The Pyramid of Saqqara

The Origin of the Pyramids

Before the great pyramids of Giza were built, the story of the pyramids began in Saqqara.

Here, more than 4,600 years ago, Pharaoh Djoser commissioned the construction of the first monumental stone pyramid in human history. Its creator was Imhotep, architect, high priest, physician, and one of the most important scholars of ancient Egypt.

Centuries after his death, Imhotep was revered in Egypt as a divine sage. His name remained forever connected to this place.

With the Step Pyramid, not only a new structure emerged. Here, for the first time, the idea developed that architecture could consciously be designed as part of a spiritual path.

The entire pyramid complex was laid out like a symbolic landscape. Courtyards, temples, and processional pathways formed a structure that made transitions visible and accompanied them through ritual.

One particularly impressive place within the necropolis is the Serapeum of Saqqara. Inside the Serapeum stand massive sarcophagi made of solid granite, each carved from a single block of stone and weighing many dozens of tons. The common archaeological explanation connects these chambers with the cult of the sacred Apis bulls, yet the precision of their construction still raises questions today. When standing among these granite structures, the question almost arises naturally: what knowledge and meaning such constructions originally carried.

When moving between these stone structures, the perception of the place often changes very quickly. The scale of the complex, the age of the buildings, and the presence of the stone are difficult to convey through images. Only when you stand there yourself do you begin to understand why this place has fascinated people for centuries.

For a long time, Saqqara was an important religious center. Within the pyramid complex there is also the so-called Sed Court, where the royal renewal ritual was celebrated. In this ritual, the pharaoh symbolically confirmed his life force and his connection to the divine order.

Associated with this ritual is a symbol that played a central role in ancient Egypt: the Djed pillar. It represents stability, uprightness, and renewed life force. In certain ceremonies, this pillar was ritually raised.

The architecture of the place also reflects this motif. Beneath the Step Pyramid lies an extensive system of corridors and chambers. Visitors move through narrow passageways deep into the pyramid and then ascend again. This path—from the descent into darkness back into the light—resembles an ancient symbol of rebirth, similar to the image of the Blue Lotus rising from the mud.

Many centuries later, Saqqara also developed into an important pilgrimage site. People traveled here to visit the sanctuary of the deified Imhotep. Some spent the night near the temple in the hope of receiving a healing or guiding dream vision. This practice is known today as dream incubation.

Saqqara is therefore a special place on our journey.

Many people who feel drawn to this journey to Egypt are themselves at a point in life where a new direction is beginning to emerge. They have already experienced, worked, and searched for many things. At the same time, there is a sense that a new level is opening.

Saqqara reminds us that such thresholds are part of the human path.

During our visit, we take time to consciously experience this place and allow space for perception and reflection.

For many people, this is where the first inner shift in perspective occurs. The journey to Egypt transforms from an external sightseeing trip into a personal experience.

For some, this is the moment when they begin to feel that this journey is more than an ordinary trip through Egypt.

Saqqara therefore marks an important beginning of our shared journey through the temples and sacred power places of this land.

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