The Magical Pyramid of Unas at Saqqara

Home of the bewitching Pyramid Texts, including the Cannibal Hymn — ancient magic spells cast to assure the pharaoh an eternal afterlife.

The Saqqara complex, about an hour south of Giza

South of the Step Pyramid of Djoser at Saqqara lies one of Egypt’s most important Old Kingdom monuments, the Pyramid of Unas, whose walls are covered in ancient spells. 

What remains of the Pyramid of Unas, though, looks more like a crumbling mound of sand, stone blocks and debris than a royal pyramid. After walking past the Step Pyramid and being told that was unsafe to enter, Wally gestured to the collapsed structure before us, looking dubious, and asked our guide, “But it’s safe to go inside this one?”

“The texts carved into the walls include the Cannibal Hymn, which, strangely, describes the dead king consuming the gods themselves. ”

Built 80 years after the Step Pyramid of Djoser, the Pyramid of Unas is the smallest of the Old Kingdom pyramids. The complex was originally known as Nefer asut Unas, or Beautiful Are the Places of Unas, who was the ninth and final ruler of the Fifth Dynasty. 

A small mountain of rubble and sand are all that’s left of the Pyramid of Unas — but you can explore the tomb carved beneath it

Unas, Dos, Tres

Pharaoh Unas reigned for 15 to 30 years, succeeding Djedkare Isesi, who might have been his father. Little is known of Unas’ activities during his reign, which was a time of economic decline (perhaps he spent too much money on his tomb?). He died without an heir, and his daughter married his successor, a commoner named Teti, whom historians consider the founder of the Sixth Dynasty. Unas’ wives, Nebet and Khenut, were buried in a double mudbrick tomb called a mastaba, adjacent to his pyramid.

It’s hard to imagine that it’s safe to explore the tunnels and chambers under this crumbling mound

The Pyramid of Unas itself is over 4,400 years old, part of the Saqqara complex, a necropolis used by pharaohs for millennia. It remained unexplored until the French Egyptologist Gaston Maspero uncovered it in 1881. Excavations later took place between 1899 and 1901, leading to the discovery of the tomb of King Hotepsekhemwy, the first king of Egypt’s Second Dynasty (back around 2890 BCE) as well as numerous shaft tombs from the 26th and 27th Dynasties.

Doesn’t it look like Gaston Maspero, the French Egyptologist who rediscovered the pyramid, made a call on his cell phone inside the tomb?

Keep in mind that without the step pyramids of Saqqara, even in their sad current state of demise, there wouldn’t be the Great Pyramids of Giza. This is where the ancient architects tried out their designs, moving from mastabas to step pyramids and finally to the towering Wonders of the Ancient World that still stand to this day.

Access to the Pyramid of Unas is included with the 150 Egyptian pound (less than $10) admission to the Saqqara necropolis. Our guide Ahmed recommended that we visit this tomb in lieu of going inside the Pyramid of Khafre at Giza as Khafre’s doesn’t have any relief carvings inside. Wally and I ignored his advice and went inside the Pyramid of Khafre as well, which was an absolute highlight not to be missed.

These ancient hieroglyphics are actually the oldest known collection of spells and were used to grant the pharaoh life after death

It’s What’s Inside That Matters: The Pyramid Texts and the Cannibal Hymn

The ground-level entrance to the Pyramid of Unas is surrounded by an open metal railing located on the north side. Wally and I clambered down the low, narrow passage using an angled wooden ramp similar to the one at the Pyramid of Khafre. Once inside the depths of the tomb, there’s a small vestibule where it’s possible to stand, that leads to the antechamber and a pair of adjoining rooms.

Carvings of famine in the causeway in the Unas complex

What makes this tomb unique is that it was the first to feature the mysterious Pyramid Texts, the earliest surviving collection of religious spells. The texts offer instructions and the power to grant life after death. 

