INSIDE THE STEP PYRAMID OF DJOSER

Sean McLachlan explores the recently reopened interior of this iconic Third Dynasty Saqqara monument.

- Sean McLachlan

In March of 2020, the Egyptian government reopened the interior of Djoser’s Step Pyramid at Saqqara, after years of closure and unattractive – albeit necessary – scaffolding marring the view of the exterior. Damage after an earthquake in 1992 caused the monument’s structural integrity to decline rapidly and a study in 2003 revealed the entire pyramid was in danger of collapse. Authorities declared it unsafe to enter.

An ambitious restoration project began in 2006, costing the Egyptian government more than 104 million Egyptian pounds. Archaeologists and architects worked to shore up the pyramid, adding stone blocks to interior gaps and restoring the network of passages within and beneath the monument. The roof of the central shaft over Djoser’s sarcophagus, and the burial chamber itself, were also given extra support.