The Funerary Complex of King Zoser Around 2680 BC, a precedence was established for future Egyptian architecture, as well as for all architectural design. Only a short distance south of the earlier funerary mastabas of the First and Second Dynasties of Egypt, the funerary complex of King Zoser was built. Located atop a stretch of high ground in Saqqara overlooking the city of Memphis, this complex is believed to be the first of its time to use new Egyptian construction techniques, and was by far the largest and most elaborate of all the tombs built before it. Just like previous burial sites, King Zoser's complex was built facing the Nile River to the east. A large rock wall surrounded the complex, measuring 550 x 275 meters, with the only entrance visible on the southern part of the east wall. When you enter the complex you head north through the entrance corridor. This hyperstyle room is flanked by two rows of semi-columns attached to wall spurs. These columns carry a stone ceiling cut to resemble rounded logs. After passing through a doubled number of columns at the end of the atrium, you enter a large courtyard. This court is known as the Heb-sed court and was presumably used for ceremonies. At the southwest corner of this court is a building of solid masonry, and to the north, in another separate court, are two temple buildings with columns carved to imitate lotus and papyrus plants. Just west of this court was the stepped pyramid beneath which King Zoser's body lay in a granite sarcophagus. This sarcophagus was originally topped by a simple stone mastaba, but was later enlarged three times. This step pyramid was then expanded to the north and west, until it reached its final size of six stages 204 feet tall. The stepped pyramid concealing the burial chamber was consistent with previous burial sites, however none before had been as extravagant and contained so many additional structures as King Zoser's complex. The man considered the designer of this structure, Imhotep, is also considered the first known architect. Evidence found in the Zoser complex suggests that architects occupied a higher place in society among wealthy and educated Egyptians. This differed from early Mesopotamian society where kings took credit for the construction of their burial sites, hence why there is no evidence of who designed the earlier structures..