Walking in Memphis, King Ramesses II

The story of the pyramids begins in Memphis.  One of the biggest surprises to me was that there are at least 118 ancient pyramids scattered across the country, not just the handful in Giza!  

But there's almost no trace of ancient Memphis which was the capital for most of the pharonic period.  There is a colossal limestone statue of Ramesses II (1294 - 1279 BCE) and a sphinx in its original place. 

The only other solid traces of the city are the funerary complexes (the pyramids) that lie around the fringes.  One of these is Saqqara which was an active burial ground for more than 3500 years.  

The building of the Step Pyramid of Pharaoh Zoser began in 2650 BCE.  It's the world's earliest stone monument and the first tomb to be developed into a pyramid style.