After the first three kings of the 2nd Dynasty, royal attention again turned to Umm el-Qa'ab. This, however, does not imply that royal presence at Saqqara ceased. At least the last king of the 2nd Dynasty, Khasekhemwi, appears to have built a large tomb-like construction there, its structure very similar to the oldest 2nd Dynasty royal tombs. The large rectangular construction known today as the "Great Enclosure" or "Gisr el-Mudir", to the Southwest of the more recent Step-Pyramid of Djoser, is thought to have been built by Khasekhemwi. If so, it is the oldest known structure that was at least partially built in stone in stead of mud-brick: the rectangular platform off-center inside the enclosure was built in stone. Because a tomb and enclosure dated to the reign of Khasekhemwi have also been found at Umm el-Qa'ab, it is not known where this king was buried.

One of Khasekhemwi’s successors, named Netjerikhet but known better as Djoser would drastically change the shape of the royal funerary monument. His architect, Imhotep, combined the subterranean tomb with the enclosure, which were previously built at some distance from each other. The enclosure was no longer built in mud-brick but in limestone. Structures and buildings that perhaps were erected in wood in the older enclosures, were now also built in limestone.

In addition, the rectangular platform that stood off-center inside the enclosure was built above the tomb and it was heightened and extended. At a certain stage during its construction, the enclosure appears to have been enlarged, and so was the platform. Three other platforms, one smaller than the other, were built on top of each other and on top of the original platform. Thus the shape of a Step-Pyramid, consisting of 4 steps, was conceived. Later still, this Step-Pyramid was again extended and two extra steps were added. While extending the Step-Pyramid and the surrounding complex, the older structure believed to have been a tomb for Khasekhemwi, was incorporated as the Western Wall of Djoser’s complex. Other older tombs were also encountered during the extension of the Step-Pyramid towards the East. They appear to have been examined, in part also used as a deposit of literally thousands of vessels and pots and were then covered by the eastern extension of the pyramid. The human remains found in some of these shafts were originally believed to have belonged to members of Djoser’s family, but recent research has shown that these remains are several generations older than Djoser.

Thus was Djoser’s impact, that most other kings of the Old Kingdom would be buried at a necropolis near Memphis. The first of them, a king named Sekhemkhet, remained at Saqqara and built a complex similar to Djoser’s to the Southwest of it. It was left unfinished after a perhaps very short reign.

Only part of the first step of the Step-Pyramid was completed, the enclosure wall was not built to its full height and most of the internal buildings are missing. Had it been completed, it would have been larger and more impressive than Djoser’s. After Sekhemkhet, building activity at Saqqara decreased. This can in part be explained by the fact that most of the kings of the 4th Dynasty would prefer Giza or Abu Rawash to the North and Dashur to the South for their burial. Because government during the 4th Dynasty was highly centralised and consisted mainly of members of the royal family, most high-ranking officials moved to the vicinity of the monument of their king as well. This, however, does not imply that Saqqara was completely abandoned, as some private tombs dated to the 4th Dynasty were found in the area North of Djoser’s pyramid. Like most other private tombs of this period, they were mastabas. By this time, the interior of the superstructure, serving as a funerary chapel where offerings would be presented to the deceased, consisted of several chambers, most of them decorated. The decoration usually shows offering processions, the preparation of offerings, festivities and sometimes (standardised) themes from daily life. The most important room inside the mastaba was the offering room where a so-called false door would serve as passage between the world of the living and the world of the dead. From within one of these chambers a shaft would lead downwards towards the actual tomb.
(Jacques Kinnaer)