Saqqara is a village in Egypt, about 30 km south of Cairo. It is known for an archaeological site - an ancient necropolis with tombs and pyramids of the times of the Old Kingdom - Memphis. The name of the necropolis comes from the name of the patron saint of the dead - Socar. Saqqara is the most extensive burial place of the Egyptian nobility, with a length of 7 km from north to south and a width of 1.5 km. There are 11 royal pyramids, among which the burials of the pharaohs Aunt, Pepi I and Pepi II stand out. The necropolis of Saqqara owes its fame, first of all, to the most ancient of the Egyptian pyramids - the Djoser pyramid (2667 - 2648 BC). This was the first precedent for replacing the mastaba, which has the shape of a truncated pyramid, with a larger and monumental structure - a step pyramid. The pyramid was erected by the architect Imhotep, the highest dignitary, revered and respected by the Egyptians of those times. The pyramid has a special shape - it consists of 6 huge steps, 62 meters upward. The dimensions of the base of this "mother of the pyramids" were one hundred and sixty by one hundred and twenty meters. The styles and forms found during the construction of this pyramid became a model for imitation and further development of stone construction not only in Ancient Egypt, but also in other regions of the ancient world. Until now, it has been preserved in good condition, although over the past millennia it has appeared to be somewhat covered with sand. The pyramid also preserved the remains of a massive wall, which in ancient times completely surrounded it. Not far from the pyramid of Djoser you can observe a small hill - this is the pyramid of Pharaoh Aunt. Initially, the height of the pyramid reached 52.5 meters, the length of the sides - 78.5 meters. The aerial part of the aunt’s pyramid was severely destroyed, the facing stone was partially preserved only on the eastern side of the pyramid. But the interior is still in good condition. The inlet, which continues with a narrow sloping corridor of granite and a low ceiling, directs the interior of the pyramid into a room with low passages diverging left and right (70-80 cm). Passages exit into the burial chamber, where a basalt sarcophagus is installed. Hieroglyphs, the so-called "Pyramid Texts", are carved on the walls of the pyramid’s premises. In the necropolis of Saqqara, more and more new pyramids and mastabas continue to be found. The largest mastaba found in this necropolis is located near the pyramid of Aunt. This is Mastaba Mereruka. He was the aunt and the vizier of Aunt. Mereruka himself, his wife and their son were buried in this burial temple. Mastaba has 32 rooms, most of which were intended for storing things that, according to the beliefs of the Egyptians, were necessary for the dead in the other world. On the walls, colored relief drawings depict scenes of hunting, fishing, a ritual of sacrifice, artisans at work, there is also a relief with gymnastic exercises. Another interesting attraction of the Saqqar necropolis is the Serapeum with the burial of sacred bulls. It is located in the eastern part of the necropolis. The sacred bull was called Apis and personified the god Ptah, who was worshiped in Memphis. The name Serapeum means the temple of the Egyptian god Serapis. This is an underground gallery with crypts on the sides where sacred bulls were buried (real bulls born with certain marks and certain colors, which happened rarely and immediately transferred the animal to the category of sacred). Bulls were buried in sarcophagi. Granite sarcophagi weighed up to eighty tons. Sarapeum has 27 monolithic sarcophagi with a lid, one of which is in the aisle and without a lid. All but one were sacked in antiquity. Excavations in Saqqara were carried out constantly. Systematically led the case of Mariette, whose house is preserved in the northern part of the desert. In 1924, in the vicinity of the step pyramid, a huge system of burial chambers was discovered. In 2006, the Imhotep Museum appeared on the territory of the necropolis, where the twenty-meter statue of Ramses II (1279-1213 BC), found during excavations, is stored. The sandstone statue is well preserved, apart from the chipped lower legs. Another interesting exhibit of the museum is a small alabaster sphinx of the era of the pharaoh Amenhotep III. Its height is 8 meters (together with the pedestal), length - 4 meters, weight - 80 tons.