Saqqara Saqqara Saqqara (, ), also spelled Sakkara or Saccara in English , is a vast, ancient burial ground in Egypt, serving as the necropolis for the Ancient Egyptian capital, Memphis. Saqqara features numerous pyramids, including the world-famous Step pyramid of Djoser, sometimes referred to as the Step Tomb due to its rectangular base, as well as a number of mastabas (Arabic word meaning 'bench'). Located some south of modern-day Cairo, Saqqara covers an area of around . At Saqqara, the oldest complete stone building complex known in history was built: Djoser's step pyramid, built during the Third Dynasty. Another 16
Saqqara Bird showing those boats are found in the Temple of Khonsu at Karnak and date to the late New Kingdom. Some have suggested that the Saqqara Bird may represent evidence that knowledge of the principles of aviation existed many centuries before such are generally believed to have first been discovered. Egyptian physician, archaeologist, parapsychologist and dowser Khalil Messiha has speculated that the ancient Egyptians developed the first aircraft. He wrote that it "represents a diminutive of an original monoplane still present in Saqqara." He also claimed that the Saqqara Bird could function as a glider if it had a horizontal tailplane,