Egypt opens ancient tomb of King Djoser after restoration
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 Egypts 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 countrys 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.
Egypts 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
(51,445 posts)Response to sinkingfeeling (Reply #1)
Chin music This message was self-deleted by its author.
BumRushDaShow
(128,859 posts)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 -
Response to BumRushDaShow (Reply #3)
Chin music This message was self-deleted by its author.
central scrutinizer
(11,648 posts)Search for Saqqara
Star-Thrower
(309 posts)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
(1,939 posts)The prehistoric civilizations in the W hemisphere were a match for the ancient Egyptian ones.
byronius
(7,394 posts)Ten years old. Blew my mind.
Napoleons soldiers wrote on the walls with candle black, it was still there. Just amazing.
Ive 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
(12,047 posts)Too much looting chests for valuables in video games I' m afraid. I'm tainted, I need gold, lol
Response to Omaha Steve (Original post)
George II This message was self-deleted by its author.