CAIRO, Sept 14 (NNN-MENA) – Egyptian Minister of Tourism and Antiquities, Khaled al-Anany, yesterday opened the south tomb of King Djoser in Saqqara necropolis, near the capital Cairo, the ministry said in a statement.
The south tomb is located at the south-western corner of the King Djoser funeral complex, dating to the Third Dynasty, Old Kingdom period, said Mostafa Waziri, secretary general of the Supreme Council of Antiquities.
“This magnificent complex is the oldest stone building of the ancient world and it was named the ‘Southern Tomb,’ following its discovery by the English archaeologist, Cecil Mallaby Firth, in 1928,” he said.
“The tomb is composed of an upper level, in the form of a rectangular stone building. Its walls are decorated with a series of stone sockets, in the form of entrances and exits, crowned by a frieze of cobra heads, that symbolise protection and power,” Waziri added.
Meanwhile, the lower level of the tomb represents an entrance towards a ramp, leading to the burial chamber, which is located at the bottom of a great shaft, with a depth of approximately 31 metres, including a huge sarcophagus made of pink granite and a well.
He added that the well and the sarcophagus are similar to those inside the Step Pyramid.
The restoration process started in 2006, and involved conservation and restoration work of the lower corridors, strengthening the walls and ceilings, complete the interior inscriptions in the tomb, and reassembling the granite sarcophagus, according to Waziri.
The tomb will be opened to the public starting today.– NNN-MENA
