Ramses Blog

Complete History of Egyptian Pyramids: From Djoser to the Last Pharaoh The story of Egypt’s pyramids is one of evolution, ambition, and timeless ingenuity. As far as we know, Egypt’s first monumental structure was built for King Djoser around 2630 BC, not a true pyramid but a massive six-stepped mastaba that marked the beginning of monumental stone architecture. From that point on, royal tombs grew ever grander, and the art of pyramid building became the signature of ancient Egyptian kingship. To date, archaeologists have identified roughly 130 to 140 pyramids scattered across Egypt, each revealing new insights into the nation’s ancient history. Curiously, the most impressive pyramids, the largest, most precise, and best preserved, are also the earliest. Timeline of Pyramid History 2950 BC – The Era of Mastabas At the dawn of the dynastic period, Egypt’s rulers were buried in rectangular, flat-roofed tombs with sloping sides known as mastabas. Made from mudbrick or stone, these tombs were the forerunners of the pyramids and reflected the growing complexity of royal burials. 2630 BC – Djoser’s Monument at Saqqara At Saqqara, about 30 km south of modern Cairo, King Djoser of the Third Dynasty ordered the construction of a grand stone monument that transformed the mastaba tradition. Originally planned as a large single mastaba, it was expanded by stacking five additional layers on top, forming a six-stepped structure that rose to about 62 meters (205 feet). This monument, often called the Step Pyramid, is better described as a six-stepped mastaba, symbolizing a giant staircase to the heavens. Beneath it lies a maze of tunnels stretching over 5.5 km (3.5 miles), leading to chambers and shafts that may have existed before the monument itself. It stands as the world’s first great stone monument and the foundation for all later pyramids. 2600 BC

Egypt has always been a land of wonder. The towering pyramids, massive temples, and treasures left by the pharaohs still capture our imagination more than 2,000 years after they were built. For over three millennia, the Nile Valley was the heart of one of the greatest civilizations in human history. From Pharaohs to Foreign Rulers By the time Alexander the Great entered Egypt in 332 BC, the once-mighty kingdom had already declined under Persian rule. Many temples and monuments were centuries old, neglected, and in ruins. To the Egyptians, Alexander seemed like a liberator. His successors, the Ptolemies, preserved Egypt’s wealth and tried to blend their Greek heritage with ancient Egyptian traditions. They even built grand monuments and founded the legendary Library of Alexandria, turning Egypt into a center of culture and learning. How the West Rediscovered Egypt Ancient Greek and Roman writers like Herodotus and Strabo wrote about Egypt, but its immense timespan was difficult for outsiders to understand. Later, under Roman rule, Egypt became little more than the empire’s breadbasket, and its ancient language and traditions slowly faded. By 642 AD, after the Arab conquest, Egypt slipped into the realm of myth for the West. The Middle Ages and Renaissance saw Egypt remembered mostly as a mysterious, half-forgotten land. Early works like Horapollo’s Hieroglyphica spread the idea that hieroglyphs were mystical symbols, not a written language. This misunderstanding shaped European thought for centuries. By the 17th and 18th centuries, travelers, missionaries, and explorers began describing Egypt’s ruins. Pilgrims stopped in Alexandria on their way to the Holy Land, sometimes venturing to see the pyramids. Early drawings were crude, but they fueled Europe’s curiosity. Adventurers like Paul Lucas, Richard Pococke, and Frederic Norden published detailed accounts and maps, bringing Egypt closer to Europe’s imagination. Napoleon and the Birth of

Rising above the heart of Islamic Cairo, the Citadel—or Al-Qalaa, as locals call it—is one of the city’s most dramatic and iconic landmarks. Its silhouette, pierced by the elegant minarets of the Mosque of Mohammed Ali, has watched over Cairo for centuries, bearing silent witness to moments of triumph, betrayal, and transformation. It all began with Salah al-Din—better known in the West as Saladin—the legendary warrior who defended the Islamic world during the Crusades. When he took control of Egypt in the late 12th century, he saw the need to protect Cairo from future invasions and began building the Citadel on a commanding hill. It was his nephew, Al-Kamil, who later expanded the site into a royal residence, planting the seeds of what would become the nerve center of Egypt’s leadership for nearly 700 years. The Citadel’s most unforgettable chapter, however, came centuries later under Mohammed Ali Pasha, the Ottoman governor who reshaped Egypt into a modern state. In 1811, he famously invited hundreds of powerful Mamluke leaders to a banquet inside the Citadel. After treating them to a feast, he had them ambushed and killed as they left—sealing his control over the country. One legend tells of a lone Mamluke who miraculously escaped by leaping off the Citadel’s walls on horseback. While it makes for a great story (and an even better painting at the Manial Palace), the truth is more mundane: he survived simply because he didn’t show up. The Mosque of Mohammed Ali, towering above the Citadel walls, is the site’s crown jewel. From a distance, its Ottoman domes and slender minarets rival the great mosques of Istanbul. Up close, the mosque reveals its quirks—like the famously broken clock gifted by the French in exchange for the Luxor obelisk now standing in Paris. Step inside and you're

Narmer (Ancient Egyptian: nꜥr-mr), whose name may mean "fierce catfish" or "stinging catfish," ruled around 3150 BC. He is widely regarded as the first king of a unified Egypt and the founder of the First Dynasty. His reign marks the transition from the Protodynastic Period to the Early Dynastic Period. Narmer was the successor of King Ka and is believed to have had a significant influence beyond Egypt, particularly in Canaan. His queen consort or daughter may have been Neithhotep. Narmer and Menes: The same? Most Egyptologists identify Narmer as Menes, the legendary first king of Egypt. The connection between Narmer and Menes arises because "Narmer" appears as a Horus name, while "Menes" is a Sedge and Bee name (a personal or birth name). Ancient king lists, which emerged during the New Kingdom, typically start with Menes as the first "human king" after a series of divine and semi-divine rulers. Two key artifacts fuel the debate: The Naqada Label (from Queen Neithhotep’s tomb) shows Hor-Aha’s serekh next to an enclosure containing symbols some interpret as "Menes," leading some scholars to associate Menes with Hor-Aha instead. The Abydos Seal Impression, found in the tomb of Den, alternates Narmer’s serekh with the chessboard sign "mn", interpreted as an abbreviation of Menes. This has led many scholars to conclude that Narmer and Menes were the same person. The Narmer Palette: A Symbol of Unification One of the most significant artifacts from Narmer’s reign is the Narmer Palette, discovered at Hierakonpolis by archaeologists James Quibell and Frederick Green in the 1890s. This ceremonial siltstone palette, dating to the transition between Dynasty 0 and Dynasty 1, provides the earliest known depictions of a unified Egypt. On one side of the palette, Narmer wears the White Crown of Upper Egypt, and on the other, he dons