Stepping Up to the Step Pyramid

Less than a week after my first official field trip, which took me to Dashoor, I hopped on the bus to Saqqara and Memphis. The Arabic Language Institute (ALI), under whose umbrella CASA falls, offers its own field trips to locations that sometimes overlap and other times differ from where CASA took us. Whenever they differed, I tried to make my name first on the sign-up sheet. I was determined to do as much as possible. Always. Period.

We arrived in Saqqara shortly after 10am at the site of the Step Pyramid, the oldest building in the world. The priest Imhotep designed it for the pharoah Zoser. The original design was supposed to be a typical mastaba-styled tomb (which would have looked something like the first level of the Step Pyramid by itself), but Imhotep continued adding levels in order to increase the security of his king's afterlife. It almost seemed to me that the design was accidental. As he added levels, Imhotep grew more confident with the new technique. Soon, the structure grew to resemble the "ben ben", which was the term for the shape of the first land to appear out of the ocean-covered Earth at the beginning of time.

As our guide put it: "Imhotep copied no one and no one copied him" though I don't agree that one one copied him. In fact architects in generations and dynasties to come aspired to achieve a more perfected version of the pyramid until they realized the ostentatious structures were homing beacons to buried treasure for tomb robbers.

I should take a moment to refer briefly to my title. Though it may look corny, it rather adeptly reflects my true feelings. We were not allowed inside the Step Pyramid, but we were given time to look around the surrounding area. As I wandered around the side of the ancient building, I noticed the Bent and Great Pyramids off in the distance. I couldn't believe that I had been there - inside, no less! - a week previous. I knew I was far from being a native, but I felt "experienced", a "step up" from where I'd been earlier, if that makes sense. Here I was on the site of a famous Egyptian monument and I could see a place I'd already been. It was great.

Shortly after my exciting moment, we boarded the bus again to Memphis where our guide informed us that the main attraction - an incomplete colossus of Ramses II - was a replica. To be honest, I didn't care. The statue is incredible to view, especially since we know that statues tended to be idealizations of the real people. It is regal, it is strong, and it is historical, even if it isn't an exact likeness.

Less than two weeks in Egypt and I was going strong. I couldn't wait to see what was next.