The ancient tomb structure belonging to the cemetery complex of King Djoser, a pharaoh who reigned between 2667-2648 BC, was reopened on Tuesday, following extensive restorations of the site.
The structure—known as the Southern Tomb—is largely underground and includes a labyrinth of corridors, decorated with hieroglyphic carvings and tiles. However, the pharaoh was not buried in the South tomb but was laid to rest in the famed Step Pyramid nearby, which was built by his personal architect Imhotep.
Restoration work on it started in 2006 and included reinforcing the underground corridors, refurbishing the carvings and the tiled walls, and installing lighting, reports Reuters.
Some researchers say that this Southern Tomb was built for the preservation of his internal organs. Others say it was built as a symbolic one of King Djoser.
The Step Pyramid is the world’s oldest known pyramid, per UNESCO, and one believed to have been the inspiration for the Pyramids at Giza. The Step Pyramid, along with the Southern Tomb, makes up part of the Saqqara complex near Cairo.
In addition to the Southern Tomb and Step Pyramid, the Saqqara plateau hosts at least 10 more pyramids, as well as hundreds of tombs of ancient officials, making it one of the country’s richest archeological sites.
The Southern Tomb consists of a large structure that sits above the desert landscape, providing an entrance for visitors to enter the underground tomb. The opening leads to a stairway that descends about 98 feet below the surface and leads to the burial shaft and then to the vast labyrinth of corridors.
Once at the burial vault, visitors will notice that it is too small to hold adult human remains, revealing the tomb was never built as King Djoser’s resting place.
The Saqqara site is part of the necropolis of Egypt’s ancient capital of Memphis that includes the famed Giza Pyramids, as well as smaller pyramids at Abu Sir, Dahshur, and Abu Ruwaysh. The Memphis ruins were declared a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1979.
