Saqqara facts for kids
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سقارة
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The stepped Pyramid of Djoser at Saqqara
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 Location in Egypt
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| Location | Giza Governorate, Egypt |
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| Region | Lower Egypt |
| Coordinates | 29°52′16″N 31°12′59″E / 29.87111°N 31.21639°E |
| Type | Necropolis |
| History | |
| Periods | Early Dynastic Period to Middle Ages |
| Site notes | |
| UNESCO World Heritage Site | |
| Part of | "Pyramid fields from Giza to Dahshur" part of Memphis and its Necropolis – the Pyramid Fields from Giza to Dahshur |
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| Criteria | Cultural: (i), (iii), (vi) |
| Inscription | 1979 (3rd Session) |
| Area | 16,203.36 ha (62.5615 sq mi) |
Saqqara (Arabic: سقارة), or Sakkara, is a vast, ancient burial ground in Egypt, an area of 7 by 1.5 km (4.35 by 0.93 mi). It was the necropolis for the Ancient Egyptian capital, Memphis. Saqqara has numerous pyramids, including the world famous Pyramid of Djoser. This is sometimes referred to as the Step Tomb due to its rectangular base, and its 'steps' (mastabas: the Arabic word for 'bench'). It is some 30 km (19 mi) south of modern-day Cairo.
Djoser's pyramid is the oldest complete stone building complex known in history, built in the Third Dynasty. Another 16 Egyptian kings built pyramids at Saqqara, now in various states of preservation or dilapidation. High officials added private funeral monuments to this necropolis during the whole pharaonic period. It was an important complex for non-royal burials and cult ceremonies for more than 3,000 years, well into Ptolemaic and Roman times.
The area from Giza to Dahshur was designated as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1979. The official name is Memphis and its Necropolis – the Pyramid Fields from Giza to Dahshur.
Some scholars think the name 'Saqqara' is not derived from the ancient Egyptian funerary god Sokar, but from a supposed local Berber Tribe called Beni Saqqar.
Images for kids
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Map of the site
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View of Saqqara necropolis, including Djoser's step pyramid (centre), the Pyramid of Unas (left) and the Pyramid of Userkaf (right)
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Funerary complex of Djoser
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Wooden statue of the scribe Kaaper, 4th or 5th dynasty of the Old Kingdom, from Saqqara, c. 2500 BC
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Apis Tombs of the Serapeum of Saqqara, passage with recesses that house sarcophagi for the bulls
See also
In Spanish: Saqqara para niños