In the antechamber, the texts carved into the walls address the rebirth of Unas, his ascent into the sky and his mystical union with the sun god Ra (aka Re) as well as the fascinating Cannibal Hymn, which, strangely, describes the dead king consuming the gods themselves. Here are some of the more colorful excerpts:

A god who lives on his fathers,
who feeds on his mothers …

Unas is the bull of heaven
Who rages in his heart,
Who lives on the being of every god,
Who eats their entrails
When they come, their bodies full of magic
From the Isle of Flame …

Indeed, Khonsu [the Moon], who slaughters the lords, cuts their throats for Unas, and takes out for him what is in their bellies. He is the messenger whom he sends out to chastise.

Indeed, Shesmu [the wine-press god] cuts them up for Unas and cooks for him a meal out of them in his evening cook pots.

Unas is he who eats their magic, who swallows their spirits.
Their great ones are for his morning meal,
Their middle-sized ones for his evening meal,
Their little ones for his night meal,
Their old men and the old women are for his fuel.

Negotiating the afterlife was no small feat for an Ancient Egyptian pharaoh and required some 700 incantations. Of these texts, 283 are inscribed on the limestone walls of the subterranean antechamber, or horizon room, and burial chamber of the pyramid. A third chamber known as the judgement room is devoid of inscriptions, indicating that the pharaoh couldn’t be aided by sacred texts when answering for his mortal deeds before Osiris, the lord of the afterlife.

Pharaohs didn’t want to give up the good life, so they had elaborate incantations carved in their tombs to assure a pleasant afterlife

The Pyramid Texts predate the more famous Book of the Dead. These spellbooks do not mean that death was the Ancient Egyptians’ main preoccupation. In fact, it’s just that they enjoyed life so much they took every means possible to continue feasting, hunting, playing games and the like in an everlasting paradise as a god beyond death.

To the west is the burial chamber with its black basalt sarcophagus symbolizing the fertile earth. The proximity of the Pyramid Texts to the deceased acted as afterlife insurance for the pharaoh. Incised on the white alabaster-lined walls of the burial chamber, ritual texts for the rebirth of the king refer to the sun’s rays as a ladder Unas could use to ascend to the heavens. 

The vaulted burial chamber ceiling is embellished with a pattern of stars (which looked more like starfish to Wally and me). When the burial chamber was excavated by Maspero, the sarcophagus was found to be empty, aside from an arm and skull fragments, still covered with skin and hair.

The ceiling of the burial chamber in the Pyramid of Unas is covered with stars

We were told to tip the men inside so they’d use their flashlights to reveal some of the carvings, which can only be seen with the lights off. As we entered the small room, another tour group was being shown the trick. Duke and I watched, squinting at the wall but not seeing anything. Eventually, we looked at each other, shrugged and moved on. –Duke

When you’re in Cairo, find a guide who’s not an ass like ours was — and spend an afternoon in the ancient necropolis of Saqqara

 

The Step Pyramid of Djoser at Saqqara

Don’t just see the Pyramids of Giza. The tombs at Saqqara are the architectural stepping stones that led to those wonders. Oh, and the Step Pyramid is the oldest building in the world.

The tiered structure known as the Step Pyramid at Saqqara is the direct descendant of the smooth-surfaced Great Pyramids at Giza

Using a verbal sleight of hand to distract us after our whirlwind tour of the Giza necropolis, our guide Ahmed, who was selected for us by the Kempinski Nile Hotel in Cairo, began telling us about the history of Saqqara. He paused only briefly to encourage us to stop at a souvenir shop on the way, this one peddling papyrus or perfume, where he would surely get commission if we bought anything. Ahmed seemed to be a knowledgeable guide, but his lack of enthusiasm was glaringly obvious. 

“Considered the first recorded architect in history, Imhotep designed the Step Pyramid at Saqqara and was later portrayed as an evil high priest who had been buried alive in ‘The Mummy.’”

After spending our morning getting rushed through the Pyramids and Sphinx, I mentioned stopping for lunch at the Marriott Mena House, having been told there was a spectacular view of the Pyramids while you ate alfresco. Ahmed replied that he had recently eaten there and dismissed it as overrated and ridiculously expensive, lying about the prices of the meals. It became clear that he wasn’t going to let us go there, even though it was part of our planned itinerary.

