Egypt opens ancient tomb of King Djoser after restoration

[Omaha Steve]

Source: AP

By MOHAMED WAGDY

SAQQARA, Egypt (AP) — Egypt on Tuesday showcased an ancient tomb structure belonging to the cemetery complex of King Djoser, a pharaoh who lived more than 4,500 years ago, 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. A central funeral shaft houses a massive granite-clad sarcophagus from Egypt’s Third Dynasty.

However, the pharaoh was not actually buried there but in the famed Step Pyramid nearby. The two structures make up part of the Saqqara complex near Cairo — one of the country’s richest archeological sites. The Step Pyramid is the oldest known pyramid and one of the first examples of monumental architecture from the ancient world, according to UNESCO. It is believed to have been the inspiration for the Pyramids at Giza.

Egypt’s Ministry of Antiquities and Tourism said the opening this week of the tomb structure marked the completion of restoration work that started in 2006 and included reinforcing of the underground corridors, refurbishing the carvings and the tiled walls, and installing lighting. As of Tuesday, the tomb opened to the public.



Inscriptions adorn the wall of the southern cemetery of King Djoser, after its restoration, near the famed Step Pyramid, in Saqqara, south of Cairo, Egypt, Tuesday, Sept. 14, 2021. (AP Photo/Nariman El-Mofty)


Read more: https://apnews.com/article/middle-east-africa-egypt-cairo-science--cef2f2d37305aebb6015d23f2a13cb38

[sinkingfeeling]

1. I hope to get back to Saqqara someday. Last there in 2012.

[BumRushDaShow]

3. I was in Egypt almost 30 years ago (yikes) in 1992

and I don't think any of that had been started at the time. They had been finishing up the repair/renovations of the Sphynx and were renovating King Tutankhamen's tomb at the time. I did see the Step pyramid though (can't miss it) along with the Bent pyramid not that far away (which is apparently recently open for tourists now - https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/jul/14/bent-pyramid-egypt-opens-ancient-oddity-for-tourism).

The decorations in this Step pyramid are pretty cool and unique and very different from the later dynasty tomb chambers. But then Djoser's reign goes way way back.

There's a statue of Djoser at the Cairo Museum (I remember taking a pic of it too). Here is one pic -

[central scrutinizer]

5. Earlier excavation on Netflix

Search for Saqqara

[Star-Thrower]

6. I have always wanted

to go to Egypt but never managed to do so. Not The same but I did
spend all day visiting the pyramids in Palenque, Mexico. Awesome.

[jeffreyi]

7. "1491" is a good read.

The prehistoric civilizations in the W hemisphere were a match for the ancient Egyptian ones.

[byronius]

8. Great Pyramid, Queen's chamber, 1970.

Ten years old. Blew my mind.

Napoleon’s soldier’s wrote on the walls with candle black, it was still there. Just amazing.

I’ve been some places, man. But everything Egyptian still haunts me. I can still feel it. Fascinating story, makes me want to go.

[Shanti Shanti Shanti]

9. Its empty, where's the gold and jewels? I would never make in archeo, Ima tomb raider,gimme treasure

Too much looting chests for valuables in video games I' m afraid. I'm tainted, I need gold, lol