"Saqqarah- a splendid site" Top 5 Page for this destination Saqqarah by uglyscot

Saqqarah Travel Guide: 55 reviews and 246 photos

Saqqara pyramids

To me, Saqqarah is a magical site. The first time I saw it I was awestruck. Its position on the plateau and its white colour that day, left a lasting impression. When I take people to see the pyramids I always bring them here first, not just because the Step Pyramid was the first man made stone building, but because the whole necropolis has so much- to me it encapsulates the whole of Egyptian history.
The main pyramid here is the Step Pyramid of Zoser which I mention elsewhere. Other more dilapidated ones belong to Teti, Unas and Sekhemket and Pepi I and II. Those of Unas and Teti have passages from the Book of the Dead.
The Pyramid of Teti is easy to visit. It has a downward sloping passage [mind your head!] leading to 2 rooms. One contains a stone sarcophagus, and the blue painted ceiling is decorated with five-pointed stars.

Meraruka

Mereruka

If time does not allow a trip to Luxor, then Saqqarah is the place to visit. There are tombs that can be entered. The largest is that of Mereruka, who married a member of the royal family. It is beside the Pyramid of Teti, and has 32 rooms. The tomb shows all aspects of life from cooking, hunting and fishing, making gold ornaments, playing and wrestling, in addition to all the religious rites that had to be performed for the deceased,
The picture shows Mereruka stepping out of the false door.

Ka Gemni

KaGemni

Another, smaller and not so noticeable tomb is the mastaba of Ka Gemni, a minor official. [vizier] of the VI th Dynasty. It also has wall paintings, with scenes of everyday activities. There are fine scenes of birds and cattle. Different kinds of birds are easily recognizable.

Pros and Cons

Pros:wonderful tombs
Cons:not all the interesting monuments are open to the public
In a nutshell:Ancient Egypt in a nutshell

Last visit to Saqqarah: Dec 2003
Intro Updated Nov 26, 2009
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Reviews (9)

Carpets, anyone Shopping (2)

A few shops at Kerdassa sell handwoven goods like cushion covers, rugs and carpets. The area is famous for its carpet... more travel advice

Shopping at source Shopping (2)

There are a number of little shops selling jellabiyas for women. In all you need to bargain. The jellabiyas are made in... more travel advice

The road to Saqqarah Off The Beaten Path (1)

The road passes by different aspects of rural Egyptian life: agriculture, shops, new buildings, animals, and canals. The... more travel advice

Visit Memphis Things to Do (4)

Memphis was the old capital of Egypt but now any remains must be under the present village. The village is called Mit... more travel advice

Local Customs (1)
Chauvinist pharaohs

Transportation (1)
to Saqqarah

Travelogues (2)

1 - 2 of 2

Comments (7)

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lynnehamman Jun 20, 2009 at 4:32 AM

Interesting page, Shane. I smiled when I read about the wife being a fraction of husband size. I know the feeling. The jellabiyas are beautiful Nice photos.
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Childish Mar 23, 2007 at 9:44 AM

Great page! It was forbidden to take pictures inside the tombs when I was there :-( Thank you for visiting my still unfinished pages. Hope to find some time to read your Cairo page soon... Regards
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evaanna May 25, 2006 at 1:13 PM

Excellent tips on a fascinating place. I actually am a fraction of my husband's height. Hope the spirits weren't confused by the false doors. The Mereruka tomb looks most interesting. Lovely jellabiyas, wish they exported them to Poland.
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TheWanderingCamel Nov 22, 2005 at 6:58 AM

I loved Saqqara. That use of hierarchical perspective - the most important is the biggest - is a quite different concept from that used in the west. leyle
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XenoHumph Jul 7, 2005 at 2:16 PM

The older pyramids, right (I mean compared to Giza)! really cool (and hot!) Anyway, great page!
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freya_heaven Jun 27, 2005 at 3:45 AM

Wish I hadn't missed Saqqarah when I was in the area, looks fascinating, very interesting page especially your travelogue. (~_~)
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yurxlnc Jun 4, 2005 at 7:14 AM

what a wonderful place, and well worth the visit I can see