It was about this time that I turned to Wally and muttered, “We must have passed the Solar Boat Museum when we were leaving Giza.” We were both upset by this, never imagining we’d have a guide who wouldn’t even ask if we’d want to see the various sites at an attraction. There’s a good chance this would be our only time in Egypt and we wanted to see as much as we could — especially since we were paying for our guide and car service until 4 p.m. 

But were in a stranger’s car in a foreign country and by this time too far away to go back. 

Pharaoh Djoser commissioned the Step Pyramid for his tomb in 2630 BCE

Step on It

Frequently paired with the more famous Giza Plateau, the Saqqara necropolis is where the world’s oldest large-scale stone monument, the Step Pyramid of Djoser, was built. Admission costs 150 Egyptian pounds per person (a bit over $9 at the time of this writing).

Prior to its construction, Ancient Egyptian kings were buried beneath great oblong mud-brick structures with a flat roof and sloping sides known as mastabas. According to the Abydos King List, carved on a temple wall, Djoser was the first king of the Third Dynasty, and it was his 19-year reign that allowed the grandiose plan for his pyramid complex to be completed during his lifetime. 

Built in stages, the Step Pyramid was constructed between 2630 and 2611 BCE. The tomb began as a traditional mastaba, but instead of mud-brick, it was built of stone taken from the nearby enclosed burial complex of Gisr el-Mudir. It was gradually enlarged, with smaller mastabas stacked on top of one another in concentric tiers to form the final height of 200 feet high — steps which the dead king could use to ascend into the heavens.

What’s truly amazing is that that’s just the beginning. What can’t be seen are the three miles of passageways and chambers that were carved beneath the pyramid!

Scaffolding covered parts of the Step Pyramid when we visited

When we visited the atmospheric Step Pyramid of Djoser, it was partially covered in scaffolding. Ahmed told us that it was closed due to ongoing conservation work and structural concerns after an earthquake in 1992. 

Imhotep was many things, including the architect of the Step Pyramid at Saqqara — but a reanimated evil mummy he was not

Imhotep: The Man, the Myth, the Legend 

A man named Imhotep was responsible for the design of the Step Pyramid of Saqqara. Considered the first recorded architect in history, he was later portrayed as an evil high priest who had been buried alive in The Mummy movie franchise. But he was actually just a mortal man whose name translated as “The One Who Comes in Peace.” 

A savant who rose to the top of Egyptian society, Imhotep served as a scribe, architect and vizier in the court of Pharaoh Djoser. He was also a high priest of the creator god Ptah, physician and scientist. That talent would eventually lead to his posthumous deification as the patron god of medicine by the Egyptians and later by the Greeks as Asclepius. 

Duke insisted we include a historically accurate image of Imhotep as well

King Djoser was so pleased with Imhotep’s work that he allowed the architect’s name to be inscribed on the pyramid along with his own. 

Imhotep’s tomb is probably located at Saqqara but has yet to be found. 

Fun fact: In 1964, archaeologist Walter Bryan Emery discovered a network of catacombs holding the remains of thousands of mummified ibises, long-legged, long-necked birds with downward-curving beaks, brought to the necropolis by pilgrims as offerings to the deified Imhotep. (These weren’t the only mummified animal remains found at Saqqara. Learn more about animal mummies here.)

Some of the buildings of Ancient Egypt struck us as surprisingly modern, including the entrance hall to Djoser’s funerary complex

Entrance Hall Colonnade 

Like Hatshepsut’s Mortuary Temple, the clean geometric exterior of Djoser’s entrance hall struck me as quite modern. There’s only one way into the complex, situated in the center of the largest bastion of the enclosure wall. The narrow hall is comprised of 20 pairs of columns, each connected to the side wall by masonry, as opposed to free-standing, and are carved to resemble bundles of reeds. The colonnade was probably once timber-roofed, though now austere concrete slabs hover high above these unique, but decaying, pillars. 

The columns at Djoser’s complex aren’t in the best shape

Heb Sed Court

After passing through the entrance hall colonnade, Wally and I wandered over a low wall and into a sunken open-air courtyard with a raised stone platform. I later learned that this was known as the Heb Sed Court. 

