Imhotep (c. 27th century BC) was a sage, a physician, an astronomer, and best known as the architect of King Djoser’s Step Pyramid at Saqqara.
To celebrate his achievements, a thematic museum was built in the Saqqara necropolis complex, 20 km south of the Giza plateau in 2006.
The museum houses about 300 unique artefacts from Saqqara excavations.
One hall is dedicated to the painted limestone statue base of the King Djoser of the 3rd Dynasty, Old Kingdom 2600 BC.
Mamdouh Farouk, the Director of Imhotep Museum, told the Egyptian Mail: “Imhotep’s titles — vizier, seal bearer in Lower Egypt and chief architect — are etched in this statue base, which is considered one of the unique masterpieces here.”
“The visitor can see the feet of the king step on the nine bows, a symbol of the enemies of Egypt, and the bird ‘rxyt’, the symbol of the Egyptian people, raising its hand to support the king,” he added.
A hall is dedicated to books, periodicals, and publications on archaeology in addition to handwritten manuscripts of French architect and Egyptologist Jean-Philippe Lauer (1902-2001) about his work at Saqqara.
“It also includes a compass, camera, and some photographs of him,” Farouk said about Lauer, who devoted 75 years to excavating the Djoser pyramid complex.
Another hall is about architecture. “Here you find a bronze statue of Imhotep, while sitting on a chair, and holding a papyrus, a symbol of knowledge. He was widely famous in the field of medicine, so, he was deified 1,000 years after his death and was compared with the Greek god of medicine Asclepius,” Farouk said.
On display is a painted limestone ostraca fragment representing the oldest architectural element sketch of a part of the vault ceiling.
Also there is a part of a limestone long frieze of southern tomb façade, which represents four Copra Uraeus. The cobra was the royal protector snake, against dangers.
The oldest mummy of King Merenre Antyemsaf, fourth king of the 6th Dynasty (c. 2325–c. 2150 BC) can be seen in a hall called Saqqara Tombs. Discovered by the French Archeologist Auguste Mariette in 1881, it’s considered the oldest royal mummy, according to Farouk.
“It’s covered with linen, from later times of ancient Egypt, because of its poor condition, leaving only feet and forehead exposed.”
Also on display is a pyramid text fragment of the King Pepi I (3rd king of the 6th Dynasty). It is an inscribed painted limestone fragment, with ten vertical relief hieroglyphic lines. It is the first religious word that aims to protect the soul in the afterlife.
These inscriptions were written on the antechambers, and on the inner wall of the burial chamber of the King Unas pyramid (smooth-sided pyramid built in the 24th century BC for Unas, the ninth and final king of the 5th Dynasty, and the pyramids of kings and queens of the 6th Dynasty.
There is also a famine stele, an inscribed limestone block, with a scene depicting a group of nomads or Asiatics in the eastern desert, suffering from starvation.
Historians say that King Unas helped those starving people by sending provisions for them. He recorded this event on the causeway walls of his funerary temple.
The museum also includes a hall of the most important archeological expedition’s results, whether foreign or Egyptian.
There is also a hall called Saqqara styles, featuring wooden sculptures, alabaster, pottery vessels and jars that date back to 5th and 6th Dynasties.
“Once you go out of museum building, you see the virtual cinema hall that includes a model of the King Djoser pyramid, in additional to display two versions of a short movie, in Arabic and English, about the historical significance of Saqqara necropolis, and about the masterpieces of Imhotep Museum,” Farouk said.
The museum is currently closed for renovation and due to be open early next year.
