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Saqqara is a vast, ancient burial ground in Egypt serving as the necropolis for the Ancient Egyptian capital Memphis. It features numerous pyramids, including the world famous Step Pyramid, sometimes referred to as the Step Tomb due to its rectangular base.
At Saqqarra, the oldest complete hewn-stone building complex was built; Djoser's step pyramid was built during the third dynasty. 16 other Egyptian kings have built pyramids at Saqqara, which are now in various states of preservation or dilapidation. It remained an important complex for non-royal burials and cult ceremonies for more than 3,000 years - well into Ptolemaic and Roman times.
The name Saqqara is possibly derived from Sokar, an ancient Egyptian funerary god.
Djoser's funerary complex, built by the royal architect Imhotep, further comprises a large number of dummy buildings and a secondary mastaba (the so-called 'Southern Tomb'
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