Pyramid of Djoser

The Pyramid of Djoser at Saqqara is the oldest pyramid in Egypt and counts as the first monumental stone building in human history. Built around 2650 BC for pharaoh Djoser of the 3rd Dynasty by the architect Imhotep, it stands 62.5 metres high and is composed of six stacked mastaba steps. Imhotep was later deified and worshipped as a healer in the Late Period - a career arc unique among Egyptian non-kings. The complex is not just the pyramid but a vast walled enclosure with dummy chapels and a Heb Sed court for the king's ritual renewal. After decades of restoration the interior reopened in 2020, letting visitors descend into the original burial chamber beneath the structure.