page_title: Pyramid of Djoser
section_title: Burial chamber
hierarchical_section_title: Pyramid of Djoser / Pyramid substructure / Burial chamber
caption_attribution_description: English: Step pyramid, near Cairo, Egypt. February 2007.
context_page_description: The Pyramid of Djoser, or Step Pyramid, is an archaeological remain in the Saqqara necropolis, Egypt, northwest of the city of Memphis. The 6-tier, 4-sided structure is the earliest colossal stone building in Egypt. It was built in the 27th century BC during the Third Dynasty for the burial of Pharaoh Djoser. The pyramid is the central feature of a vast mortuary complex in an enormous courtyard surrounded by ceremonial structures and decoration.
  The pyramid went through several revisions and redevelopments of the original plan. The pyramid originally stood 62.5 metres tall, with a base of 109 m × 121 m and was clad in polished white limestone. The step pyramid is considered to be the earliest large-scale cut stone construction made by man, although the nearby enclosure wall "Gisr el-Mudir" is suggested by some Egyptologists to predate the complex, and the South American pyramids at Caral are contemporary.
  In March 2020, the pyramid was reopened for visitors after a 14-year restoration.
context_section_description: The burial chamber was a vault constructed of four courses of well-dressed granite. It had one opening, which was sealed with a 3.5 ton block after the burial. No body was recovered as the tomb had been extensively robbed. Lauer believes that a burial chamber of alabaster existed before the one of granite. He found interesting evidence of limestone blocks with five pointed stars in low relief that were likely on the ceiling, indicating the first occurrence of what would become a tradition. The king sought to associate himself with the eternal North Stars that never set so as to ensure his rebirth and eternity.
caption: Temples of the festival complex.
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