Imhotep

Egyptian vizier who designed the world's first pyramid and was later worshiped as a god of medicine.

Life

Chancellor

Imhotep was vizier and chief architect to Djoser, a pharaoh of the Third Dynasty. In c. the 27th century BCE he designed the Step Pyramid at Saqqara for Djoser, the earliest known large-scale stone building in the world.

Step Pyramid

His name was carved on the base of a statue of Djoser, an extraordinary honor for someone not of royal blood. Later Egyptians revered him as a god of wisdom and medicine, and the Greeks identified him with Asclepius, the god of medicine.

God of medicine

His tomb has never been found. (He lived before the start of the site's timeline, so he is placed at the timeline's earliest year.)

Legacy

Imhotep is the first architect in history whose name has come down to us, and he pioneered the tradition of building monumental architecture in stone.

Did you know? The main villain of the Hollywood film The Mummy borrowed his name, but has nothing to do with the real Imhotep.

Key dates

• 2100 BCE(Actually c. 27th century BCE) Designed the Step Pyramid of Djoser