Who was Imhotep?

Imhotep was one of the closest chief officials of the pharaoh Djoser who belonged to the 3rd dynasty of the Old Kingdom in ancient Egypt. He was believed to a great architect, physician & philosopher of ancient Egypt.

The family of Imhotep

According to one inscription in the Wadi Hammamat, Kanofer & Khreduankh were Imhotep’s father & mother respectively. His father was a builder & an architect of pharaoh’s royal court. Ronpenofet was the wife of Imhotep.

What is Imhotep famous for?

Imhotep was the architect who designed the step pyramid of Saqqara for his lord pharaoh Djoser. this step pyramid is believed to be the earliest form of the pyramid & it dates back to around 4700 BCE.

Imhotep as a God

Imhotep was deified after his death. After his death, ancient Egyptians started to worship him as a demigod. In spite of being a common subject, Imhotep achieved the place of a deity; which is really a fascinating aspect while studying ancient Egyptian history.

Member of the great Triad of Memphis

In around 525 BCE, Imhotep was started to be worshipped as a full-god in ancient Egypt. His importance in ancient Egyptian religious pantheon increased in such a way that he took the place of the god Nefertem &  was started to be venerated as a member of the Great Triad of Memphis as the son of the god Ptah.

Cult Centers of the God Imhotep

As a god, Imhotep had his own cult centers where people worshipped him. He had cult centers in the temple of Isis at Philae, in the Ptolemaic temple of Hathor in the workmen’s village of Deir el-Medina, at Saqqara etc. He also had a sanctuary on the upper terrace of the mortuary temple at Deir e-Bahri.

The true father of medicine

Generally, Hippocrates of Greece is thought to be the father of modern medicine. But after detailed researches, one thing is clear that before Hippocrates, Imhotep of ancient Egypt accomplished greatly in the field of medicine. Even, Hippocrates was later known to be inspired by Imhotep.

Imhotep is believed to be the original author of the medical papyrus. It is presently known as the Edwin Smith Papyrus. It is a medical text which refers to 90 different anatomical terms & 48 different injuries.

Accomplishments during career

Imhotep was one of the pharaoh’s most trusted ones from whom pharaoh used to take advice on important issues. Several titles of Imhotep which he earned during his career as a courtier such as ‘High Priest of Heliopolis’, ‘Administrator of the Great Palace’ etc. indicate his growing importance in the royal court.

He was also a philosopher. It is thought that he wrote a number of books on philosophy, poetry, architecture, medicine etc. Although material evidence is none to support this hypothesis. All these thoughts came from the myths & legends of Imhotep.

The lost tomb of Imhotep

Finding the lost tomb of Imhotep had been a great fascination for archaeologists till now. According to common consent, his tomb is hidden somewhere in Saqqara, probably close to or even under the step pyramid of Djoser. There are attempts by archaeologists o find his tomb but till now it is undiscovered.