The oldest large stone building in the world is located in the Saqqara necropolis, and it looks like a pyramid and is made of stone. Third Dynasty Pharaoh Djoser is buried at Saqqara in a complex that includes the impressive Pyramid of Djoser. His pyramid and burial complex were limestone first of its kind.

Imhotep built the first pyramid consisting of six levels. The pyramid is the first and oldest in Egypt. It has six unequal levels and is about 60 meters high. But it’s not a pyramid because the sides aren’t smooth.

The pyramid underwent several changes until it finally looked like a stepped pyramid. Initially, it was a square mastaba facing the “four main points.” This limestone pyramid is small but impressive; it has a base area of ​​63 square meters and a peak height of about 8 meters.

All four sides of the building got another 3 meters of limestone, making the total area of ​​the mastaba 71.5 square meters. The pyramid is now square by adding 8.40 meters to the east side, with an area of ​​79.90 square meters from east to west and 71.50 square meters from south to north. The royal family got their tomb, which was added to the east, and a vertical shaft 33 meters deep was cut.

When three more levels were added to the original mastaba, the royal tomb looked like a pyramid with steps. When it was completed, the pyramid was 43 meters high, 77.50 meters wide at the base, and 85.9 meters wide at the top. A three-meter-thick layer was added to the four sides.

After adding the facade to the southern and northern sides of the pyramid, it became a 6-step rectangular building, 121 meters long from east to west, 109 meters wide, and 59.64 meters high. The next step was to line the pyramid’s interior with Tora limestone.

Near the top of the pyramid is a pit about 28 meters deep that leads to a burial chamber seven meters wide. Around the tomb, there are a lot of rooms and corridors where the furniture of the deceased and other things are kept.

A deep blue faience slab was found under the pyramid, and it was part of the symbolic palace of Pharaoh Djoser and can be seen in the Imhotep Museum near the entrance to Saqqara. In the depths of the surface of the pyramid of Djoser, there is a royal residence with rooms and corridors. The limestone walls are decorated with delicate tiles of blue, green, and blue faience and stone panels resembling a red carpet.

Under the southern tomb, archaeologists have found rooms with the same types of decoration. Here, we can see some old ceramic tiles with newer blocks glued to the back—a large hole in the middle and a niche on the opposite wall. An ancient Egyptian king visits the Temple of Edfu in this beautifully carved statue. Part of this room is now on display in the Imhotep Museum in Saqqara.