<P> Djoser's Step Pyramid complex has several structures pivotal to its function in both life and the afterlife . Several are discussed below with attention paid to function and form . The pyramid was not simply a grave in ancient Egypt . Its purpose was to facilitate a successful afterlife for the king so that he could be eternally reborn . The symbolism of the step pyramid form, which did not survive the 3rd Dynasty, is unknown, but it has been suggested that it may be a monumental symbol of the crown, especially the royal mortuary cult, since seven small step pyramids (not tombs) were built in the provinces . Another well accepted theory is that it facilitated the king's ascension to join the eternal North Star . </P> <P> The main excavator of the Step Pyramid was Jean - Philippe Lauer, a French architect who reconstructed key portions of the complex . The complex covers 15ha and is about 2.5 times as large as the Old Kingdom town of Heirakonpolis . Several features of the complex differ from those of later Old Kingdom pyramids . The pyramid temple is situated at the north side of the pyramid, whereas in later pyramids it is on the east side . Also, the Djoser complex is built on a North - South axis whereas later complexes utilize an East - West axis . Furthermore, the Djoser complex has one niched enclosure wall, whereas later pyramids have two enclosure walls with the outside one being smooth and the inside one sometimes niched . </P> <P> The Djoser complex is surrounded by a wall of light Tura limestone 10.5 m high . The wall design recalls the appearance of 1st Dynasty tombs, with the distinctive paneled construction known as the palace façade, which imitates bound bundles of reeds . The overall structure imitates mudbrick . The wall is interrupted by 14 doors, however only one entrance, in the south corner of the east façade, is functional for the living . This arrangement resembles Early Dynastic funerary enclosures at Abydos in which the entrance was on the east side . The remaining doors are known as false doors, and were meant for the king's use in the afterlife . They functioned as portals through which the king's ka could pass between life and the afterlife . The functional door at the southeast end of the complex leads to a narrow passageway that connects to the roofed colonnade . </P> <P> Outside the enclosure wall, Djoser's complex is completely surrounded by a trench dug in the underlying rock . The trench measures 750 m long and 40 m wide and is a rectangle on a North - South axis . The walls of the trench were originally decorated with niches and its function seems to have been to make entry into the complex more difficult . </P>

How are the great pyramids at giza different from the pyramid of djoser