On a limestone base, which represents all that is left from a life-size statue of King Djoser, a unique inscription was found. It records, for the first and the last time in Ancient Egyptian history, the name and the titles of a non-royal person on a royal statue. The name of that person was Imhotep, the royal architect to whom the achievement of the construction of Egypt’s first pyramid is attributed.
Many scholars agreed that Imhotep deserved to be honored by King Djoser by depicting his name and titles on the King’s statue, because Imhotep’s architectural achievements did not only satisfy the King’s wishes of building a remarkable tomb to guarantee eternity for his name, but also Imhotep’s architectural evolution opened a new era for the Egyptian civilization. It well represented the shift between two main historical eras; namely, the shift between the Early Dynastic Period (3050–2686 BCE) and the Old Kingdom (2686–2181 BCE). Without Imhotep’s architectural revolution, the Egyptians would not have been able to build the Great Pyramid of Giza eighty years after the construction of the Step Pyramid at Saqqara.
Imhotep’s first contribution to science was obviously the use of stone, on a large scale, as the primary building material; it consequently represented the shift from mudbrick architecture to stone architecture. However, Imhotep was not only an architect but also a “Wer-Maaw: The Great Stargazer”, or an astronomer. The title “Wer-Maaw” is depicted among Imhotep’s titles on the Djoser’s base, which is now on display at the Imhotep Museum in Saqqara. The title was studied by many scholars who agreed that Imhotep was also a priest at the sun-temple of Re at the ancient city “Iun, now Ain Shams in Cairo”.
In fact, Architecture and Astronomy were very much intertwined in Ancient Egyptian times. The alignment of every architectural component of the pyramid complex had to be according to the position of the stars and four directions of the world. It is true that all pyramid complexes in the Old Kingdom are different in shape and size, but they all follow the same system of directions and alignments. The entrance to the pyramid is in the middle of the northern façade of the pyramid, and the existence of the mortuary temple is on the east side of the pyramid, starting from the Fourth Dynasty onward.
Astronomy existed in many fields in the life of ancient Egyptians, in addition to the architecture of their tombs and houses. The invention of Egypt’s first calendar was built on the observation of the Moon and the stars. Moreover, celebration days of the great feasts of the gods and goddesses of Ancient Egypt were determined by the position of the stars.
Thanks to the well-preserved late temples, which have survived from the Greco–Roman time, such as Dendera, Esna, and Edfu temples, we know that each temple contained one or two staircases leading to the roof of the temple, where a place was reserved for a particular category of priests/astronomers to observe the stars. The famous Zodiac of Dendera Temple, now displayed at the Louvre Museum, stands as witness to how advanced astronomy had developed in Ancient Egypt. Early excavation carried out in the Old Kingdom pyramid complexes revealed that mortuary temples also contained staircases leading to their roofs for the same purpose; observing the stars to set up the exact days of celebrating holy feasts of different gods and goddess, and most importantly, fixing the schedule of the funerary rituals of the deceased king.
Imhotep is a leader and pioneer in the fields of architecture, astronomy, and management, which helped mold the Ancient Egyptian civilization. It is not a surprise that intellectuals in Ancient Egypt took him as their perfect role model; ancient scribes and writers would spill water while pronouncing Imhotep’s name before they started a project. In later times, Imhotep joined the gods of the Pantheon and was worshipped among the gods and goddesses of knowledge and healing.
With all the information we have on Imhotep from all different periods of history, we still do not know any information about his family or his origin. His tomb is an unsolved mystery. In Ancient Egyptian literature, Imhotep’s father was referred to as a commoner farmer. Undoubtedly, Imhotep will remain in the hearts of the Egyptians as the actual founder of Egypt’s dazzling beauty.
Further readings
B.J. Kemp, Ancient Egypt, Routledge 2005, p. 159.
M. Lichtheim, Ancient Egyptian Literature: A Book of Readings, University of California Press 1980, p. 106.
J. Malek, “The Old Kingdom” in The Oxford History of Ancient Egypt by I. Shaw (ed.), Oxford University Press 2002, p. 92.
J. Kahl, "Old Kingdom: Third Dynasty" in The Oxford Encyclopedia of Ancient Egypt by D. Redford (ed.) vol. 2, p. 592.
Banner Image:
Copper Alloy statue of Imhotep, Kemet, 600-30 BCE
Credit: Science Museum, London. Wellcome Images