Well guarded by officers on camelback, Saqqara is located on a rocky plateau on the west bank of the Nile, on the outskirts of Cairo. Historically it was the most important necropolis of Memphis which was the capital of ancient Egypt.

To begin a exploration of the Pyramids, you should start at Saqqara. Here you will find many mastabas which are the earliest, simplest and most common monumental tombs of the Old Kingdom. They consisted of a pit or trench in which the sarcophagus was placed. The external casing made the construction look like a large bench.