Serapeum of Saqqara
Underground galleries cut into the rock where the sacred Apis bulls of Memphis were buried, each believed to be an incarnation of the god Ptah. Side chambers along the tunnels hold enormous stone sarcophagi, so large it is hard to see how they were moved in.
- Where
- Saqqara, Giza, Egypt
- Grade
- Well known
- Worth
- 10 points collected on site, plus 1 for its grade
- Coordinates
- 29.8747, 31.2124
Get the Serapeum of Saqqara stamp
Open LOQAH when you are at Serapeum of Saqqara. It checks where you are once, at that moment, and the stamp is yours: confirmed on site in gold and struck with the date. It goes into your Giza volume with your photos and a note.
Near Serapeum of Saqqara
Step Pyramid of Djoser 0.6 km
The first Egyptian pyramid, six stepped tiers of stone raised in the 27th century BC for the pharaoh Djoser and credited to his architect Imhotep. It is the earliest colossal stone building in Egypt, set in a vast walled courtyard of ceremonial buildings.
Saqqara 3.4 km
The great burial ground of ancient Memphis, stretching about 7 kilometres along the desert edge south of Cairo. Its pyramids include the Step Pyramid of Djoser, and its mastaba tombs hold some of the liveliest carved scenes of everyday life in Egypt.
Memphis 5.0 km
The ruins of the first capital of a united Egypt, now among palm groves around the village of Mit Rahina. An open-air museum here keeps a colossal fallen statue of Ramesses II and a large alabaster sphinx.
Red Pyramid 7.4 km
The largest pyramid at Dahshur and the third largest in Egypt, after Khufu's and Khafre's at Giza. Named for the reddish tint of its stone, it is thought to be Egypt's first successful smooth-sided pyramid, and its passage leads down into high corbelled chambers.
Dahshur 8.6 km
A royal necropolis in the desert south of Saqqara, where the pharaoh Sneferu worked out how to build a true pyramid. His Bent Pyramid and Red Pyramid stand here, far quieter than Giza, alongside later pyramids of the Middle Kingdom.
Bent Pyramid 9.4 km
The second of four pyramids built by the Old Kingdom pharaoh Sneferu, about 40 kilometres south of Cairo. Partway up, the angle of its sides changes sharply, a record in stone of builders learning as they went, and much of its smooth casing survives.
Great Sphinx of Giza 13 km
A resting lion with a human head, carved straight out of the limestone bedrock of the plateau and facing the sunrise. It is the oldest known monumental sculpture in Egypt, and sits below the pyramids like a guard at the gate.
Pyramid of Menkaure 14 km
The smallest of the three main pyramids at Giza, with about a tenth of the volume of Khufu's, built as the tomb of the Fourth Dynasty king Menkaure. Three small queens' pyramids line its southern side, and signs of unfinished work suggest the king died before it was done.
More famous places to visit in Giza
Questions
Where is Serapeum of Saqqara?
Serapeum of Saqqara is in Saqqara, Giza, Egypt. The nearest other LOQAH stamps are Step Pyramid of Djoser (0.6 km), Saqqara (3.4 km), Memphis (5.0 km).
How do I get the Serapeum of Saqqara stamp?
Open LOQAH when you are at Serapeum of Saqqara and get its stamp. The app checks where you are once, at that moment, and the stamp goes into your Giza volume, confirmed on site, with the date.
I have been to Serapeum of Saqqara before. Can I still have the stamp?
Yes. Add it from Earlier trips in your Giza volume, with the date if you know it, or import your Google Timeline and LOQAH matches the places you were.
Collect your first stamp.
LOQAH is free on iPhone and Android, in India and 20 more countries, with more countries on the way. Stand at a place, collect its stamp, and keep every trip in a passport that grows.