Imhotep Museum

Welcome to the Imhotep Museum, a modern sanctuary of stone and history located at the foot of the Saqqara plateau. This museum is unique; it is a 'site museum' designed to showcase the incredible discoveries made right here in…

Our journey begins in the hall dedicated to Jean-Philippe Lauer, the man who 'rediscovered' Saqqara in the modern era. Lauer arrived here in the 1920s as a young architect and never truly left, working until his death at the age…

We now enter the hall of 'Saqqara Masters,' which focuses on the artistic and technical brilliance of the 3rd Dynasty. The centerpiece of this room is the base of a statue of King Djoser. …

Prepare yourself for a visual shock as we enter the hall of architectural elements. Here, we find the famous 'blue faience' tiles. …

This hall expands our view beyond the Step Pyramid to the countless other tombs that populate the Saqqara plateau. Saqqara was the primary cemetery for the capital city of Memphis for over 3,000 years. …

We move now to the intellectual and spiritual core of the museum: the hall of texts. Saqqara is the birthplace of the 'Pyramid Texts,' the oldest religious writings in the world. …

Our final hall in the museum is perhaps the most surprising, for it contains objects that are rarely found in archaeological contexts. Here, we see the 'archaeology of the unusual.' The standout item is a group of pottery jars…

As we step out of the Imhotep Museum and look up toward the towering silhouette of the Step Pyramid on the horizon, the artifacts we have just seen take on a new life. We have seen the tools used to carve the stones, the tiles…