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dc.coverage.spatialSite: Saqqara, Desert, Egypten_US
dc.coverage.temporalca. 2630-2611 BCE (creation)en_US
dc.creatorImhotepen_US
dc.date-2639--2611en_US
dc.date.accessioned2013-04-23T17:35:39Z
dc.date.available2013-04-23T17:35:39Z
dc.date.issued-2639--2611en_US
dc.identifier209834en_US
dc.identifier.otherarchrefid: 753en_US
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/1721.3/117859
dc.descriptionGeneral view, looking northeast, showing the entry in the limestone Enclosure Wall (left) and the Step Pyramid (right); Saqqara is an Egyptian site on a desert plateau about 20 km south of Cairo and just west of the ancient city of Memphis, which flourished as a necropolis and religious centre in the Dynastic, Late and Greco-Roman periods. In the Coptic period it continued in use as a monastic centre. The most important structure of the Early Dynastic period, however, is the funerary complex of Djoser [Djoser, Zoser, Netjerikhet, ca. 2630-ca. 2611 BCE, first ruler of the 3rd dynasty], which marks the first appearance of monumental stone architecture in Egypt. Its central element is a massive stepped pyramid (140 x 118 x 60 m); of limestone masonry. The complex is surrounded by a recessed limestone wall with bastions and 14 imitation closed gates enclosing an area roughly 300 x 500 m. The single genuine entrance in the south-eastern corner leads into an entrance colonnade comprising 48 ribbed columns. The southern massif of the enclosure conceals a structure known as the 'Southern Tomb' which includes a shaft, a burial chamber, further rooms decorated in blue faience tiles and three more stelae depicting Djoser. It may represent the King's southern cenotaph, where the canopic vessels holding his viscera would have been deposited. Other significant buildings include the 'House of the North' and 'House of the South', which may represent the shrines of Upper and Lower Egypt, and a court lined with dummy chapels intended for the symbolic celebration of the royal jubilee (heb-sed ) festival. Although they were built of stone, these chapels imitate the forms of Predynastic and Early Dynastic structures of brick, wood and reeds and thus represent a transition between the use of organic materials and the development of stone architecture. Source: Grove Art Online; http://www.groveart.com/ (accessed 1/15/2008)en_US
dc.format.mediumstoneen_US
dc.rights© Scott Gilchrist, Archivision, Inc.en_US
dc.subjectarchitectural exteriorsen_US
dc.subjectdeath or burialen_US
dc.subjectrulers and leadersen_US
dc.subjectDjoser, King of Egypten_US
dc.subjectEgypt--Civilizationen_US
dc.subjectEgypt--Religionen_US
dc.subjectEarly Dynastic (Egyptian)en_US
dc.subjectThird Dynastyen_US
dc.subjectOld Kingdom (Egyptian)en_US
dc.titleFunerary Complex of Djoseren_US
dc.title.alternativeComplex of Djoser: Step Pyramid and the enclosureen_US
dc.title.alternativeFunerary Complex of Zoseren_US
dc.typeimageen_US
dc.rights.accessLicensed for educational and research use by the MIT community onlyen_US
dc.identifier.vendorcode1A3-EG-SQ-1-A1en_US
vra.culturalContextEgyptian (ancient)en_US
vra.techniqueconstruction (assembling)en_US
vra.worktypepyramid (tomb)en_US
vra.worktypetempleen_US
dc.contributor.displayImhotep (Egyptian (ancient) architect, ca. 2630-ca. 2611 BCE)en_US


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