Imhotep was the earthly son of a man named Kanofer. He followed in the footsteps of his father before him to become the Chief of Works. His most important project was the construction of an impressive grave monument for the ruler Zozer King of lower Egypt.

The size and form of the new monument were inovative. It measured 413 feet by 344 feet at base. It towered upward 200 feet. It dwarfed all other mastabas.

He used cut stone for the entire tomb complex. The pyramid, the courts and chapels, the decorated columns, and the magnificent wall, more than a mile long enclosed the complex. It was the world's first important structure in stone.