Beyond a pair of elevated shrines or chapels are replicas in stone of structures that would have been used for Heb Sed, the king’s jubilee festival marking the 30th year of a pharaoh’s reign. (As we know, Djoser never quite made it there.) One chapel appears to be a flat-roofed tentlike structure, while the other has a curved roof and false door, a symbolic passageway for the king’s ka, or spirit, to use in the afterlife. 

While we enjoyed our visit, which also included an expedition into the Pyramid of Unas and the Mastaba of Mereruka, Ahmed never went beyond his own agenda and he certainly didn’t encourage us to explore. A lot of the information contained in our posts pertaining to Giza and Saqqara has been supplemented with our own research and curiosity about the sites. –Duke

 

Pyramids of Giza: Essential Tips

How to avoid a bad experience while visiting the Great Pyramid of Giza, Khufu (aka Cheops) and Khafre — the only surviving of the 7 Wonders of the Ancient World.

Wally and Duke pretend to jump for joy during their visit to the Giza Necropolis — but really their guide made the experience quite unpleasant

Constructed over 4,000 years ago, the enigmatic pyramids of Giza are one of the most recognizable architectural achievements of Ancient Egypt and are the oldest remaining monuments of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Here’s what to know when planning a day trip to see them. Hopefully you won’t have a frustrating experience like Wally and I did. 

We’re typically very good about doing our research prior to visiting a travel destination. Part of the fun is in the planning, and we’ve often networked with friends to share resources and experiences. But when it comes to drivers, we usually leave that to be discovered on the trip. It usually works out: For example, our hotel in Chiang Mai, Thailand paired us with an incredible driver and tour guide, who got the message that we were into off the beaten path places and after spending an afternoon exploring Ubud, Bali, we managed to find an excellent guide on Jalan Raya, the main thoroughfare that runs through town. 

“We think of the pyramids as having nice straight edges, but up close they look pixelated, as jagged as the cubes in the Q*bert video game. ”

There’s a good spot for pics of all three pyramids in the distance

The First Sign of Trouble

I scoured through TripAdvisor threads, Instagram and Pinterest images and found an excellent guide for Upper Egypt, Egypt Sunset Tours, but for whatever reason, we threw caution to the wind in Cairo and decided to book a tour through our hotel. What could possibly go wrong? 

(Full disclosure: Our friend Margaret had visited Cairo previously and shared her guide’s information with us, but why we forgot all about this is a mystery that only Hercule Poirot can solve. But I digress.)

Wally and I spoke with a concierge at the Nile Kempinski. We explained that we would like to visit the Giza Plateau, see the pyramids, Solar Boat Museum and Sphinx, have lunch at the Marriott Mena House, move on to Saqqara and end at Rhoda Island to see the Nilometer. We were told that the itinerary was possible and would cost 1600 EGP. A private car, driver and English-speaking guide would be provided from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. the following day. What we didn’t know is that he would go rogue and give us a second-rate experience. 

We opted not to take a camel ride, but it’s a good way to see more of the Giza area

We met our guide, Ahmed, the following morning at the concierge desk, and before we even got into the car, he asked why we wanted to visit the Nilometer, as it was within walking distance of the Kempinski. I explained to him that I had seen images of it online and was hoping we could see it on our return. He then proceeded to tell us that it was closed and we could only view the exterior of the building that contained it, which isn’t very impressive. As if to drive the point home, he added that traffic could come into play, depending on the time of day. I was confused, as I hadn’t read anything online about it being closed, but I trusted that he knew better than we. And as we had experienced at the Khan el-Khalili market the night before, traffic in Cairo was no joke. Little did we know that this was the first red flag. 

Horse-drawn carriages are another way to get around Giza

Misguided at Giza

As we drove to the pyramids, we listened intently to Ahmed as he gave us a bit of history, telling us that according to Ancient Egyptian lore, the alluvial mud from the Nile flood had formed a natural primeval mountain, and the deity Djehuty, more commonly known as Thoth, in the form of a sacred ibis bird, laid an egg at the apex, from which the sun god Ra was born. Interesting stuff, right? 

