Editing Pyramid of Djoser (section)

== Layout ==
Djoser's mortuary complex comprises the great trench, enclosure wall, colonnaded entrance, "T" temple, ''Sed'' festival complex, north and south pavilions, south tomb and court, western mounds, mortuary temple, and the crowning feature of it all, the step pyramid with its substructure.{{sfn|Verner|2001d|pp=108–140}}{{sfn|Lehner|2008|pp=83–94}} The complex was a landmark achievement for Egyptian architecture.{{sfn|Verner|2001d|pp=108–109}} It was the advent of the pyramidal form of the royal tomb and the first instance of the mass use of limestone in construction,{{sfn|Verner|2001d|p=109}} replacing mudbrick which had been the staple building material prior.{{sfn|Lehner|2008|p=84}} This shift to limestone – a hard, dense material compared to mudbrick – presented novel challenges to the architects, though they kept to earlier tradition, copying architectonic elements and carving them into the stone.{{sfn|Verner|2001d|p=109}} For example, the Egyptians hand-carved 1,680  {{cvt|9|m|ft+royal cubit}}-tall niches out of the limestone enclosure wall.{{sfn|Lehner|2008|p=84}} In earlier projects, this element was built with wooden planks, ropes, and poles hung with reed mats.{{sfn|Verner|2001d|p=109}} In a modern context, the same element would be built by laying out the blocks to form the recesses.{{sfn|Lehner|2008|p=84}}

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Djoser-Komplex 2.png|Complex layout: 1) step pyramid, 2) south tomb and chapel, 3) ''Heb-sed'' court, 4) 'T' temple, 5) south court, 6) south pavilion, 7) north pavilion, 8) mortuary temple, 9) western mounds, 10) colonnaded entrance, 11) north court, 12) north galleries, 13) step tombs, 14) serdab, and 15) north altar|alt=
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