A little to the south-west of Khendjer’s pyramid is the substructure of another elaborately planned monument thought to date from the same period, but whose owner is unknown. Although the substantial mudbrick core of the pyramid was unfinished, its subterranean chambers were not only completed, but finely decorated with rows of black painted stripes on white limestone. The burial chamber seems to have been built to a similar plan to that of Khendjer, with huge granite blocks forming the base, sides and roof of the chamber. It is almost certain that no burial was ever placed in the chamber as one of the blocks forming the cover of the sarcophagus was never put into place.
There is no evidence of cult buildings inside the enclosure wall, but two black granite pyramidions were found in the debris. Both of these were unfinished, although one of them had been polished. The other pyramidion had a truncated top and was only roughly dressed. It is not known why there were two such pyramidions, or why they were at the site of a pyramid which had hardly been begun. There were no inscriptions on either of them, and Egyptologists are still debating their purpose.
How to get there
To reach the South Saqqara Pyramids, visitors can hire camels or horses near the rest house at North Saqqara and ride a few kilometres across the desert which separates the two areas. Alternatively you can drive to the modern village of Saqqara on the western edge of the cultivated area. A reliable guide is recommended but as the South Saqqara site is not officially open, visits in this area may not be alowed. A taxi from Cairo to Saqqara can be hired for the day.
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