts, craftsmen working gold into jewellery and the one I particularly relished were the fisherman setting their nets and traps. The detail was fantastic.
Do make the detour to visit this very special tomb.

First of all, my main tip for this site has to be - make sure you have PLENTY of time for your visit, because it covers a large area, and if you try to cram it all into just an hour or two, you will leave without having made the most of it. I really wish we'd had more time to explore this wonderful place.

See the wikipedia map (link below) for the siting of the numerous monuments.

Before pyramids, tombs for the elite of Egypt were constructed in the form of mastabas, which were flat, rectangular structures with sloping sides. In the 27th century BC, Imhotep built a tomb for the Pharoah Djoser (or Zoser) which consisted of 6 mastabas, decreasing in size, one on top of the other. This was the Step Pyramid, considered to be the world's first large stone building.

2 more images

If you get the chance try to visit Saqqara. There is the famous Step Pyramid of King Zoser and the amazing tomb of Mereruka not far away.
If you climb the step ladder up onto the mound overlooking the deep excavations at the site you can see off to the south yet more pyramids including the Bent Pyramid of Dashur.

This is a very large mastaba tomb, in fact the largest Old Kingdom tomb at Saqqarah.. It is excellent for giving a clear picture of life in Ancient Egypt. The wall paintings are fairly well preserved.
Mereruka was probably a member of the royal family, and had married the daughter [Shesheshat , aka Waetetkhethar] of Pharaoh Teti, whose pyramid is nearby.
There are 32 chambers in three sections: 21 are devoted to Meruruka who held several high positions : Chief Justice and vizier, Inspector of the priests associated with the Pyramid of Teti, Scribe of the Divine Books, Chief Lector Priest, Overseer of the Royal record Scribes. these titles are inscibed on the jambs of the entrance. There is a14.5 m shaft down to the burial roof where he was laid in his sarcophagus. But this was robbed in early times.
A section for his wife Shesheshat.
A section for his son Meryteti.
There is a good statue of Mereruka coming out of the false door in the large chamber which has 6 square columns . The walls show scenes of wildlife, hunting, industry, playing, as well as family life. For those who cannot get down to Luxor, this tomb is a good example of what can be seen there- and is far older, dating back to the 6th Dynasty

Holes in a corridor once had statues which have been removed to the Museum.

More pictures in the travelogue.

2 more images

Known as the "Master Butcher of the Great House", Irukaptah built himself a decorated tomb in Saqqara along the causeway to the Pyramid of Unas. The tomb dates back to the 5th Dynasty and is the only one known in Saqqara to contain rock cut statues. These statues (seen in the attached photo) were carved one after the other during the life of Irukaptah and show the progression in his appearance. The last statue is unfinished as Irukaptah died before completion. The opposite wall is carved with several statues of his family. Wall decorations elsewhere show carvings of animal butchering scenes. (Note that photography inside the tomb is strictly forbidden, however, being the only ones in it, our guide allowed us to do so (with no flash), probably looking to make an extra baksheesh).

2 more images

Tickets to the Saqqara complex also grant admission to the newly opened Imhotep Museum (since 2006), located next to the ticket office. The small but orderly museum contains an excellent collection of artefacts found in the necropolis of Saqqara, as well as useful information on the history of the necropolis. It is definitely well worth a quick visit. See the travelogue "Imhotep Museum" for photos of some of the museum's exhibit.

4 more images

One of a set of tombs only recently opened to the public, known as "B Tombs", the Tomb of Niankhkhnum & Khnumhotep is one of the most interesting to visit. It was discovered only in 1964 and is located just south of the causeway to the Pyramid of Unas. The tomb dates from the 5th Dynasty (c. 2400 BC) and belonged to two men who shared the title of "Overseer of the Manicurists in the Palace of the King" referring to King Niuserre. Royal manicurists held a very important post in Pharaonic Egypt, due to their very close proximity to the Pharaoh. This pair were therefore able to acquire for themselves an elaborate tomb with beautiful high quality carvings and decorations (see attached photographs). It is thought that the two men, who are depicted with their families, might have been brothers. However, their portrayal in such closeness, holding hands and embracing, is only ever seen between a man and his wife in funerary depictions across Egypt. One theory is that the two men had a more intimate relationship than a fraternal one, which would make them the earliest known same-sex couple in human history... (Note that photography inside the tomb is strictly forbidden, however, being the only ones in it, our guide allowed us to do so (with no flash), probably looking to make an extra baksheesh).