Egypt reopens south tomb of King Djoser for tourists and locals after its restoration

Marking a spectacular development in Saqqara necropolis, Egypt’s Minister of Tourism and Antiquities Khaled al-Anany, on Monday, reopened the south tomb of King Djoser. Located in the southwestern corner of the 3rd-century pharaoh, the “magnificent” tomb is the oldest stone building from the “ancient world,” as per Mostafa Waziri, Secretary-General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities. It is worth mentioning that King Djoser was the founder of Egypt’s Third Dynasty and laid the foundation of the first pyramid- Saqqara’s step pyramid. 

 "This magnificent complex is the oldest stone building of the ancient world and it was named the 'Southern Tomb' following its discovery by the English archaeologist Cecil Mallaby Firth in 1928," Waziri told reporters at the opening event. 

The Tomb’s Infrastructure 

The Egyptian minister explained that the Tomb is segregated into two levels. The upper level is a rectangular stone building completed with ornate walls. “Its walls are decorated with a series of stone sockets in the form of entrances and exits, crowned by a frieze of cobra heads that symbolize protection and power," Waziri elaborated. Furthermore, he said that the lower level of the burial complex consists of an entrance that leads to the burial chamber “which is located at the bottom of a great shaft with a depth of approximately 31 meters, including a huge sarcophagus made of pink granite and a well”.

According to the ministry, the restoration of the tomb commenced back in 2006. The authorities not only conserved and restored the lower corridors, strengthened the walls and ceilings but also completed the interior inscriptions in the tomb. The tomb is set to open for tourists and Egyptians on 14 September. 

Last month, an Egyptian archaeological mission discovered remains of a residential and commercial town dating back to the Greek-Roman era in Alexandria. According to the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, the preliminary studies on the remains of the uncovered suburb showed that it consisted of the main street on which sub streets, all linked to a sewage network. Ibrahim Mustafa, the head of the mission and the archaeology leader in the press release, informed that the discovered archaeological meeting in this suburb indicates that it was heavily linked to trade movement to the city, fishing activities and associated tool industry. The Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities has shared pictures of the discoveries on the Facebook page.

File Image: AP