Monumental Legacy: The Heb Sed court in the mortuary complex of Djoser at Saqqara

Djoser (c.2667-2648 BC), the second ruler of the Third Dynasty, was the pharaoh whose chief minister Imhotep is credited with the idea of creating the first pyramid by layering a series of steps on top of an original mastaba. He surrounded the pyramid with an enclosure wall, modelled on the mud brick ritual precincts of Khasekhemwy (c.2686 BC) at Hierakonpolis and Abydos, but built entirely of dressed limestone. Within this enclosure, he created a series of stone buildings modelled on ones made of perishable materials, so that Djoser would continue to be able to perform ritual ceremonies after his death. In the south-east corner of the complex lies a courtyard lined with imitation offerin