king Zoser, also sometimes called Djoser, is the first pharaoh of the Third Dynasty. He ruled approximately between -2691 and -2625. It is possible that these dates are not entirely accurate because it is difficult to be sure of a reign of which we know relatively little and which, moreover, has developed a long time ago.
To situate it, we must know that the Third Dynasty, is at the beginning of the ancient empire (-3150 to -2181), a long period of the history of ancient Egypt that goes grosso-mode of the unification of the peoples. of the Nile, the dislocation of the Empire and its acquisition by an impressive 15 pharaohs in just 19 years.
Djoser is the son of the pharaoh Khasekhemoui and Nimaathpy, his sister, as practiced at the time. This filiation seems to be accepted today, which was not the case during the 19th and 20th centuries. It must be said that research is advancing rapidly, in this area.
He married his sister Hétephernebty and together they had two sons, Initkaes and Niânkh-Hathor, neither of whom will succeed him.
The main information about Zoser’s reign is his building skills and his expeditions. But his reign is characterized above all by a period of peace and economic growth, making territorial expansion possible.
One of the first official acts of his reign was the transfer of the capital from Abydos to Memphis. If the two cities were not so far from each other (barely fifteen kilometers), this trip marked above all a desire for renewal.
As far as expeditions are concerned, it was during his reign that Sinai, an area outside the generally occupied territory, was annexed and thus considered an annexation. The interest of these lands lies in the copper mines and stone quarries found there.
Concerning architecture, it is, of course, archaeology that speaks best. If the centerpiece of his reign and his fantastic funerary complex, with its pyramid to its degree, his art was transmitted to various places in the kingdom through buildings that used for the first time the large block, in large quantities.
This innovation is due to Imhotep, Grand Chancellor of Lower Egypt, Royal Prince, High Priest of Heliopolis, and Physician. This great personage built the famous pyramid and established the mechanisms for the construction of large buildings, paving the way for Zoser’s successors for ever more daring constructions. Beyond the technical prowess represented by the pyramid to the degree, it is especially the multiplication of constructions that marks Zoser’s reign in architectural matters.
We have little information about Zoser’s religious activity, but a body of evidence suggests that there was a major religious reform during his reign, with emphasis on the Sun God. The funerary complex he built at Saqqara has altars that could be objects of worship in the Sun, demonstrating, by their situations, the importance of the practice of this cult for the pharaoh.
Moar facts about King Zoser
We must always keep in mind that we know very little about Zoser’s reign, but his record seems quite positive. During his reign peace was established, there was an extension of territory and the seizure of the Sinai mines, he established the outline of future Egyptian architecture, and he launched a religious reform that would extend for centuries to come
This statue is carved from a single block of limestone. She presents Zoser in a superior posture, with a strict air. The force is released. He is dressed in a ceremonial cloak and wears the menes, that large headdress striped with pharaohs. He is depicted with one hand on his chest, clutching a cross of life, the other flat, palm to the knee. The pedestal of the statue bears hieroglyphic inscriptions: “Nysut-by”, which translates as “King of Upper and Lower Egypt”, “Nebty”, representing the two lands, and “Nétjerkhet”, or “divine of the body”.
The most famous statue of Zoser is the one that was discovered in the serdab of his funerary complex, in 1924. It was Cecil Firth who made this discovery.
A sedan is a small room in the tomb, adjacent to the offering room. It was blind, that is, it had no opening, with the notable exception of a hole of approximately 10 cm just in front of the eyes of a statue representing the pharaoh, in full size. In the imagination of the time, the pharaoh had the ability to see through the eyes of this statue, so he had the opportunity to see those who came to deposit offerings.
The pyramid of Zoser
The pyramid of Zoser is the first pyramid in the history of ancient Egypt and, therefore, of all mankind. It is a pyramid of grades that is at the center of a funerary complex of great importance. It is in the necropolis of Saqqara.
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