Saqqara Necropolis

Saqqara is best known as the home of the Step Pyramid of Djoser, which dates back to the 27th century BCE. Designed by the architect Imhotep, it is widely considered the earliest colossal stone building in Egypt.

Saqqara served as the massive, primary necropolis for the ancient Egyptian capital city of Memphis. It was used continuously as a burial ground for thousands of years, spanning from the Early Dynastic Period all the way through the Ptolemaic era.

The Serapeum is an underground network of galleries at Saqqara dedicated to the burial of the Apis bulls, which were worshipped as living gods. Discovered in the 19th century, it contains massive, monolithic granite sarcophagi that each weigh roughly 80 tons.

Yes, Saqqara has been the site of major ongoing excavations that have yielded incredible finds in the 21st century. Archaeologists have recently unearthed hundreds of sealed, colorful coffins containing intact mummies, dating back to the Late Period and the New Kingdom.