Old Kingdom

Age of the pyramid builders

The Old Kingdom was a prosperous period in the history of ancient Egypt. Its kings and queens were buried in great pyramids, and alongside this new architecture came an idealised school of art, seen in royal sculpture and in the fine, precise reliefs on the walls of nobles’ tombs.

Both the architecture and the art reflect a long, unbroken period of economic prosperity and political stability. It ended with the First Intermediate Period, a long stretch of disorder and political division.

Key rulers and events

• Djoser of the 3rd Dynasty built the Step Pyramid at Saqqara, the first large stone building of its kind, designed by his official Imhotep.
• Sneferu of the 4th Dynasty built the pyramid at Meidum and the Bent and Red Pyramids at Dahshur, moving step by step towards the true pyramid.
• Khufu, Khafre and Menkaure built the three pyramids at Giza. The Great Sphinx is generally linked to Khafre.
• The 5th Dynasty kings built smaller pyramids and sun temples to the god Ra at Abusir and Abu Ghurab. Unas, the last of them, was the first to have the Pyramid Texts carved inside his pyramid.
• The 6th Dynasty, including Teti, Pepi I and Pepi II, saw local governors grow more powerful, which led to the end of the period.

Where to see this era today

• Giza: the pyramids of Khufu, Khafre and Menkaure, the Sphinx and the tombs of officials around them.
• Saqqara: the Step Pyramid, the Pyramid of Unas and the decorated tombs of nobles such as Ti and Mereruka. The Imhotep Museum at the site is a good introduction.
• Dahshur and Meidum: Sneferu’s pyramids, usually much quieter than Giza.
• Grand Egyptian Museum, Giza: Khufu’s great boat, found beside his pyramid.
• The Egyptian Museum in Tahrir and the Grand Egyptian Museum: between them they hold the great sculpture of the period, including the seated statue of Khafre, the statues of Rahotep and Nofret, the triads of Menkaure and the tiny ivory figure of Khufu.