who was king zoser? and what have he done?.

King Zoser who was he? What time frame did he live in? What was his place in history? This is what this page will answer and give you a in site into his life

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ing Zoser lived in the Third Dynasty which lasted from 2686 BC to 2613 BC. This was the beginning of the Old Kingdom. He was born in 2667 BC and died in 2648 BC.

King Zoser's Step Pyramid of Saqqara is thought to be the first pyramid ever built in Egypt and the oldest stone building still standing in Egypt. His pyramid was built and designed by the architect Imhotep whose image is depicted on the background of this page. Before this most tombs were made of sun- dried bricks.

 

King Zosers large Step Pyramid showed the pharaoh's power and started the pyramid as the pre-eminent Pharaonic burial structure.

The pyramid was built in six stages or steps, it rises to a height of 204 feet. The original limestone facing is gone. Zoser's burial chamber is at the bottom of a shaft more than ninety feet under the base of the pyramid. Even in this initial form the pyramid reaches out to link man with eternity. A thirty-five acre mortuary complex contains the pyramid, a small temple, courtyards, a palace, shrines, altars, storehouses, and tombs. The complex is surrounded by an enclosing or perimeter wall. There is one entrance, a simple doorway.The beautiful form is introduced in Zoser's complex and lasts in variations throughout Egyptian architecture. This is the first true pyramid. It standardizes the shape of all pyramids to come.

photoes about king zoser

The king Zoser statue 3rd dynasty OLd Kingdom (painted lime stone 2700 B.C)

 

 king zoser of dynasty 3

step pyramid of zoser

and you can get alot of photoes of saqqara here

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The Mortuary Complex Of King Zoser

Around 2680 BC, a precedence was set for future Egyptian architecture, as well as over all architectural design. Only a short distance to the south of the previous burial mastabas of the first and second Egyptian dynasties, the Mortuary Complex of King Zoser was constructed. Lying atop a stretch of high ground at Saqqara overlooking the city of Memphis, this complex is believed to be the first of its time to utilize new techniques in Egyptian construction, and was by far the largest and most elaborate of any tombs built before it.
Just as the burial sites before, King Zoser’s complex was built facing the Nile River to the east. A large rock wall surrounded the complex, measuring 550 by 275 meters, with the only noticeable entrance being at the southern part of the east face. When one enters the complex they then head north through the entry corridor. This hyperstyle hall is lined with two rows of half columns engaged to spur walls. These columns carry a stone ceiling cut to resemble rounded logs. After passing through a doubled number of columns at the end of the hall, one comes into a large court. This court is known as the Heb-sed court, and was presumably used for ceremonies. At the southwest corner of this court is a building of solid masonry, and to the north, in another separate court, is two temple buildings with columns carved to imitate the lotus and the papyrus plants. Just to the west of this court lay the stepped pyramid under which King Zoser’s body lay in a granite sarcophagus. This sarcophagus was originally topped with a simple stone mastaba, but was then enlarged three times. This stepped pyramid was then enlarged to the north and the west, making its final size consisting of six stages standing at 204 feet tall. The stepped pyramid concealing the burial chamber was consistent with previous burial sites however, none before had been as extravagant and contained as many additional structures as King Zoser’s complex.
The man regarded with designing this structure, Imhotep, is also considered the first known architect. The evidence found at Zoser’s complex suggests that architects held a higher place in society among the wealthy and educated Egyptians. This differed from early Mesopotamian society where the kings took credit for their burial site constructions, hence the reason for no evidence of who designed the previous structures. Along with being regarded as a magician, an astronomer, and the father of medicine by the Egyptian people, Imhotep was the first to utilize new techniques in architecture that have no apparent predecessors.
The main noticeable difference of Zoser’s complex is the fact that it was made of stone, while previous tombs utilized only mud bricks. While Zoser’s actual burial place was topped with a stepped pyramid constructed of mud brick, the rest of the buildings in the complex were constructed of local stone covered with polished limestone. This presents the idea that at this time the ancient Egyptians had begun the art of stone work, at least on a small scale. These stones were cut and carved to form flat faces and shaped like large bricks. When placed together in straight fashion, this rockwork gave the temple an exceptionally clean look, which had been seen never before.
The first known case of clerestory lighting can be found in the entry hall as well. These openings, that extended from the ceiling down the walls a few feet, were facing east towards the Nile River. In the early morning, sunlight would pour in through these windows and shafts of light would fall presumably on statues of King Zoser or possibly those of deities, creating an almost holy mood in the hall.
All of the rockwork in the complex is carved to simulate something that was previously used in construction of buildings. For instance, the roof in the entry hall was carved stone in the shape of round logs. Traces of red paint on the columns in the entry hall suggest they were to represent something made of wood, since...

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Restoration of the step pyramid of Zoser at Saqqara

The project of restoration and consolidation of the pyramid of Zoser at Saqqara is considered of the utmost importance by the Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities and  has been underway for several years. The network of galleries and corridors inside have been cleaned, while the sarcophagus of the king has been excavated after being buried under tons of stones fallen from the ceiling, and now a massive scaffolding enables the consolidation of the collapsed vault. Meanwhile, outside a complex work of cleaning from the sand and fixing the stones will make the structure safer.

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Saving the Step Pyramid

 

Posted in: The pharaoh Kings