Djoser Pyramid Colouring

The Step Pyramid of Djoser stands at Saqqara, the great cemetery area of ancient Memphis in Egypt. It was built during the early Third Dynasty for King Netjerykhet, better known as Djoser, who ruled around 2667-2648 BCE. Earlier royal tombs were usually low rectangular structures called mastabas. At Saqqara, builders enlarged and stacked six mastaba-like levels to make a monument that climbed dramatically toward the sky. This was a turning point: Djoser's complex includes the oldest known monumental stone architecture in Egypt and the country's first pyramid. Later tradition connects the design with Imhotep, a high official celebrated for wisdom, although many skilled planners, stoneworkers and labourers made the enormous project possible. The pyramid originally rose to about 60 metres and stood inside a vast ceremonial enclosure. Stone walls, courtyards, shrines and a South Tomb created spaces linked with the king's burial and the Sed festival, a ceremony that renewed royal power. Beneath the pyramid is a complicated network of passages and chambers. Many surface buildings were designed in stone to resemble older structures made from reeds, wood and mudbrick. That makes the site a wonderful lesson in how builders transformed familiar shapes into a new, durable material. UNESCO includes Saqqara within the World Heritage property of Memphis and its Necropolis. This page makes the six main tiers large and clear. Count each step from the broad base to the small top before you begin. Colour the limestone pale cream, soft gold, light tan or warm grey. You could give alternate courses slightly different sandy shades, but keep the spaces bright so the stepped outline remains bold. Make the enclosure wall ivory or beige and the doorway a little darker inside. The tiny visitor can wear cheerful red or blue, while the desert fox may be sandy orange with cream ears and tail tip. Use golden yellow for the sun, very light blue for the sky and peach for the distant dunes. Straight horizontal strokes suit the stone courses; short curved strokes work well on the fox and scattered rocks. Finish by adding a narrow shadow beneath each ledge to make the six levels look solid without covering the clean outlines.

◫ A4 size✎ Bold outlines♡ Ages 3–8

Download JPEGHigh-resolution A4 image Download PDFPrint-ready A4 file

Make it an activity

Choose a favourite colour palette
Add a simple background
Display the finished artwork

Grown-up note: Please supervise printing and choose age-appropriate art materials.