Saqqara and the Step Pyramid

Saqqara - an ancient necropolis located south of Cairo. Saqqara was the place where deceased kings, dignitaries and other important state figures were buried.
The Step Pyramid complex and the tomb of Djoser
Saqqara was the main necropolis for the ancient city of Memphis, where the Egyptian elite built their tombs. The area is known today as the site of the first stone pyramid, which is attributed to Djoser.
This stone pyramid is part of a funerary complex that includes chapels and courtyards with various purposes. The whole is surrounded by a wall 10.0 m high. The pyramid itself measures 62.5 m in height. It is one of the places where the difficult task of copying natural materials in stone is most visible. The Step Pyramid itself was built in several stages, starting from an initial mastaba square, and its plan was changed several times during construction. Scholars now doubt this theory and suggest that the whole structure was planned as a pyramid from the start. Earlier mastaba tombs were always rectangular.
The ground around this monumental building was laid out so as to create the kind of structures the pharaoh needed for life. For example, a courtyard was built so that the king could celebrate.