Ahmed asked if we wanted to ride camels around the pyramids or stay with the vehicle, as there’s a service road for cars and a separate dropoff for quadrupeds. He made it sound like we’d be on our own, going from pyramid to pyramid. Confused, Wally and I agreed to stay with the car as riding a camel didn’t seem ethical and we wanted to learn as much as we could about these incredible ancient man-made mountains of limestone. Plus, having a guide with us kept aggressive touts away. 

You can climb the base of the pyramids, but even if you go first thing in the morning, the site will already be quite crowded

There are actually six pyramids at Giza. the Great Pyramid of Khufu, the Pyramid of Khafre and the Pyramid of Menkaure, along with three much smaller pyramids located behind Menkaure’s that are known as the queens’ pyramids.

The pyramids were built as tombs for the pharaohs, using approximately 2 million blocks of  limestone and granite — each weighing an average from 2.5 to 15 tons. Their jagged appearance was once concealed by a layer of pale, polished white limestone that was later removed and repurposed to build mosques and madrasas of medieval Cairo.

Duke and a Wonder of the Ancient World

A Tour of the Pyramids

The first pyramid we saw was the Great Pyramid of Khufu, once more commonly referred to by its Greek name, Cheops. It stands at a towering 445 feet tall and was the tallest man-made for nearly 4,000 years until the Lincoln Cathedral claimed the title in the 1300s. The Ancient Greek historian Herodotus, who visited the site in 450 BCE was told by Egyptian guides that it was built over a 20-year period.

We think of the pyramids as having nice straight edges, but up close they look pixelated, as jagged as the cubes in the Q*bert video game. We climbed up on a few of the polished stones, but you can no longer go all the way up for picnics and sunbathing like the Victorians were able to do.

The second pyramid, built by Khufu’s second son, Khafre, had less of a crowd and that’s why we decided to venture inside this one. You have to decide when you’re at the ticket booth which, if any, of the pyramids you want to venture within and pay a bit more. 

Ahmed, of course tried to dissuade us. There are three reasons not to go in, he said: They’re claustrophobic, the air quality is poor, and there aren’t any reliefs to see. Clearly he didn’t know us, as we weren’t going to see the pyramids without going inside one. It turns out he was just rushing us through the sites so he could end his day earlier. 

The pyramids are constructed of large blocks of stone fitted together and have stood for over 4,000 years!

Duke sits at the base of the Great Pyramid. Wally says the pyramids are full-on Monets: gorgeous from afar…but a big old mess when you get up close

Wally and I presented our tickets and began the steep descent down a narrow corridor wide enough for only a single person to go down or up — and you have to walk hunched over.  Thankfully, at times the passage flattens out and opens up so you can stand upright again.

At the end of this passage you’ll find the vaulted burial chamber and black granite sarcophagus that once held the bones of a bull, an animal who symbolically represented the strength and virility of the reigning monarch. The tomb itself was stripped of its treasures and earthly remains by robbers in antiquity. Giovanni Belzoni, who uncovered the pyramid’s entrance, prominently recorded his deed on a wall of Khafre’s tomb, where it can still be seen today: “Scoperta da [Discovered by] G. Belzoni. 2. Mar. 1818.” 

Attack of the Giant Wally! The one talent our slacker guide had was capturing the goofy obligatory photos of the pyramids

Silly Pyramid Photo Opps

We then got back into the car and were shuttled to a barren, rock-strewn plateau known as a great panoramic lookout with a view of all three pyramids. This was the one moment that Ahmed shone as a guide — taking silly photos of us with the pyramids in the background.

When we visited, the entry fee to the complex cost 160 Egyptian pounds (L.E.) per person, 10 L.E. for parking and an additional 100 L.E. to go inside either the Pyramid of Khafre or Menkaure. 

A pack of stray dogs line up for photos at the base of the Pyramid of Menkaure

Ahmed failed to mention the Solar Boat Museum to see the barque of Khufu, which we didn’t realize until we were off the complex and couldn’t go back. But he made sure to mention stopping at a papyrus shop after — this was deemed worthy of his time because he undoubtedly gets baksheesh for all the poor saps he convinces to go there. –Duke