Saqqara & Memphisسقارة ومنف

The star of Saqqara is the Step Pyramid of Djoser, built around 2670 BC by the legendary architect Imhotep. Rising in six great stone steps, it was the world's first large-scale stone monument and the first pyramid ever built — the daring idea from which the smooth-sided pyramids of Dahshur and Giza would later grow. Recently restored, it stands at the centre of a vast funerary complex of courtyards and shrines, and visitors can once again explore parts of the structure that launched the age of the pyramids.

Saqqara served as the burial ground of Memphis for more than 3,000 years, and the desert here is dense with tombs. Beautifully decorated mastaba tombs such as those of Ti, Kagemni, and Mereruka preserve vivid scenes of daily life, while the eerie Serapeum holds the giant sarcophagi of the sacred Apis bulls. Saqqara is also where the earliest Pyramid Texts were carved. In recent years it has made headlines with a stream of spectacular new discoveries — sealed coffins, statues, and animal mummies — proving the site still has secrets to reveal.

A short distance away lie the remains of Memphis, founded around 3100 BC and the first capital of a unified Egypt. For much of the Old Kingdom it was one of the greatest cities on Earth, sacred to the creator god Ptah. Though little of the city survives above ground today, its open-air museum displays remarkable treasures, including a colossal fallen statue of Ramses II and a beautifully carved alabaster sphinx — moving reminders of the splendour of Egypt's very first capital.

Saqqara and Memphis lie about 30 km south of Cairo and are usually visited together, often combined with the nearby Dahshur pyramids and the Giza plateau for a full day among the pyramids. Allow at least half a day to do the site justice, more if you want to enter the tombs and the Step Pyramid. A hat, water, and comfortable shoes are essential, and a guide greatly enriches a visit to these foundational places of ancient Egypt.

• What they are: the Saqqara necropolis and the ruins of Memphis, Egypt's first capital.
• Arabic name: سقارة ومنف (Saqqara & Memphis).
• The Step Pyramid: built ~2670 BC by Imhotep — the world's first pyramid.
• Saqqara also holds: decorated mastaba tombs, the Serapeum, and recent major discoveries.
• Memphis: founded ~3100 BC; its open-air museum has a colossal Ramses II and an alabaster sphinx.
• Where: about 30 km south of Cairo, near Dahshur and Giza.
• Time needed: at least half a day.

Sources include UNESCO and Egyptian heritage guides. Some dates are approximate.