Egypt Lover: Encyclopedia of Pyramids & Royal Tombs

The Gateway to Eternity

The "double" of the Pharaoh. It needed a preserved body and regular physical offerings to sustain its existence for eternity.

Depicted as a bird with a human head, the Ba possessed the power to leave the tomb and return to the body nightly.

The spirit that successfully passed judgment and transformed into a divine being, living among the "Unperishable Stars."

A treacherous realm of magic. The tomb was a functional map designed to help the King navigate past monsters and gates.

c. 3100 – 2686 BCE

Dynasty 1 ()

King Narmer

The likely unifier. Foundational mudbrick pit graves representing the birth of divine kingship.

King Hor-Aha

Multi-chambered complex featuring the first large-scale retainer burials.

King Djer & King Djet

Massive mastaba structures. Djer's tomb was later considered the burial place of Osiris.

King Den

A milestone: The first tomb with red granite flooring and a monumental entrance staircase.

Kings Anedjib, Semerkhet & Qa’a

Increasingly complex architectural layouts ending the first great dynasty.